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"What?!" I screeched into my phone, pacing back and forth on my messy bedroom carpet.

"Carter, I know it's hard to understand and that you're feeling very scared, angry, and betrayed right now, because that's exactly how I feel. But we're going to get through this."

"How can you say that? You just told me those men are going to act soon."

"I'll figure something out. Just don't worry about it."

"Mom, this is so messed up," I gritted my teeth and launched an angry kick at a balled up sweatshirt.

Her voice was soft. "I know."

"How do you even know about this?" My question ended with more of a rising inflection that I had intended, a hint of my skepticism clearly present.

"There was an unknown number on your father's phone that left a voicemail and I checked it out."

"And Dad definitely can't fix it on his own?"

"No, honey. I don't think so." She sounded so defeated over the phone I could only imagine how she looked at work. Legs crossed and hair pinned back like usual, sitting behind a huge desk in the front lobby. But today I could picture her head hung heavily in her hands, stress creasing her forehead, and a hushed whisper escaping her lips as she explained to her eldest daughter about how her husband put her entire family in danger.

"Crap."

Her voice was muffled as she greeted somebody and when she came back on she said, "Alright I have to go now. We'll figure out Friday but honestly your social life is the least of my worries right now. Don't forget to clean your closet and help out with dinner. I'll be home later tonight."

"Ok, bye. Love you."

"Love you too."

I tossed my phone on my bed and headed towards my closet. Honestly, it was already clean from the last time Mom told me to clean it, but I knew that wasn't why she had told me to do it. Under one of my shoes was a little note scrawled in the loopy handwriting of all the rest:

Don't forget to call Luke at 5:25 p.m.

I checked the clock. It was only 4:00 p.m.

What am I supposed to do for an hour and 25 minutes?

When I had come home, Granma Jo and Natalie were going to take Teddy and the girls to the park after they came home. Liv and Vic jumped up and down, their curls bouncing, begging me to come too. Emily even popped out her lip, which she hadn't done in ages. But I just shook my head and said I was sorry, I had too much homework.

In reality, I couldn't even think about homework. The math test I had tomorrow was definitely going to be proof of this, but I could honestly care less.

I just needed a clear head. I needed to distract myself from everything, from what was constantly on my mind: my family being torn apart in more ways than one. Quickly texting Granma Jo and Natalie that I was heading out, I swiped the keys from the hook and put the car in drive. I didn't know where I was going and I didn't care.

I felt like I was doing that a lot lately. Just mindlessly wandering. So much had happened since Sam was kidnapped last Friday, it hadn't even been one week, yet I felt like years had gone by. So much pressure, emotion, and stress had worn me out until I felt like a teetering building one small push away from collapsing.

I was just going through the motions through a series of lefts and rights, press on the brake and ease on the gas. That was until a pulled into the Ashville High School football stadium parking lot.

I'm torturing myself.

Luke and I had that cliché twin bond where we felt complete with one another. That was why I went to him for comfort even after he was the biggest jerk ever. He was my go-to. He was one of the few who had seen me cry, like tears pouring and gross snot crying.

I grabbed my keys and phone, folding my arms as I headed out onto the field. The football team was practicing on the field in the stadium so when I walked in the coach asked, "What are you doing here? Closed practice." The team stopped their drills and stared at me. I felt my cheeks redden under the sudden attention.

"I understand that-" I trailed off. I knew all the guys on the team from having to come to the game for Luke but in that moment they all looked like strangers to me. I couldn't figure out why.

"Coach?" Gabe jogged over from the locker room under the bleachers.

"It's a closed practice," He repeated. "We're practicing for the game coming up and we can't have any distractions. I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." I could tell he meant well, that he just wanted his team to be focused on the practice, but all I wanted to do was sit in the bleachers.

"Coach, let her stay. She's here for Luke." Gabe stood behind me. It would have been cute and almost like a boyfriend-y thing to do, and I would have enjoyed it if he didn't smell so bad from practice. Instead, I concentrated on resisting the urge to gag.

"Ok, then. Sure." The coach still seemed reluctant but waved me on. He turned back to the players and shouted, "Why are you all standing around like a bunch of pansies? Get back to work!"

I spun around to find Gabe smirking at me. I murmured, "Thanks for that."

He winked. "Anytime."

My heart melted a little and I gave him a soft smile before making my way up to the top row of seats on the bleachers. I sat there, my feet propped up on the seat in front of me, watching the football team run their drills, knowing that if Luke were here he'd be kicking everyone's butts. Knowing that he'd punch Gabe for getting me into danger and scold me for getting myself into danger. Knowing that he'd hug me like a protective shield to hide me away from the rest of the world.

A solitary tear dropped onto my lap and I quickly wiped it away. Knowing he'd tell me it's okay to cry. Knowing he'd tell me to stop letting my pride get in the way.

"I miss you," I whispered out loud. "So much." Looking up, I forced myself not to cry. "I miss all of you."

I sat there for ages thinking about nothing, everything, and anything in between when my phone buzzed. Checking it, I found Natalie responding to my earlier text with: Ok. Take your time. Love you, Car :)

I smiled. Love you too. I looked at the top of the screen to find the time 5:20 staring back at me.

Five minutes.

5:21.

Four minutes.

5:22.

Three minutes.

5:23.

Two minutes.

5:24.

One minute.

I sucked in a deep breath, my palms sweating. When I blinked it was there, 5:25, yelling at me to do it.

Within seconds I was dialing Luke's number. My knee bounced while I waited and I bit my lip nervously.

"Hello?" His deep voice answered and my eyes welled up with tears. I covered my mouth at the comforting shock that flooded me to hear his voice.

"Hello? Carter?" He asked again, worry lacing his tone.

"Luke," I smiled, my voice breaking as I choked on a sob.

"Carter? What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

I laughed, I couldn't help it. "I'm so happy to hear your voice. You don't know how much I've missed it and how much I miss you."

He laughed, but then said in a more serious tone, "Me too, Car."

"How are things? How is everyone?"

"Things are as good as they can be and everyone is holding up for the most part. Except for that night when you decided to show up and sneak into the house. You scared us all half to death, we thought you were somebody else." Somebody else.

"Sneak?" I laughed again. "I'm not you heard the right version of the story."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure I did and I'm pretty sure it involved Gabe. Carter, he's trouble and I don't want-"

Wow he's missed a lot. I cut him off. "Luke, he's not trouble. He's really nice and funny, as a matter of fact."

He exaggeratedly gasped. "Are you- are you falling for him? Is Carter Mason falling for him?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But Luke, he's helped me so much these past couple days. It's been so hard and he's been there the whole time."

"I'm sorry, Car." Any hint of humor in his voice vanished to a quiet sadness.

"It's not your fault."

"Mom told you?"

"She told me."

"How'd you take it?"
"I'm in disbelief that this actually happened to us. I always thought our family would be the one where the parents don't divorce, nobody dies, everything just stays happy. But no, Dad had to go and get himself into this mess so that Mom resorted to kidnapping her own kids." I shook my head. "This is so messed up."

"I know. Look I have to go. But stay safe and stay strong. Protect Teddy, Vic, Liv, and Em. They need you."

"No, Luke. Please don't go, don't go."

"I'm sorry Car, I have to. I'll see you real soon."

"Ok, love you."

"Love you too, bye."

He ended the call and I just stared at his contact name fade away before my phone screen went dark. It was then I looked up to see the empty stadium. The players had all gone home, all of the equipment put away. The sun was even starting to sink, dimming the light that splayed across the bleachers.

As I stood up, I saw a figure leaning against the railing on the field. That figure sported messy brown hair and a football jersey.

"Gabe?" I breathed, unable to resist smiling. He was the only person I wanted to see right now.

It was like he heard me because he looked up at me and grinned, opening his arms wide. My feet reacted before my brain did, running down the stairs and jumping into his arms.

He wrapped me tight, unknowingly giving me an exhilarating feeling of security and comfort that when he whispered, "It's okay to cry," I didn't argue or hold back.

I just cried.

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thanks so much for reading!! I hope you are having as much fun reading this as I am writing it!! I don't know about you guys but omg Gabe and Carter give me the feels!! 

till next time!!

- Scarlett Wilson