Closer to You || Sequel to More Than This

Chapter 34

Chapter 34


Meg's POV

I signed Luke into the hospital and made sure he was in good hands. I checked on Lucy as well. She was still having trouble breathing so she was on the machine. The police planned to interrogate her if she got any better. Part of me hoped she'd get better, another didn't. If she woke up she'd be stuck with the fact that her father tried to kill her for the rest of her life. That's going to scar her.

I insisted it wouldn't be necessary but the police disagreed. They didn't know what I knew. Tomorrow would be end of it all. I'd catch Roy before he could even step on that plane with my sister.

Luke told me a little of what Roy had planned.

"I-I'm honestly so sorry. My d-dad, I-I didn't know he'd be hurting h-"

"It's okay, Luke." I said as I noticed his heart rate monitor soar up. I looked between him and the monitor, frantically. He needed to calm down. He needed to relax.

"No, I mean she h-hates me and-"

"Luke," I snapped, grabbing attention. "Look at me." He met my eyes, body shaking. His breathing was quick and uneven.

Anxiety attack.

"Breathe, Luke," I said, taking deep breaths to show him how to do it. It was like he forgot how to breathe. I kept eye contact with him the while time, my breathing still slow and steady. "Breathe, honey."

Luke's breathing eventually slowed down. It became slow and steady like mine. He seemed to be relaxing now.

"You okay?" I asked gently, as he nodded slowly.

"I-I thought you hated me."

I shook my head. "I just hated the fact that you were so close to my sister. A little jealous even."

"You? Jealous of me?"

"You affected her so much that is was Luke over Meg one time."

Luke made an 'o' with his mouth. "Sorry 'bout that."

"No, it's all right. Sorry if I came across as rude or mean to you."

"It's all right." He said with a little laugh. "You say that a lot you know." 

I managed a smile. "Well, because it is all right. If it's not yet, it will be." 

He nodded, and looked over to his sister's bed where Lucy was sleeping now. Earlier she was struggling, breathing like there was fifty pounds on her chest. It hurt to hear her in so much pain. It was the littlest thing. It should've been so easy. 

Breathing.

Everytime I took a breath, I mentally thanked that I was fortunate enough to be able to do so. 

"Finally meet my sister and I get to watch her slowly die." Luke muttered half-heartedly. 

"She's not dying. She's . . . struggling. She's going to be okay though." 

Luke sighed. "I didn't even know I had a sister. Gosh," he buried his head in his hands, looking ready to cry. His back was slouched over as he hid his face, like he was ashamed. Like he felt as if he wasn't worthy enough even to be seen. 

Roy broke him. He tore him up into shreds. He chewed him up and spit him out, sneering at him like he was the scum of the earth. 

I rubbed his back, awkwardly at first. I swallowed down a cry as he flinched at my gentle touch. He was so used to being hit. I knew what it was like to be scared at even the slightest touch from anyone. Teachers, coaches, friends. Everyone was suddenly a threat. You feared any human being. 

Anyone with a hand. 

Sometimes if I was out with Louis, I'd grip his arm a little tighter if we walked past an elderly woman or man with a cane. I know it was stupid to think that a eighty year old might whack me upside the head suddenly, but that piece of wood brought me a lot of pain. Louis would always assure me that it was all right and kiss my head or stroke my hair. It was one of the little things I loved about Louis. Even though he was my husband, he some what loved me like my father probably would. Liam was the closest thing I had to a dad so he was very dear to my heart as well.