The Worst Things in Life Come Free to us|L.R.H

41- Joe and the evil step sisters.

"So what, exactly, are you going to attempt to make for dinner, tonight?" I ask Luke, as we walk round the corner of my straight, my hands shoved in my warm jean pockets as I put my cold nose and face in my warm scarf, and Luke holds the shopping he decided we needed for tonight with everyone.

We're celebrating the end of my expulsion, though I don't think it's a particularly necessary thing to celebrate when I think it's apparent to everyone that I don't want to go back.

See, now I've got my friends back, and now I've got Luke, all I want to do is be at home with them, whereas before I just wanted to be out all the time. To try and forget, I guess.

"spaghetti carbonara," he states simply as he begins to fumble around for his keys in his pockets.

I let out a laugh at how confident he sounds.

"Sounds good," I state, and smile at him as he takes my small palm in his free hand.

I open the gate to my front garden, and as I walk through I stop.

There's people.

People I know.

And hate.

My sisters, and... and... as they step aside,

My ex boyfriend, Joe.

Oh my god.

We make eye contact and he's just as I remember him. Piercing green eyes. Slim, chiselled face. Brown hair. Devastatingly attractive.

But as I continue to look at him, the word asshole is still written all over his forehead.

I have to stop for a moment and remember to breathe.

Behind me I hear Clary's voice surrounded by the rest of the boys and Ellie's laughter.

I feel them walk in behind me and stop, sensing all the tension.

"... I feel like we've interrupted something," Michael says, and beside me, out of the corner of my eye, I see Luke turn to him and say something, but I don't hear him because the images of that night are running through my head.

As I shoved me against the wall and forced me to kiss him.

As his hand connected with my cheek when I disobeyed him, told him to stop, and tried to push him away.

The play through of that night runs through my head and remember it all, I remember how I got away lucky. And that he didn't actually get a chance to do anything too serious, though he got close, I screamed and caught some attention. That was the night before I left.

But now I wonder, having not seen him for almost eight months, what the hell he's doing here; same for my nasty step sisters.

They all look at me and I have trouble catching my breath as all the old, horrible memories come rushing to my head.

I walk towards the door, avoiding eye contact as I move away from my friends and make Joe, who was standing directly in front of door, scoot out the way, though he only shuffles slightly and still stands extremely close, as if he were looming over me.

I can almost feel his breath on my neck and I think everyone can sense- and see- my unease as I try to open the door and struggle to keep my hands from trembling.

"Want some help, love?" Joe asks and I have the serious urge to punch him in the jaw.

I take a tight breath.

"No," I whisper out, daring myself to talk.

Finally the door opens and I walk in, leaving it hanging open.