Run (Punk Luke Hemmings)

Chapter 65

"You're what?" My mother says with a look of shock. Everyone else at the table is quiet and staring at me and Luke.

"I feel bad for staying here for so long," Luke answers for me. I'm glad that he found the words since I couldn't. "I don't want to mooch off of you anymore, so I decided I should find my own place...and I asked Allis to move in with me. I know we haven't been together for that long, but I really care about her and think that we are ready for that step in our relationship."

"I'd be moving out in a few months anyways for college, might as well start learning to be independent as soon as I can," I finally find reasoning.

"That's just crazy Allison," she says, shaking her head and looking down at her plate. "It's nothing against you Luke, you know that I care for you, but you guys are so young and so early in your relationship."

"I know mom, but we really care about each other," I say as I grab Luke's hand. "If it doesn't work out...we'll figure something out," I lie. I hadn't thought of the possibility of it not working out and I didn't want to. If it didn't work out, I wouldn't have a plan, but I couldn't tell her that.

"Let her make her own decisions Lana, it's a time for them to learn from their choices," Troy speaks up. I am actually shocked at his words, I think everybody is. I mentally thanked him a million times. Louis lets out a small chuckle and shakes his head before looking back at me.

My mother sighed and we all turned our attention back at the head of the table. "You're both 18, so I guess it's your choice," she says and I am in shock that she is actually semi-okay with this. Troy must really influence her because never in a million years would I have thought that my mom would let me move in with a boy. "One condition," she cuts my mental celebration off, "if you get pregnant, I am not paying for your college tuition." 

I am embarrassed at her words and hope that the red is not visible on my cheeks. "Deal," I say to her as everybody is staring at me.

"And you still have to come see me. I don't want to never see my daughter again," she says and I can tell she is holding back tears.

"Of course mom, you know I would never not come back," I say and give her a warm smile. She smiles back and mouthes "I love you" when everybody has stopped looking.

Everybody continues to eat with their casual conversation, like nothing had even happened. Luke grabs my hand underneath the table and squeezes it. I look over at him and see a small smile on his lips as he eats the rest of his food. I can't believe we were actually doing this. 

The rest of the night goes nicely. We all sit around the living room as Louis and Troy yell at the T.V. as they watch a soccer game. The tension between them still fills the room and makes me wonder what happened between them. Georgia stays pretty quiet other than occasionally talking to Bradley. My legs are sprawled across Luke's lap and I occasionally catch him staring at me. 

"What?" I ask him and laugh after I catch him for the sixth time.

"Nothing. I'm just happy," he says with a wide smile. 

"Me too," I say back and lay my head on his shoulder.

Even though Louis obviously hated his father, and my mother might be a little mad at me, I enjoyed being here with all of them. I thought that this day would go bad, but it turned out much better than I could have imagined. I thought about the new place that Luke and I would call our own. Until then we would be here, and there's nowhere else that I would feel more at home than I do right now.