Shadows in a Window // Luke Hemmings

chapter 4 • breakfast

I hardly get any sleep. I sit at the windowsill in mine and Ryan's bedroom staring at the drunken monster that lay in our bed. Afraid that if I attempt to climb into bed next to him, he will take advantage of me or beat me for waking him up.

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My body jolts as I wake up and realise that I lay somewhere different to where I fell asleep. The white sheets cover my body and that's when I realise that I'm in our bed.

I pull the covers back expecting to be naked and bruised from Ryan taking advantage of me while I was asleep but to my surprise my cloths remain in the exact same place as they did when I fell asleep. I'm shocked and confused at what exactly happened last night as I wander downstairs and into the kitchen so I can get started on Ryan's breakfast before he gets angry.

As I walk into the kitchen my senses are filled with the warm smell of bacon and eggs.

"Ryan?" I ask warily as his full body comes into view.

"Good morning beautiful." He greets me as he turns around and gives me a kiss which startles me.

"Someone's a bit jumpy this morning." He adds with a low but sweet laugh before turning back to cook the eggs.

"Umm... Ryan... How did I get into bed, I swear I fell asleep by the window." I tell him as I think back to last night.

"Oh, yeah. I woke up to go to the bathroom around 4am and noticed you laying there asleep so I carried you back to bed." He answers me with a gentle smile.

"Thank you." I softly whisper.

"I thought you'd be hungry when you woke up so I thought I'd make you some breakfast." He tells me as I smile at how perfect he is this morning, if only he was like this morning.

"I am, thank you." I answer him.

His sudden mood change is a massive shock to me and I'm not sure whether to be scared or happy so I just awkwardly stand in the room, ready to bolt out of the house if he snaps back to his old ways.

"Take a seat babe." He says as I do exactly as he tells me to, incase I get in trouble for disobeying.

I carefully watch him as he serves up two plates of food and sits them both down in front of me. He takes a seat himself and starts to eat before pausing and looking up at me as he notices that I am yet to start eating.

"Is everything alright?" He asks as his voice strangely shows concern.

"Yeah, of course it is. Why?" I question with a smile before regretting questioning him because he hates it when I question him back.

"You just haven't touched your food yet." He points out.

Unsure of how to answer him I take a bite from my breakfast. My stomach fills up quickly because I hardly ever eat and I struggle to finish it off.

"Babe, you don't need to eat it all if you can't." Ryan tells me kindly.

"It's really yum it's just a lot of food." I reply with a half grin as I place my knife and fork down on my plate.

"It is, I didn't realise how much was there until I cooked it all... It's probably because I don't cook much." He says with a small chuckle.

The new Ryan is so strange to me, he wasn't even this kind when I first met him. I wonder what caused his sudden change?

"Anyway, I better get going. I've got a busy day at work." He lets me know as he stands up and clears the table, something of which I thought he wouldn't know how to do.

"What would you like for dinner tonight?" I ask him and for once in a long time I don't feel nervous around him.

"Don't worry about dinner. I'm taking you out." He surprises me.

"Wait what?" I ask shocked.

"Yeah, well I thought we haven't been out in a long time and my mate Max works at the bar. He got some free tickets to this cool band that's playing there tonight. I thought you'd like to go?" He asks me as my heart pumps like crazy.

"I'd love to go. It sounds amazing!" I cheer.

"I'm glad you're excited. I'll be back tonight at 6, be ready." He says with a smile as he pecks my lips and leaves for work.