we don't belong here • lrh

Chapter seventeen | the past

Chapter seventeen | the past

"So let me get this straight," I said pulling the fluffy blanket, that Luke had found in a random box, up to my chin to save some of my warmth. "My father abused me? And when my mother went to take me away, he hurt her to the brink of death and she left me figuring it was safer with the abusive piece of shit?"

Luke's sheepish expression told me that my thought process was the correct one. "Then how did we know each other?"

"Okay," Luke started off, pulling some of the blanket away from me to cover his long cold legs. "So, we have always been really good friends since childhood - our mums knew each other since high school - and I was four years older than you. Being four years older than you, your dad didn't like me too much. In fact, he hated me for hanging out with you and being around you in general.

"So when your dad thought I was too old - I was 18 and you were 14 - he told me to leave or he would kill me. We started to sneak around, as friends at the time, and it actually worked out for a few years until you're dad caught me sneaking back into your room from the window. He didn't say anything to me but he took it out on you that night.

"You ended up in the hospital. When I found out, I rushed to the hospital and went to see you straight away, not caring about your father's protests. You were in some type of coma and the only thing the doctors would tell is that you were beatin' up pretty bad from "falling down the stairs". I knew straight away that it wasn't the stairs doings, it was your father's fists. Without thinking I stormed toward your father. All I could see was red, Valentine. I beat your dad to a bloody pulp. I didn't know before because I had you to calm me, but I have anger issues. I never lashed out at you, I promise I never did."

When Luke finished his summary of what happened I was expecting all those memories to come flooding back but they never did.

"I believe you, Luke," I said moving closer to my trusted friend. "It all makes sense now. Expect for the part as to how I got here."

The boy nodded and continued on with his story.

"After your father was admitted into a healing hospital, I was admitted into a mental one. I thought you were gone, Forever. I hated myself and I hated the people around me because you weren't there to tell me you loved me. I started to lash out at people for absolutely no reason. I got in fights and I always made sure people knew I was bad news.

"A few months of me being admitted into this place, I heard a new girl named Valentine was being admitted. And when I was going to make my one phone call of the week to see if it was true, this kid bumped into me. I punched him and he was out like a light but then I saw you," he paused for a few seconds, looking at my face.

"You looked so beautiful."

He looked into my eyes intently as if to memorize the color.

"But then again, you always look beautiful."

He started to lean in. The closer he got the more the butterflies in my stomach fluttered. As he leaned in, my mind got hazy and my memory was buzzed. All I remembered seeing was a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. The rest was black.