𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐬

Chapter 11 - fake

AN - Did I do 3 chapters in 3 days? Possible, maybe, okay... Yes, I did. I need to get a, life ffs.

This chapter was hard to write :( TW - rape, abuse, death.

I stood there just staring at the door after he closed it behind him, he didn't slam it but he might as well have. It wouldn't have hurt any more or any less. I sat down at the bottom of the stairs.

These types of situations were so uncertain.

What would Leo do to me? Shout at me? Hit me? Rape me? Nothing I didn't have experience in...

He didn't do anything wrong and I didn't do anything wrong, case fucking closed.

I wiped off the singular tear rolling down my face and took three deep breaths.

one

two

three

"Everything okay out here?" Tom's voice frightened me when he opened the kitchen door to where I was.

I didn't lift my head from my lap on the off chance he might not notice my mini panic attack happening in front of him.

Thankfully I've had enough of these in my life to control them, my life was a walking panic attack. So this was nothing really, just a minor glitch in the system.

I didn't necessarily want to talk but I didn't know if he heard that.

"How much of that whole.. thing, did you hear?" He slowly walked over and sat down on the stairs, squeezing in beside me.

"Enough... enough to know why your sat here like this. Don't worry about Lily or the people inside, they moved to the garden."

I tried to stifle a sob as I spoke "Please don't tell Lily that... Well y'know that me and Leo, Leo and me, we aren't..."

Tom stayed silent for a moment before rubbing a hand on my back "Your secrets safe with me"

I lifted my head to his and gave him the brightest smile I could manage.

"For what it's worth Bells... Leo does look smitten with you. He looks like the same lovesick idiot I was when I first met Lily"

I didn't want to believe that Leo could possibly love me, I just didn't. We had only known each other a month.

This day last month was the day we agreed to this whole charade, but it seriously feels like years ago.

But a month isn't enough to love me, he doesn't know everything. Scrap that, he didn't know anything.

He was oblivious to Cole, Sam, my mom, I mean hell he probably doesn't even know the situation with my dad. Well... Oli's dad.

I'm sure one day I would tell him, but today was not. that. day.

Tom wiped some more tears from underneath my eye.

"Thank you" I whispered

"You don't want to leave him out there too long, I'll tell Lily you had to go if that's what
you want ."

I noodles and gratefully smiled, grabbing my purse off the hall table. This would be fine, everything would be fine.

I pushed open the door and made my way down the path and to my side of the car.

I avoided eye contact with him and sat in. His cologne was wafting up my nose as we sat in the car, he didn't make a move to drive or turn on the ignition or even budge.

Just silence, staring straight ahead of us.

But as I told him, I didn't like the silence.

"Cole..." Leo looked straight at me, as if I just spoke in the middle of a church ceremony.