Cinderella // luke brooks fanfiction

chapter eight

Lorna hasn't been back in a few days, which is a good thing. Her not being her gives my body time to heal, if she was here i would probably have 2x the amount of bruises I already have.

Luke has been coming over every day after school and helping me with anything I need. He has been so supportive and loving.

*Lukes POV*

Chelsea hasn't been in the best of ways obviously, I've never seen someone so down. All she does now is get up and go to school, and after school she goes home and sits in silence. The trauma from throughout her whole life has caught up on her and she's starting to feel it a lot more now. She smiles from time to time but the sparkle isn't in her eyes anymore and the smile? It isn't real at all. I've done anything and everything to get her to talk to me, tell me everything but she won't. Bottling things up is one of her worst habits, it's the reason why she feels like no one understands her. If she just opened up to someone maybe we could understand.

After school today we went back to hers and sat and watched tv, well I watched tv while she blankly stared at the wall. I can tell she's in a lot of pain and is suffering, I just want to help her.

*Chelseas POV*

I've never felt like this before, it isn't just emotional pain it's also physical but not from the abuse or the beatings, my body just aches from sadness.

When Luke isn't here i am terrified, I'm scared she comes back and hurts me again. I'm scared one day she'll kill me. Which might not be a bad thing, but I'm scared what would happen to Charlotte. She needs me. I need her. I've been sleeping in her room every night after Luke goes home. I don't like being alone.

after school Luke came over and sat with me for a while. We spoke for a bit and I could tell he was trying his hardest to make me happy, which made me smile a lot. He really did care. While we were talking there was a knock at the door. My whole body tensed up and I felt scared, I don't know why but I did. Luke answered the door and I heard a mans voice. Which was slightly familiar.

"Is Lorna here?" I heard him ask.

"Um no mate sorry" luke replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well could you maybe tell her that Keith stopped by?" The man said.

"Well um, I?" Luke stuttered not knowing what to say.

I stood up from the sofa and walked over to the door, popping my head around to see the man who was here before. The one Lorna was arguing with.

"Who are you?" I asked, suspiciously.

"Keith? Lorna's boyfriend" he said.

My whole body froze. Boyfriend? What the fuck?

"You can't be her boyfriend she's married?" I said, confused.

"She's what?" The man seemed shocked.

"She's married? To my dad" I snapped.

"Right I better go, see you" 'Keith' said, while walking to his expensive looking car and then driving away.

I looked up at Luke who was as shocked as I was. My step mum was cheating on my dad? How could she do that? He gave her everything, a house, money, clothes? The thought of telling my dad this crushed me inside, she made him so happy and I couldn't ruin that for him.

My dad's health hasn't been the best over the past couple of years, when I was 8 one of his lungs collapsed after a car accident and he has never really been the same since. I worry his health will go down hill while he is away on business and I won't be there to take care of him.

~


My school has been phoning the house daily to check up on where I am. I haven't really been attending school since it happened, no one apart from luke knows that Charlotte and I have been living on our own for the past week and a half. I've been trying to keep the house clean and the fridge full but it's been hard. I don't have a lot of money or the energy to do anything, I've been staying in my pyjamas and not even leaving the house.

My dad phoned today which really brightened my mood, his voice makes me feel safe and secure. His voice was croaky and slow, I could tell his health wasn't the best but he wouldn't admit it. He convinces himself he is good and healthy but we all know he's really not. My dad told me he will be home in a couple of days, which really made me happy yet scared at the same time.

"Bye my gorgeous girl, I'll see you soon" my dad said down the phone.

"Bye dad, I love you" I replied, smiling to myself slightly.

"I love you too, bye baby" he said, before hanging up the phone.

How do I explain all of this to him?