Finding closure
VIOLET
I stared blankly at the ceiling. Sleep should’ve come easily after the exhausting day I’d had, but my mind refused to shut down. My thoughts circled back to Luke, Ryan’s words in the car replaying like a broken record in my head.
“Talk to him then. If talking to him will give you the closure you need, then do it.”
I’d been stunned when he said that—Ryan Jenkins, of all people, telling me to meet up with Luke. It was so uncharacteristic of him, yet it also showed how much he cared about me.
The thought brought a small smile to my lips, but it quickly faded. I didn't even know if I was ready to face him. So,I picked up my phone and scrolled through my contact lists until it finally landed in Luke's. His name stared back at me. My thumb hovered over the message icon, my mind playing a back-and-forth game. I could just text him, right? Something neutral, like “Hey, can we talk?” Simple. Direct.
But What would I even say? “Hey, sorry for cutting you off completely after you endangered my life, but let’s be friends again?”
Or
“Sorry for ignoring you for months, but do you mind explaining why you lied and almost got me raped?” Yeah, that wasn’t going to work.
I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face. The guilt still lingered, twisting my stomach in knots. I hated feeling this way—torn between anger at what Luke had done and the tiny voice in my head that whispered, Maybe you were too harsh.
Deciding that tossing and turning wasn’t going to help,
Frustrated, I locked my phone and tossed it onto the bed. This was pointless. If I wasn’t going to text him, I needed to stop torturing myself with the idea.
My gaze shifted to Ashley’s name in my recent calls.
Talking to Ashley might help. She’d know what to do.
Without thinking twice, I dialed her number. It barely rang twice before her chipper voice came through.
“Violet Blake! What’s this? Did shopping today not drain you enough, and now you’re calling me to whine about how fabulous I am?”
I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at my lips. “Very funny, Ash”
“So, what’s up? Did Ryan finally lose his mind after spending all that time waiting for us?”
“No, but you almost did,” I shot back. “Where were you earlier? You ditched me in the middle of the store!”
“Oh, please,” she groaned. “I was gone for five minutes, max. And besides, you should be thanking me—I came back, didn’t I? Looking as hot as you did in that dress, I figured you’d survive.”
My cheeks warmed at the compliment, but I quickly shook it off. “I actually wanted to talk to you about something serious.”
“Serious?” she repeated, her voice dripping with mock surprise. “What could possibly be so serious after the epic shopping trip we just had?
“Yeah, well, while you were off doing... whatever it was you were doing, I ran into someone.”
Ashley’s tone immediately shifted, curiosity laced in her words. “Oh? Who?”
I sighed, dropping onto the bed and pressing the phone closer to my ear. “Emily.”
There was a pause, and then Ashley’s tone shifted slightly. “
“Wait, Luke’s sister, Emily?”
“Yep.”
There was a brief pause before Ashley let out a long, exaggerated whistle. “And? What happened?”
I explained everything—running into Emily at the mall, the brief but emotional conversation,
Ashley stayed quiet, and that silence made me nervous.
When I finished, she finally let out a loud scoff. “So she pulled the guilt card, huh? Classic Carter's move.”
“She wasn’t pulling anything,” I said defensively. “She was just being honest. And... maybe she’s right. Maybe we were too hard on Luke.”
Ashley groaned loudly. “Vi, don’t do this. You know Luke was the one who sent that anonymous message. He lied to both of us, put you in danger, and just... what? You’re ready to forgive him because Emily batted her eyelashes and gave you a sob story?”
“It’s not like that,” I said softly. “I’ve just been thinking... Luke was our friend, Ash. Yours too. We were all so close, and after everything happened, I cut him off without even letting him explain.”
Ashley’s voice softened, though it still carried a sharp edge. “We were all friends, yeah. But friends don’t do what he did. He betrayed us, Vi. You trusted him. We trusted him.”
“I know,” I said, clutching the phone tighter. “But what if there’s more to the story? Emily said he didn’t have a choice, and maybe—”
“Maybe he should’ve talked to us instead of being shady,” Ashley interrupted. “Look, I get it. He was our friend. I miss him too, okay? But that doesn’t mean we should just sweep everything under the rug.”
“I’m not saying that,” I argued. “But don’t you think we owe him at least one conversation? Just to hear his side?”
There was a long pause on the other end before Ashley sighed. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but... fine. If you really want to talk to him, we’ll figure something out. But I’m only doing this because I don’t want you beating yourself up over it forever.”
“Thank you,” I said, relief washing over me. “I just feel like we need closure.”
Ashley let out a sigh. “You’re too nice, you know that? But if this is what you want, I’ll back you up. But, Violet... be careful. Don’t let him manipulate you into thinking everything that happened was okay.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
“Of course. That’s what I’m here for. But if this ends
I laughed lightly, the tension in my chest easing a little. “You’re the best.”
“Yes I know,” Ashley said, her tone lightening again. “But don’t think I’ll make this easy on him. If he starts spinning some tragic hero story, I’m walking out.”
I laughed softly, the knot in my chest easing a little. “Fair enough. And thanks, Ash. I mean it.”
“Don’t get all mushy on me,” she teased. “Now, go get some rest. You’re going to need it if we’re dealing with the drama king himself.”
I hung up with a small smile, feeling a little steadier than before. Talking to Luke wasn’t going to be easy, but at least I wouldn’t be doing it alone.
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