The Summer I'll Never Forget.

31

Lucas pov.
***

When I woke up I felt... calm. Hayley and I have been fighting a lot lately and as much as I hate fighting with her, there's a sick part of me that likes it. It shows out love and passion for each other- I know that makes me sound like some sick love film but it's true. When we fight, we're passionate, we're fighting each other but for each other. If we ever stopped fighting, then I'd be worried.

Rolling over, I was hoping to wrap my arms around Hayley's small frame, but I was only met with bed sheets. Opening my eyes, I saw that she wasn't there. She never gets up without waking me.
I sat up fast, suddenly worried. Where was she? What has she done? Today was the day she is telling everyone she was going to trial for Chris, what if she has gone to see him? What if -

"yeah, I know" I heard her voice downstairs, cutting off my inner ramblings.

Rushing down the stairs, I saw her standing in the kitchen talking to my dad.

"Hey" I breathed a sigh of relief as I came up behind her and kissed the back of her head.

"hey, you okay?" She answered as she leant back into me, putting her hands on mine which were wrapped around her waist.

"yeah, fine... just didn't know where you went"

"talking to the older version of you" she smiled.

"you two are quite the pair" my dad said, smiling into his coffee. "Hayley, do you mind giving me a minute with Lucas, please"

"of course" she said and she moved from my embrace, squeezing my hand as she left.

"what's up" I asked as I sat at the counter.

Dad followed my lead, and sat across from me. "I love what you and Hayley have, what you've built together"

"Thank you?" I said, unsure of where this was going.

"but Lucas" he continued. "she is a very damaged girl. We love her like family, and damaged doesn't mean irreparable. I sound like I'm bashing her, I'm not, Hayley is amazing, she's everything we could have chose for you in a girlfriend."

"so what are you trying to say?" I asked, ready to defend my relationship.

"look, I'm trying to look out for you. What I'm getting at is that she is going to trial for abuse charges. It isn't going to be easy for her, and definitely not easy on you. I know you well enough to know you'll get angry throughout. I overheard Anna and Cameron talking in their room last night about how you were very protective of Hayley when she was going through something with Kostas. How you tried to go after him and she stopped you, only for you to end up fighting him in the hall at school..."

"those are two unrelated events"

"it doesn't matter, I don't need to know. But what I want you to know is - i can't have you getting too involved in this case, it won't help Hayley, or anything for that matter. This trial will open up a lot of wounds for Hayley, maybe rub salt in ones that aren't closed yet, and what she doesn't need is you fighting people involved or jumping ship when it gets too much. She needs stability, now more than ever"

"dad if you think I'm going to leave her because she is fighting against her abuser, then you don't know me at all"

"What I'm trying to say is, she might be hard to handle during and after this goes down, and what she and the rest of us don't need is your hot headed self taking things into your own hands. Hayley will be upset after this, are you sure you're able to be there for her, and that be all you do?"