Another Broken Girl

Chapter 56

Ali's POV 

"Babe." Noah says waking me up.

"Hm." I hum slowly.

"We all fell asleep last night." He says. I look around to see that he was right. Everyone was exactly where they were last night knocked out. I lightly laughed and got up from Noah's lap.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

"Want to ask questions or come with?" I say giving him a smirk.

He smiles too and follows me outside. I just wanted to get some air, but we ended up going down to the beach. We're both holding hands and just walking along the water. Since it was still seven in the morning it was calm and no one was here yet.

"I was wondering, about last night. How they were talking about your life in Sydney." He says. "Is there more that I don't know?"

"Nothing really. I was a high school dropout, and worked as a waitress to pay off my apartment."

"But I feel like there's more to that. You told me you grew up in New York. So, why did you move to Sydney, then to California?" he asks.

"That's" I pause, "a really good question."

"I have a lot more." He says in a serious tone.

"How about you ask a different one." I say.

"Okay, just tell me pass if you don't want to answer." I nod in response.

"Did something happen in New York?"

"Pass."

"Why did you move three times?"

"Pass."

"Why did you drop out?"

"Pass."

"Why don't you live with your parents?"

"Pass."

"Why do you keep passing all my questions?"

"Pass."

"Ali." He says and stops walking, but I keep walking.

"Ali, stop." He says grabbing my wrist and turning me around to face him.

"You don't have to put your walls up again, Ali. You can trust me."

"I know I can."

"Then tell me." He says stepping closer to me.

"Did you move or did you runaway?" We stood there in silence. I knew that I couldn't just walk away from him and I know that he won't let me go until I tell him.

"Ali, I know something happened in New York. I know you." He says cupping my cheek.

"That's something I really hate about you." I manage to say.

"You just hate it because you can't hide behind your wall." It's true. That's why I do hate it. We stand here in silence again. I couldn't breathe, I felt like my lungs vanished.

"Ali," he says in a soft voice, "did you runaway?"

"Yes." I say in a voice that was barely audible.

"Let's get back inside. They'll be wondering where we are." He says taking my hand again. I knew he knew it was big for me to just tell him that bit of information, so he didn't push it any further. And I love him for that.

"Were you guys making out in a sand pit?" Beth asks as we enter the house.

"No, we were just walking on the beach." I say holding Noah's hand.

"Well, we want breakfast, but we don't know where anything is." Brandon says

"What do you guys feel like eating?" I laugh.

"Waffles!" Skylar suggests.

"Waffles it is." I say. "You guys can watch in the living room, I'll just call you guys when it's done."

They all go to the living room as I take out the waffle maker and start making the mix. Once I'm done someone comes into the kitchen catching me by surprise.

"Is there help needed?" Andy asks.

"No, I can do it. I finished the mix already." I say, and I admit that I was a bit surprised to see Andy asking if I needed help.

"You know, for the past year," she says more serious, "Luke really missed you."

"Can we not talk about Luke?" I ask politely.

"Did you even miss him?" she asks ignoring my request.

"Yes, I did, but I have Noah now." I say finishing the first four waffles and filling in the four stencils again.

"I know," she says, "but I just wanted you to know that Luke was hurt too."

"What are you two talking about?" Brandon asks entering the kitchen.

"Nothing, I was about to leave." Andy says exiting the kitchen.

"Is everything alright?" Brandon asks once he's sure that she can't hear us anymore.

"Yeah." I say putting the eight finished waffles on a plate.

"Ali, I can tell you're lying." He says beginning to fill in the stencils for me. "Is it that Luke guy?"

"How did you know?" I ask.

"Calum filled me in." he says.

"Ah, so you know how I left Sydney." I say.

"Yeah, that was kind of a mean way to leave, don't you think?" he says.

"No." I lie.

"Come on, Luke was there in that lobby and you wouldn't tell him why you were leaving. And once he asks that there could be an 'us' you laughed at him." He says.

"Okay, it's awful, but you don't know why I did what I did." I say.

"Then tell me," he pauses, "why did you do it?"

"I had to hurt him so he'd stay away." I say honestly.

"Just because you hurt him doesn't mean he stopped liking you." Brandon says. "Haven't you ever heard of tuff love?"

"He didn't like me." I say quietly.

"Are you kidding me? He asked you if there was an 'us' of course he liked you. I think he still likes you too." Brandon says raising his eyebrows.

"No he doesn't. That was a long time ago. He's famous too, he can date a star." I say.

"Whatever you say." He says raising his hands up in surrender.

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