Rough Drafts | Luke Hemmings {Sequel to Papercuts} ✔

seven

word count; 1312

SEVEN

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Delilah curled into Luke's side later that evening. She'd been talking non stop, and wore herself out. Luke cradled her in his arms, holding her against him. Luke hadn't even know her a full day, and he'd already fallen in love with her. Corrine was right when she said she acted like him a lot. She was very energetic. Corrine walked over to them, and her heart melted. She ran her hand through Lilah's hair, brushing it out of her face. Luke looked up at her. "Bedtime." Corrine smiled. Luke lifted her up, passing her gently over to Corrine. Corrine took her, walking away, down the hall. Luke leaned back into the couch. He pulled out his phone, checking the time. He had one message from Michael.

From: Mike
hey, where'd you go? You just up and vanished for the day!

From: Luke
I'm at Corrine's.

Corrine flopped down on the couch, next to Luke. "What you doing?" she asked him.

"Texting Michael." Luke said.

"Tell him I said hey." Corrine said. "I miss that colourful boy." she mumbled.

"They all miss you." Luke said, facing her. Corrine sighed. "I'm sorry I left." Luke said quietly.

"It's not your fault Luke."

"Corrine, I left you alone. With your daughter." Corrine bit her lip, turning to Luke.

"Don't you mean our daughter?"  Corrine corrected him.

"Our daughter. I left you to raise her all alone." Luke said.

"Don't blame yourself for this Luke. You didn't know. Heck, I didn't even know until a while later." Corrine said.

"That doesn't change the fact that I wasn't there for six years of her life." Luke said frustrated. "I should have been there. For both of you. But I got caught up in all of this, and just left!"

"Shh! You could wake Lilah." Corrine said.

"Why did you name her Delilah?" Luke asked suddenly.

"Because she reminded me of her father. And you said if you ever had a daughter, you would name her Delilah. She's your daughter too Luke. Not just mine." Luke brought his legs up, wrapping his arms around them.

"I don't deserve her." he whispered.

"And why not?" Corrine asked. She adjusted herself so that she was sitting, facing him. "Why don't you deserve her?"

"Because of all the pain I put you through." Luke mumbled. He let a tear fall. "It became too hard, so I left, thinking we were better off friends, I stopped writing, only to contact you three years later with a poor excuse, I let you raise Delilah by yourself. I- I don't deserve her Cory, I don't." Luke cried. He rested his head in his hands. Corrine frowned. She pulled Luke into him. "I hurt you." Luke sobbed. "I hurt the one person I loved the most." Corrine wrapped him in a hug. Luke tried to push her away, but Corrine kept a firm hold on him.

"Luke stop blaming yourself. Just stop. Stop feeling sorry for yourself." she said.

"How?" Luke asked, looking up at her. Corrine wiped away the tears that fell.

"You're here now. Do you see the way Lilah accepted you? She wants to get to know her dad. She wants you to be a part of her life." Corrine said. "I  want you to be a part of her life."