: Tainted Holiness : [Muke] ON HOLD

[29.]

Hayley looked at me with a scrutinising eye.

"Is that all?"

I nodded, "Then you guys came to my house and now I'm here."

Hayley looked down at the stack of papers she had assembled.

"So you're telling me you have no idea what happened three hours after Michael left you?"

"No I—"

A picture was being pushed toward me. I raised a brow but slowly took the picture looking down at the image. I could feel the bile rise in my throat as I stared at the photo.

It was Ashton. He seemed to be laying in a grassy patch, if it wasn't for the deep gash on his forehead or the blood that seeped through his grey Henley from the multiple gunshot wounds to his chest, he would of looked peaceful.

"Would you like a see the others Luke?" The psychologist questioned hand poised to give me the other photos.

I quickly shook my head glancing at the photo once more finally connecting the dots.

"You think Michael..." I trailed off fighting the tears that threatened to fall. "He would never!"

"You don't really know you're little boyfriend do you Luke." She taunted, "You probably believed everything single thing he too you on your little trip."

"I—I..."

She crossed her arms over the table, "Do you know how Michael met Ashton?"

I shook my head.

"What they did together?"

Again, I shook my head.

"Maybe you should ask him when you tell us where he is."

I tugged my hair in frustration, "I. Don't. Know."

Hayley gathered the papers slipping the picture of Ashton's dead body back into the folder.

"Protecting him isn't going to get you anywhere Luke." She spoke in a small voice this time, "If he's guilty of this he has to pay the penalty. I know you see him as some saviour—"

"Michael is my boyfriend. He loves me." I sobbed, "He loved Ashton too. I didn't know him that well but I know he wouldn't do anything to harm his best friend."

Hayley shook her head, the expression on her face unreadable. An officer walked into the room nodding to Hayley.
"Luke your dad is here."

I sighed wiping my tears in my sleeves as I followed the officer down the dark hallway from the interrogation room. My dad would be pissed, he left home for prayer meeting thinking I was sick.

I looked at my shoes and I was handed over to my parent. My father's eyes were cold as he shook his head slowly. I yelped as pain shot through my arm when he grabbed it, dragging me to the car and throwing me against the passenger door.

"Get in."

The was the last words he said to me before we got home. I spent the car ride looking around at the sights of the city that I wouldn't be able to see again until I was forty, that's about how long my father would lock me in my room.

My father once again grabbed my arm to pull me out of the car and up the driveway. I was released then I heard the front door slam.

"Luke..." My mum's soft voice came from the living room. She knew what was about to happen but you could do nothing about it. Her job as a wife according to my father was to submit to her husband, and to him anytime she disagreed with him was against god and god's family.

"Luke Robert Hemmings," my father seethed behind me. I turned slowly to face him, there was a belt in his right hand and the bible in his left as he moved closer. "Can you please tell me why I was called down to the police station after I was told that you weren't well and couldn't attend prayer tonight?"

"I didn't want to go." I answered watching as his grip on the belt tightened.

"So you decided to become a jail bird instead, huh? Decided to embarrass me instead, huh?! Decided to be around that damn Clifford boy instead?!?!" He barked. He placed the bible aside. "What was the last thing I told you about that boy?"

"I don't care." I muttered under my breath.

"Excuse me?" My father laughed dryly, "Could you repeat your rudeness?"

"I don't care! He's my boyfriend."

It took a moment the pain slowly blossomed at the side of my face, I could feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth from how hard I was slapped.

"You are not my son! You will bring your sodomy into this god-fearing house." His grip got tighter on my arm as the lashes became worse.

"Stop..." I heard my mum's broken voice as I curled in on myself on the floor, "You're hurting him."

"Shut up woman." Then he turned back to me, "If he is be a child of —"

"I don't want to!" I sobbed looking up at my father taking his rage. "I love Michael."

"You will rot in hell you faggot." He spat stepping over me, going to his room.

I let out a breath taking my mother's hand as she helped me off the floor.

"Do you want your turn to?" I asked coldly looking into tired but sympathetic eyes.

"That wasn't the man I married." She sighed before asking, "Do you really love Michael?"

I nodded and my mother gave a small smile running cautious fingers over my bruising cheek.

"Then go. This isn't your place I'm not letting you stay here."

"Mum—"

"When I was pregnant with you I didn't pray for a Christian child or a straight one, I prayed for a happy one." She spoke pulling me into a hug, "Does he make you happy?"

I whispered out a "yes" clutching her tighter despite the pain.

"Then go to him Luke."

I nodded, kissing both of her cheeks before grabbing the bags from camp that were still unpacked. My mum handed me her keys giving me one last goodbye hug before watching me leave.

I pulled out my phone seeing the low battery. I opened the texting app quickly searching for Michael's name.

To Mikey❤💙❤: Meet me at the lake house. We need to talk.

A/N: Hi I'm back. Thoughts? This story is wrapping up. Like 5-6 chapters left. What do you think is gonna happen? Tell me.