The Life of Charlotte Diaz

Chapter 14. Not So Shocking Revelation

"Thanks," was the first word I heard come out of Luke's mouth since we got into his car.

Before we left, I changed back into my sweats and gave Adilyn a tight hug. She told me that she wanted to play princess again and I could only nod my head in approval. I knew I could never say no to that girl's face. It was too precious and full of a purity that would have your heart ripping into two if a frown was to ever mar it.

I'm positive she's had her fair share of tears, but I would die inside if I had to witness it.

I shook my head and glanced at Luke, giving him a curt nod. We were but a few blocks away from my house now, and I found that he only lived but fifteen minutes from me. The only question that ever confused me, was how he got my address in the first place. Maybe one day, I'll have the courage to ask him- well, write it to him in a question.

The rest of the ride was driven in silence until he got to my driveway.

"Hand me your phone," Luke held out his hand expectantly.

I could only stare at it with furrowed eyebrows. After a few moments, he turned to gaze at me with annoyance flashing in his eyes. "Fine then," he reached into my sweatshirt pocket and pulled it out himself. "Passcode?" He questioned, while I finally rolled my eyes.

Snatching back my phone, I typed in the password and shoved it into his hands.

"Someone's grumpy," he mumbled, causing a deadly glare to elicit from me.

I watched him as he typed in few numbers and words before he turned it off and placed it back into my pocket. "You can go now,"he gestured, unlocking the car doors so I was able to get out when I wanted to.

But I stayed still, giving him a peculiar look. It really unnerved me that I couldn't figure out Luke. What his game was. What his thoughts were. What his entire motivation behind it all was. He was so confusing. His emotions were mixed and his actions spoke that he may actually have a heart somewhere buried deep inside of him. But his words contradict to that theory.

Finally, I shook my head and grabbed onto the handle. But before I could get out, I felt a tight grip on my arm. My body tensed and I felt my heartbeat increase.

Almost as instantly as I felt the grip, it was gone. But the feeling that it brought with me stayed.

I turned to shoot Luke a murderous glare. He should know by now I didn't take lightly to being touched.

He simply shrugged, but there was a serious look etched on his face. Like, he figured something out.

"You don't like to be touched," he noted the obvious. I rolled my eyes, as if to say no shit Sherlock.

He shook his head at my look. "No, I think it's more serious than you think. I've never seen you willingly make skin contact with anyone. And I know it's a natural reaction to jump when someone touches you unexpectedly, but you don't jump. You flinch and you tense up. That's... that's not normal, Charlotte."

Is it weird to say I literally felt my heart churn in my chest at my name rolling off of his tongue. Don't get me wrong, he's said my name on more than one occasion. But the... the tone in which he said it. The way it rolled off his tongue so easily.. It felt rather odd hearing my name slip from his lips in a concerned mannar.

"Did..." he trailed off. "Your- your parents never... abused you right?"

My head was shaking from side to side in a vigourous manner. My eyes wide with shock at his question.

He nodded his head, although his eyes were a tell-tale sign he wasn't that convinced. "I know whatever happened to make you not want to speak anymore must have been traumatic. If you still get scared of being touched... even by people you... " again, he trailed off.