Lonely Hearts

Chapter twenty: Emma

My head pounded and I burrowed under the covers, blocking out the sunlight.

"Bonjour, mon soleil." I groaned at Louis's cheerful tone and pulled the covers further over my head.

I heard the blinds being pulled open and whimpered, snuggling into my dark cave. The bed creaked as Louis sat down and stroked my back gently.

"I think we need to have a chat, don't you?" He asked, softly. He pulled the covers off so I had no choice but to look at him. I scrunched up my eyes against the light.

"Can't it wait?" I pleaded. "I'm dying here."

That surprised a laugh out of him and he took pity on me, drawing the blinds shut once more and drawing the curtains so it was darker and didn't stab my eyes. But he still sat down on the bed and watched me, waiting expectantly.

"Can you tell me what happened last night and why?" He asked, his voice calm and gentle.

I was quiet.

"Emma?" He chided. "Come on, talk to me. I can help you, but only if I know what's wrong."

"I'm tired of waiting for people to keep their promises." I whispered.

He sighed.

"Do you want to know what I said when Lincoln said he wasn't going to mess up another placement for you?"

I simply shrugged. I didn't care anymore. I didn't care what he said. I didn't care what promises were made and forgotten. Didn't care anymore whose fault it was that he wasn't here.

"I told him I didn't care what he thought he was going to do. I didn't care if he messed up a thousand times. I promised him I wouldn't let him down." He said. "He refused to consider it. Did everything to make sure I wouldn't take him home."

He smiled. "I can see why the Home struggled to place him anywhere. When he doesn't like something, he makes it loud and clear."

I smiled too.

"He shouted, swore, threatened. He told me I wouldn't ever love him. That I would take him back. He said that he would never accept me in his life, but if I didn't accept you then he would find a way to make me suffer. None of that ever made me love him less." He said. "And I did love him. More than we realised at the time."

He was quiet. "I would have taken him home. But I didn't want him to hate us for trying to love him. I didn't want to put you in an unhappy home."

I was quiet as I thought of all the long nights Lincoln had put us through. Tantrums, arguments. How exhausted he made me. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. He hadn't always made our house feel like home sometimes.

"He promised us he would keep us safe." I mumbled.

"And do you feel safe?" Louis asked.

I sighed because he was right. I did feel safe. He hadn't broken that promise to us. His idea of safe was just different to mine.

Louis shifted to sit next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer.

"Emma, from the day I met you until the day I die, you've been and will always be my daughter in all the ways it counts." He said. "I don't care how many times you push me away or how much trouble you cause, you're my daughter and you'll always have a place in my heart." He stroked my hair gently and I felt my throat itch at his words.

"Now, as my role of a father includes scolding his daughter when she does something wrong," He continued. "Let's have a proper chat about what happened last night."