Falling For Hood | C.H.

Chapter 45 : Coming Out...Wait What?

| Helen |

I was sitting on my bed reading a book when the front door unlocked.

Luke.

I resisted the urge to run downstairs and hug him, beg him for forgiveness.

I heard footsteps.

Luke cleared his throat and I looked up, he was leaning against the door frame.

"Helen, can you come downstairs, please?" He asked.

I nodded and got off the bed. I wore black skinny jeans and a The 1975 shirt.

I walked past Luke and down the stairs. I felt him waking right behind me.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and was crushed into a hug. It was Michael.

"Helen, Luke told us what happened."

"yea, and we just wanted to let you know that we are here for you," Ashton said.

"No matter what. Helen, we care about you and won't hurt you," Calum said.

I nodded and hugged them back.

"Helen, talk to me. What happened? Why did you hide it from me?" Luke asked. he looked hurt.

I dropped my gaze. I couldn't bare the fact that I hurt Luke.

I sat on the couch and looked at the guys who were still standing.

"Aren't you going to sit?" i asked.

They shuffled towards the couch and sat across from me.

"So," I started, "Me and Brad started dating back in November of 2013. So we dated for a year. Everything was perfect in the beginning, he treated me like a queen. As if I where the only girl in the world. We were the school's most popular couple. Of course, I didn't like the attention, but Brad adored it. So i went along with it. Over the months everything was okay. We didn't have any problems. And I think that was the problem."

I paused.

"It was in September when he first hit me. He just got done from a football game and his team lost. We went to my house and Dad was out of town on a business trip. We got in an argument and he slapped me. i was in shock and he left out the door. the next day he came to my house and apologized. Said he was really sorry and he didn't mean it. I, of course, being head-over-heels for him, believed him and forgave him.

"He hit me a few more times after that, but it was a week or two later. Adin didn't know about it, I told him the second to the last time he hit me. Adin always tried to be there when me and Brad were alone. he tried to protect me, but he wasn't always there due to his busy schedule. The last time he abused me was on the week I came back to Australia. It was on a Monday. I told Brad i was moving back here and he got mad. He didn't want me to leave. He slapped me and kicked me continuously in the ribs and stomach. That's how I got my bruise."

I stood and lifted my shirt, revealing the deep purple memory of my last week in California with the man I thought I loved and loved me back.

Luke had tears in his eyes. and had a balled up fist to his mouth. As if preventing himself from screaming.

Calum was crying. His eyes full of pure sadness and it hurt me to see him like this.

Michael looked at me as if he were at my funeral.

Ashton's face was full of sympathy, sadness and rage.

I sat back down and waited.