Gemma Styles
Cleo didn't even notice me when she walked into the kitchen, it was around seven a.m. and I just couldn't sleep last night, so when I couldn't handle tossing and turning anymore I decided to go make some coffee.
She didn't bother to turn on the lights because the sky was already clear and the windows in this penthouse were huge, so it was bright enough... bright enough for me to see the dark bruises around her neck.
Oh wow.
She was humming and clearly too lost in her own thoughts to look around, and I was sitting on the stool and just watching as she opened the fridge to get a bottle of water. She was wearing just a tank top and... boxers?
It looked like it, it seemed like very short shorts, and now I could see mor scars on her legs that I hadn't noticed before. I was quite shocked because she was covered in thin white lines, some way more prominent than the others, but enough to leave me concerned.
Her thighs, her arms... she had scars all over and I was very confused because they didn't seem like self-harm, so who hurt her this much? Why? I was confused in general because of her neck mostly, the ugly bruises were dark red and she looked seriously hurt... and I could feel my cheeks getting warm when I spotted the letters H and S bruised on the side of her neck, the broken capillaries on her skin only made my eyes widen even more.
Jesus Christ, what the fuck was going on?
I thought I heard something last night but I was listening to music, it always helped me relax so I could try to sleep even if I didn't end up sleeping, so if Harry and Cleo did anything I wasn't able to listen.
Well, it was clear that they definitely did something, but I wouldn't know what to call that.
I was kinda glad I didn't listen, this seemed... too much and too awkward. I wondered if they didn't wake up Zayn though because he slept in the living room, but he was still asleep when I came to the kitchen.
"Good morning," I spoke up and clearly scared her because Cleo turned around with wide eyes and almost let the bottle fall. "Sorry, you didn't see me when you walked in."
"It's fine." She let out a deep breath and her voice seemed raspier than usual.
She walked closer to the kitchen island and placing the bottle on top so she could twirl her hair up in a bun. I noticed there was a red mark on her cheek too and I knew I was staring, but who the hell left bruises like that on a person's neck?
I wasn't dumb, I knew it was my brother but it was very damn hard to believe that, it was hard to grasp that he was an adult now in general. That he had a girlfriend and they did... this.
God, this was awkward.
"You're up early." I cleared my throat, trying not to keep staring at her neck... and at the many hickeys all over her chest.
"Yeah... Harry's up too, he's in the shower." She bit her lower lip nervously, looking around the kitchen as if she was trying to look for a way to make this seem less awkward. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes." I lied, mostly not to worry her in case she thought I heard anything. "You?"
"Very well, actually." Cleo smiled, taking a sip of the water now.
"Want some coffee?" I blurted out, finally understanding why she wore turtlenecks even in L.A., it looked like someone tried to murder her.
Cleo just nodded, scratching the back of her neck and keeping her eyes on me when I walked over to the counter where the coffee machine was, basically on the other side of this excessively large kitchen. I felt a bit weird by making coffee myself, but I thought Harry wouldn't mind-
