When Love Gets in the Way

Chapter Sixty-six

Seb

I pound me fist against James fuckin posh door and wait for an answer tapping me foot against the floor.

"Hello? Who are you?" A woman asks as she opens the door. I barge staright past her despite her protest.

"Luca." I say as I spot him sittin next ta James with a police officer.

"Seb? What ya doin here?" Luca asks as everyone in the room looks at me.

"Seb, you can't just barg in." Oliver cries as he rushes in behind me. Luca looks at us both confused. He jumps up from the sofa and grabs me arm dragging me into a kitchen or whatever.

"What ya doing?" He snaps clearly annoyed. I'll show him annoyed in the minute if he ain't careful.

"Seein ya. Ya got attacked ya twat." I growl as I look him up and down. He looks the same and don't seem ta be too damaged.

"I'm fine." He states as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"What happened ta ya arms?" I ask when I see the bandages. Dread claws through me as I watch Luca shuffle around. Nah, it can't be...

"Nothing. I'm fine." He says again but he ain't sounding sure no longer.

"Why?" I ask as I grab his wrists and pull him closer ta me.

"Fuck off." He says tryin ta pull away but I hold on tightly. He ain't escapin this.

"Ya need help Luca." I tell him as I try ta think of why he would do this ta himself.

"I said... Fuck off!" He yells as he raises his knee inta me stomach. He pulls away as I double over and storms from the room clearly pissed of at me.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asks nervously as he creeps inta the room.

"I'm fine." I snap before I push past him. I don't mean ta be horrid ta him but Luca's worryin me and when that happens I get pissed off.

Luca's back in the lounge pacing the room looking annoyed. He's frightened. When Luca gets frightened he yells and turns agressive sometimes even violent.

"Luca." I growl but James holds his hand up to silence me. The officer has gone to collect statements from James folk so we're the only three in the lounge.

"Let me try." James tells me.

Luca has now sat down with his back ta me. James sits next ta him and takes his hand in his.

"Save it. I don't care." Luca says angrily and James sighs.

"You need help Luca." He says softly but Luca shakes his head.

"Nah, I don't." He snaps.

"It's okay. Plenty of people have been in your position Luca. You just need to get help before it gets any worse." He tells him kindly but Luca just laughs.

"Ya scared I'm gonna do somethin I'll regret." He states and James shakes his head desperately trying ta get the stubborn git ta understand.

"I love you Luca and the thought of you hating yourself so much that you're inflicting that pain hurts me. I don't want you to suffer this." James says and has much as I hate ta admit it, he's pretty good with Luca. It's like he know just what ta say and how ta say it. I've never had that, I just yell.

"I'm fine." Luca says and I'm startin ta think that he's tryin ta make it true through repetition of the phrase.

"Please Luca..." I say but he shakes his head.

"I don't need help. I'm fine." He says before he stands and tried ta leave again. I grab his arm and he winces away from me touch like he has so many times before. All that time it's been because he's in pain. Pain that he's given himself because he hates himself.

I pull him inta a hug and I feel his body start ta shake. I hold him tightly as James watches chewin his bottom lip anxiously.

"I don't want ya ta hurt any more. Ya need ta be free." I tell him as I squeeze him tightly. He's like a little brother ta me and I've tried me best but it was far from good enough.

"I'm fine." He whispers and those words almost break me. I let him go and James pulls him inta a hug. I leave the room and find Oliver standing outside the house.

"Sorry for snappin." I tell him as I join him. He looks at me for a second before shaking his head.

"It's fine. You were worried and I was getting in the way." He tells me and I frown and how easily he dismiss mistreatment. Oliver is too quick ta forgive and forget.

"Nah, I shouldn't have taken me anger out on ya. I'm sorry." I tell him and he smile.

"It's okay Seb." He tells me before we hug. Rosa is no where ta be seen but I'm guess she rushed inside ta find Becky or somethin.

"Thanks for puttin up with me crap." I say and Oliver smiles.

"Anytime."