Runaway

Chapter Five

"What do you mean he knows you're alive? What are you not telling me October?" Luke spoke. The look on his face was part astonishment and part confusion.
I didn't know how to tell him that I had faked my death to runaway. That I had left my mother behind. That I was a horrible person and left a disaster in my wake. That I broke everything I touched. That I was the reason for my sisters murder.
I shivered and let out a shaky breath.
"October..." Luke whispered into the darkness of the bedroom.
"I can't Luke...I can't tell you...." I cried again.
"Why? Why can't you tell me?" He whined.
"Because if I tell you I can't protect you anymore." I turned my head, looking him in the eyes.

"Protect me from what?" He whispered.
"...Myself." One solitary tear slid down over my cheek bone.
The room was silent.
Luke didn't drop his gaze from my eyes. He looked into them like he was searching for something. The truth?
One moment he was looking at me and the next his lips were pressed against mine. The cool metal of his lip ring made me shiver. His lips tasted of peppermint, and they moved between mine expertly. He slid his top lip over mine, trapping me in his kiss.
If my mind wasn't completely blank I would have pulled away and said this was a mistake but i couldn't think. His teeth softly bit my bottom lip and I shivered again.
I was running out of air and pulled away slowly, catching my breath.
Luke's eyes watched my every move, searching for my reaction.
I didn't even know how I felt about it. My mind was torn between falling for this boy and big mistake.
Involuntarily I leaned into him so that we were nose to nose. He tilted his head and pressed his lips gently to mine again before he backed up a few inches so he could see my face.
"Luke I...." I began but he cut me off.
"If you're going to say what I think you are then don't." He said sternly.
"Luke I'm not good for you." I whispered.
"I think I can decide that for myself." he said before he dipped his head back in for another kiss.
I kissed him back for a few seconds then backed away again. "I don't want to hurt you..." I murmured in the tight space we had created.
"Then don't." he looked me in the eyes. His blue eyes a shade darker.
"It's not that simple." I whispered, shaking my head.
Luke brought his hand up and pressed it to my cheek, cradling my face. "You don't have to talk about it now if you don't want to, but I'm here for you okay? I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You are so strong for yourself because you had to be but let me be strong for you too now." He spoke to me in the sweet darkness.
I nodded, then ducked my head into his shoulder, throwing my legs over his. He pulled the blanket up over our bodies. His hand pressed against my back, pushing me closer to him. He dropped his head down gently on mine, resting his cheek on my forehead.
I sniffled again and wiped another tear from my face, chuckling at myself.
"What?" Luke laughed lightly.
"Thank you." I breathed out a laugh.
"Of course." he said, and i could hear the smile in his voice.
-
The next day the boys had another studio day and Luke refused to let me stay home alone which i was actually grateful for.
I sat next to Luke on the car ride there, so close that our thighs were touching. His hand crept up to hold mine but Calum was sitting right next to us. I gave Luke a look that said no. I didn't want the other boys to start thinking things.
The driver took us to a studio downtown and i followed the guys into the building. We walked down a hallway and into a black door labeled Studio C.
"I never asked what your band name was." I said to Ashton as he stood next to me.
"5 Seconds of Summer." he smiled at me.
I nodded my head. I folded my arms across my chest and sat down on the couch.
"This might be a little boring for you." Luke apologized, sitting next to me on the sofa.
"It's fine."
"We're recording bass on a song today, so Calum will be tracking in that booth back there", he pointed to it through the glass. I nodded.
Calum went back to the room and ran over the bass track a few times before they recorded it. He came back in the room and they listened to it along with a guitar track.
Calum heard something he didn't like and went back into the little room to do it again.
By the time they had finished the bass track for that song it was time for lunch.
We left the studio and started walking down the street towards a restaurant. Luke walked next to me and brushed his hand against mine. I looked up at him and shook my head no. It wasn't that I didn't want to, its that i didn't want to give the boys the wrong idea.
We stopped at a cross walk waiting for a chance to cross when a group of about three girls ran up to us.
"Oh my gosh, you're five seconds of summer!" one of the girls squealed.
"I'm a huge fan!" another one said.
"Thanks", Ashton smiled.
They asked to take photos with the boys and they all did so graciously. I stood off to the side of Luke awkwardly.
When they seemed to be wrapping up I walked forward to Luke, he turned back towards the cross walk and placed his hand on the small of my back guiding me. I jumped forward at his touch.
"Are you two dating?" One of the girls asked and i looked to Luke with wide eyes as the other girls and the rest of the boys looked to us with expectant faces.
'Uh no." i said to the girl that asked, "Just good friends."
They nodded and smiled before waving goodbye.
As we crossed the street I spoke to Luke.
"I'm sorry, i just don't want the boys to start thinking things." i bit my lip.
"I understand." he smiled lightly.
When we got to the restaurant we sat in a booth in the back corner. It was shaped like a half circle. A waitress came and took our drink order, flirting with the boys and then left.
I laughed after she was out of hearing distance.
"What?" Luke asked.
"She was totally flirting with you." i laughed again.
"She was?", he looked confused. "I didn't notice."
I laughed again.
"Maybe it's because I'm focused on someone else." he whispered loud enough for only me to hear.
I looked down and smiled to myself as he chuckled at my blushing cheeks.
The waitress brought back our drinks and took our food order, flirting again with the boys. We kept a light hearted conversation going as we waited for our food and kept it up once it arrived. We left a nice tip (mostly Calum) and Luke called the car to come pick us up.
As we waited outside, I leaned against the wall of the restaurant. Luke stood beside me on my right while the other boys stood to my left.
I looked away from watching Michael pick on Ashton and glanced across the street.
I stopped breathing when i saw the man in the tan coat that worked for my father siting at a table in the restaurant across the street. He smiled wickedly and waved at me before getting up and walking off.
This meant that he had been following us and knew where i was but also he knew who i was with and that meant not only was i in danger but so were Luke, Calum, Ashton and Michael.
-
Back at the house Luke had gone straight upstairs and i followed him. The moment i walked into his room he closed the door behind us, and immediately set his hands on my waist.
"Luke." i said as he pressed a chaste kiss to my neck.
He pulled me over onto the bed and cuddled me into his side.
"I need to tell you something." I told him.
"Hmm", he hummed against the skin on my neck.
"I saw the man today. He was sitting at the restaurant across from us. He must be following me."
Luke broke away and sat up in alert.
"October why didn't you say anything?" he asked.
"I am now." i whispered.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his quiff flattening. "You need to tell me these thing immediately from now on." he said.
I nodded.
Luke sat up on the bed with his back against the wall, his legs spread out in a V. I crawled over and sat between them, leaning back against him. He wrapped his arms around me and i rested my arms on his.
"Who's Delilah?" he asked, breaking the silence. I tensed. I assumed he felt me tense up and continued. "You said the name in your sleep last night a few times."
I didn't relax. "Uhm, that was my sisters name."
"Oh." he said.
"Yea." I was glad he could not see my face right now.
"You said she died...how?" he asked innocently. He was oblivious to how dark my past was and i wasn't sure how much longer i could keep it that way.
I realized that i couldn't anymore.
"She...she was murdered..." i trailed off. My heart shattering into a million pieces at the sound of my words.
"Oh my god...October i'm so sorry." he hugged me tighter. I held my breath, afraid that if i let it go i would burst into tears. "How...i mean..who...?" he tried to ask.
I mustered up all of my strength and parted my lips, letting the words fall out.
"My uncle."