The first rays of sunlight reach my pale white skin, making me slowly open my eyes. I couldn't resist to look up at luke after realising that my face was still resting on his chest and his hand holding my waist. His bright sky like blue eyes were wide open, facing the ceeling. I move my body slightly and run my hand down his chest over his grey cotton shirt, holding him a little closer to me, before taking a deep sigh through my nose.
"Good morning, sleepy head."
"Good morning Luke." I let out, still in a cuddly mode. "For how long have you been awake?"
"I don't know. I don't sleep much." He says, sofly playing with the ends of my hair. "How did you sleep?"
"Surprisingly good." I lift my chin up, staring deep into his blue eyes again after rubbing mine. "Thank you for hmm letting me sleep with you, I guess." I say, shyly.
"Don't worry about that." He lets out a little giggle. "It's fine."
After a couple of minutes of awkwardly cuddling each other in silence, Luke decides to speak up again.
"How are you feeling?"
My heart stopped for a second, bringing back all the bad memories I had from the day before.
"Better than I expected. I mean, as long as I'm not alone I guess I'll be fine."
"I won't leave you alone, don't worry." He smiles at me. "I'm gonna check on Rena and attempt to make ourselves some breakfast."
"Can I go with you?"
"Sure." He laughs at me. "Why are you asking that?"
"I don't know. Being alone in a room even though someone I know is in the house seems a bit terrifying."
"Don't think too much about it." He holds me close to him one last time before getting up and heading to the kitchen. "Now come on, let's get you something to eat."
Rena was already in the kitchen, eating some toast.
"Good morning Rena."
"Good morning sweetie, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine enough I guess."
"You are just fine Chloe." Luke rubs my back and gets closer to the kitchen counter to make us some more toast. "Did Calum text you last night?" He asks Rena.
"Yea he texted me, everything turned out fine."
My muscles relax at her answer. Words can't describe what it feels like to put someone at risk because of you. That's just how I feel. I feel responsible for all that happened, despite the fact that I didn't ask for it and also despite the fact that all this happened because I was caught up at the wrong place at the wrong time. Wrong circumstances brought me here even though I'm still skeptical when it comes to coincidences.
I let out a long sigh and head to the kitchen counter to make myself a quick breakfast.
"Luke, you're going to have to call someone to fix the broken window." Rena says as she takes little bites of her chocolate chip cookies.
"Yes, I'll take care of that." He assures, taking his phone and typing a number on it.
I return to the kitchen counter and finish spreading the butter on my fresh made toast, hesitant to join the converstaion.
"You're going to have to hide me again, right? I mean, from whoever that is coming over to repair the window?" My quiet voice makes its statement, before the conversation turned into an awkward silence. "Am I going to have to be alone again?" The sillence fills up the room again. "Will you please answer my question, Luke?"
"Yes but don't worry, I can stay here with you." Rena answers instead of Luke, rubbing my back.
Luke keeps ignoring me and Rena, gluing his phone to his ear to listen to whoever answers his call. "Hello? I'm calling for a glass window and locks replacement." He speaks to his phone while us girls stayed quiet, having breakfast. "My name is..." He takes a break before glancing at me. "...Luke Hemmings."
---
"Wow what a party you had here young man." The repairman affirmed as Luke guided him through the house, while me and Rena stayed in my bedroom having a movie marathon, like she insisted. From what I heard, the repairman seemed to be in his fourties and kept talking to Luke in a really raspy deep voice.
"Yea you know, my friends drank a little too much and things got out of control." He laughs, sounding really convincing before telling the man what windows needed to be replaced and also asked him to change the back and front doors' locks to the strongest possible.
"I understand, I have a 17 year old son so I know how it works."
"I bet you dont." Luke laughs with irony, unavoidably noticeable.
---
Luke's new windows were now made of a really strong foggy type of glass. He chose it to "play it safe". We'd have more privacy and by privacy I mean no one peaking in looking for me or looking into Luke's illegal business. I was glad he chose it and so did Rena, she even told him she liked this glass better than the clear one because it was more "modern and unique". However, Luke strongly disagreed about its beauty, saying that if it wasn't for our safety, he would be breaking it himself.
"Luke your clothes are all in place now. I put them back into the closet." I go back to the living room, leaning against the wall facing Luke, while he was trying to untie a bunch of guitar plugs that were laying on the floor, due to the "battle" that had happened before.
"You really didn't have to do that. It probably still feels scary for you." He said, struggling to untie the wires.
"No it's fine. I just want to help, since your house is a total mess because of me."
"I told you already it wasn't your fault." He answers, not looking at me as he talks for being so focused and frustrated for not being able to get the plugs into place.
"Do you need help?"
"No." He says almost in a protest.
"Here, take this end..." He lets me take over this increadibly hard task of his. "...pass it here, and there you go."
"Uh, thanks I guess." Luke says in a confused tone as Rena giggles from the couch.
"What?" I ask Rena.
"He never asks for help. And never lets anyone help him."
We are cut off by the new doorbell ringing, and before Luke could shush Rena, he gets up to answer it. Ashton, Calum and Michael enter the house, talking and laughing really loudly at only God knows what. They came into the living room and immediately noticed the new windows and asked me how I was doing. After a while of talking, Luke decided to go straight to the point.
"Do you have it?"
"Yes" Calum answers, taking a huge, huge, roll of cash out of his backpocket. It was insane. I wasn't expecting it at all.
"Is that from that big "order"?"
"What else would it be? Do I look like a stripper to you?" Calum laughs.
"All that? In one night?"
"We have made more before." Ashton explains.
"Those teenagers' parents must be broke by now."
"What, you never asked your parents for money for drugs?"
"Does it look like it, Ashton?"
"Poor little girl" He laughs and I glance at Luke, bringing back the memories of the first time he let me try the drugs, which ended up in a long deep kiss. One that I'll never forget.
--
The boys and I spent the afternoon playing videogames but as the night settled in, my anxiety levels started to increase. However, my confidence wasn't at all gone. If I was able to hide and escape death from Tobias' gang members, I could get through tonight. So I decided to sleep alone that night, without Luke or anyone beside me. I had to face my fears, and that was the only way to make me stronger.
"Are you sure you want to sleep by yourself Chloe?"
"Yes. I'll be fine." I answer Luke, despite the fact that his arms wrapped around my body were the utopia of home.
"Alright. Call for me if you need." He says, before closing my bedroom door and leaving me alone.
I fell asleep quickly than I expected. But the anxiety didn't fade away. As I slept, images of the black masked men popped in my head.
Their silhouettes, the chaos, their guns, the loud noise.
Tobias' brother's knive on my back.
His hands on my body.
Chloe...
Luke's hands on my body.
The drugs.
Guns pointing at him.
Guns pointing at Luke.
Chloe...
Guns poiting at me.
The sound of a pulling trigger.
Chloe!
I wake up and stand up in bed in a split second. My thoughts sounded like a marching band rehearsing inside of my head.
"Chloe it's me" Luke holds my arm as I took a deep breath. "Relax it's just a nightmare."
The line that separated reality from imagination was still pretty blurry for me. My whole body was shaking, my heart pumping so fast I could feel every heartbeat on my temples, as drops of sweat ran down my face.
"Are you ok?"
"They were coming for me they were going to kill me Luke they-" I stumble in my own words.
"They're not here Chloe, you're safe." He holds my hands. "It is not real."
"I wish it wasn't Luke. But it is."
"No, I'm not letting them come anywhere near you."
After that sentence came out of his lips while his concerned eyes glued on my fragile body, only the sound of my heavy breaths filled up the room.
"Did I wake you up?"
"No I was watching TV. You were screaming so I came to check on you."
"What time is it?"
"5AM"
"And you were awake?"
"I told you I don't sleep much."
"I'm sorry Luke I-"
"Don't apologize."
"We need a plan. I have to learn how to defend and take care of myself if someone attacks me and I'm alone. This insecurity is killing me, Luke."
"Don't worry. We will take care of that. As soon as possible. Even tomorrow if you want. I've got you covered. I will teach you." He holds me close to him. "Don't be afraid. We won't let them win."
---
AN: I HATE FILLERS OK IM SORRY THIS WAS KINDA EHHH BUT I PROMISE THAT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE DA BOMB
-want a dm with Luke on twitter? Comment down below what's your favorite paragraph/part/chapter and why and I'll give you one!!!
Love you,
Boo x