Shadows in a Window // Luke Hemmings

chapter 8 • safe

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Last night was the first full nights sleep I've had in a long time. I felt safe.

I some how manage to sleep through the nightmares I usually have and instead I dream of something happy, something beautiful. I wake up on the lounge with a warm blanket wrapped around my body that Luke must've put on me when I fell asleep. He is so caring and so different to Ryan and it actually scares me but I feel like I can be vulnerable around him and he won't take advantage of that.

As I open my eyes and adjust to the morning light as I hear the sound of bacon sizzling in a pan. Slowly I peel the blankets off and stand up, with each step towards the kitchen the pain of last night quickly returns to my joints.

"Good morning." Luke says cheerily with an inviting smile.

"Hey." I reply awkwardly and unsure.

"What are you doing?" I ask him as I watch his actions cautiously.

"I'm making us breakfast." He answers me as he watches my reaction.

"Why do you seem so surprised?" He questions with a sweet smile.

"I-I'm... Thank you." I stumble out as I try to work out what to say to him.

To be completely honest I am surprised I haven't had someone make me breakfast since, well, since my parents. I've just always made the breakfast because Ryan expects me to and I do what he says.

"Do you eat bacon and eggs?" Luke asks me.

"Yeah." I reply softly as I slowly and painfully hobble over to sit at their dinning room table.

"Are you ok?" He asks obviously noticing my hobble.

"I'm fine." I brush it off, giving him a fake smile as I look down at his hoodie I'm wearing and play with the sleeves.

I don't look back up at him until he places a plate of bacon, eggs and toast down in front of me. It smells and looks amazing.

"Thank you." I practically whisper as I take my knife and folk and start eating.

I roll up the sleeves of the hoodie to my elbows so they aren't so baggy and that's when I hear a small gasp leave Luke's lips. I glance down at my arms to find purple bruises and a few cuts on them and quickly roll my sleeves back down.

"What happened?" He asks sounding both shocked and sad.

"Nothing, I just fell down the stairs last night and hurt myself pretty bad." I quickly ramble out the first excuse that comes to my head.

"But you were at the top of the stairs when I got there last night." He points out as I try to keep calm and hold back the tears that threaten to spill over.

"I'm sorry." He quickly adds as he senses how uncomfortable I feel.

I just give him a quick smile of forgiveness before finishing off my breakfast.

I wait until Luke finishes his plate before standing up and collecting both plates, taking them to the sink as I start washing them up.

"It's ok, I've got it." Luke says as he stands up rather quickly and walks over to me, taking the plates out of my hands.

I flinch and instinctively hunch over slightly, scared that he's going to hit me for doing something wrong.

"Hey, it's ok I'm not going to hurt you." He tells me softly as he takes a step back from me.

I stand there shocked and unsure of what to do or say.

"Jessy, don't be scared. I was just taking the plates off you. You don't need to wash the dishes, I can do that." He says in a sweet tone as he tries to calm me.

"I-I'm sorry." I answer him in a whisper as I try to hide my shaking, upset voice.

I look up at Luke to see his face is covered with confusion and worry which only makes me more upset. I turn on my heels and walk out of the kitchen and towards the bathroom. Once I'm in the bathroom I lock the door and let a shaky sigh escape my lips as tears start to fall down my cheeks.

I look at my reflection in the mirror and I'm disgusted. My hair is messy, my chin has a bruise on it, my legs and body are covered in scars, cuts and bruises. No wonder why no guy ever looks at me and thinks I'm beautiful. Embarrassed and ashamed I dry my eyes and unlock the bathroom door only to come face to face with Luke.

"I'm sorry, I was just checking up on you to make sure you were ok." He apologises because he startled me.

"It's ok, thank you for having me." I politely say as I step around him and head toward the front door.

"Wait, where are you going?" He asks me as he follows me down the hall.

"I'm going home." I reply as I reach the front door.

"Is it safe for you to go back home?" He asks obviously catching on to the fact that home isn't the safest place for me but not knowing the full story.

"Trust me it's not safe for either of us if I stay here." I tell him before opening the door.

"Let me give you a ride home at least." Luke suggests as he follows me out the door.

"I'm fine." I reply.

"Jessy, it's a good 30 kilometres back to your house and with that sore leg it might take you a while. Please let me give you a lift." He almost begs.

"Ok then." I finally give in as a sigh leaves my lips.

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"You can pull over here." I tell Luke as we approach my house.

"But we're like a full block away." He replies as he looks over at me clearly confused.

"Please pull the car over." I ask him with a sigh.

"I'm not pulling over, you're hurt, you can't walk that far." He tells me as I become anxious and scared because we're only getting closer to my house.

"Luke pull the car over!" I practically yell as a tone of desperation appears in my voice.

He quickly indicates and pulls over to the side of the road.

"Jessy are you ok?" He asks me as he noticed the panic that spread through my body.

"Yeah I'm fine now. Thank you for letting me stay over last night, I appreciate it." I thank him before climbing out of his car and closing the passenger door.

I wait for him to drive away before I start walking towards my house so he doesn't see my hobble because I know he will keep insisting on driving me all the way because I'm hurt. I regret getting out so far away from home because my legs are fatigued and bruised but I know if I did get dropped off at my door step by Luke and Ryan was home he'd get so angry and probably beat me up all over again.

I don't ever want Luke to see that.