When Love Gets in the Way

Chapter Seventy-seven

James

Rain lashes down and thunder rumbles through the sky like a battle is happening in the Heavens. I race along the puddled streets to the last known location of my once again missing boyfriend.

Wind whips through my hair which sits flat to my head with water after my hood was blown down a few minutes ago.

I duck into the cover of a shop doorway and check my phone to find that Luca hasn't responded to any of my messages.

"Come on Luca." I mummble as I head out into the elements and race towards the park.

I enter the flooding park and hurry through the strom reacked area before I see Luca sitting on a bench like it isn't stormy weather.

"Luca!" I scream as I race forward and stand in front of him. He's soaking wet (not wearing a coat again) and shivering like crazy. He looks up at me and I gasp at how empty and broken he looks. His face is covered in new bruises and he's been crying a lot.

"What ya doin here?" He asks me his voice slow and tired like his brain is running too slow for him to be able to contemplate what's going on here.

"You've been missing for two hours Luca. We're all worried sick." I yell over the wind and he nods slowly.

"Sorry." Is all he says and I don't know whether that distresses me or angers me.

"Come on. Let's get you out of this weather." I say grabbing his arm. He flinches away from me and winces and a feeling of dread washes over me.

I take his hand in mine and pull up his sleeve to reveal that his arms are red and bloody with frantic scratch marks.

"Why?" Is all I can say as I stare at the pain my boyfriend is putting himself through.

"Because I feel nothing." He tells me and I frown at him.

"I don't understand." I admit feeling stupid at the fact that I can't understand him to help him through this.

"I don't feel nothin James." His says sounding slightly mad now. "I hurt so many people and feel absolutely nothin. I'm so fucked up James that I just wanna feel somthin. I feel something from this. I don't feel empty or nunb I feel it and it hurts so good. I don't wanna be a monster. I don't wanna hurt people. I don't wanna be like them."

I don't know what to say. Luca has convinced himself that feel the pain that he inflicts is a good thing because he doesn't want to be like his parents. He doesn't want to hurt people. They have allowed him to think and feel this was with zero care for how he feels or anything.

"Move in with me." I say sternly.

"What?"

"Move in with me until social services find you a foster family and do something about those abusive parents you have." I tell him and everything about my plan is brilliant yet he still shakes his head.

"I can't." He says and this time I shake my head.

"I know you're scared but they will kill you at this rate and I refuse to just stand back and let them beat you to death. You're worth so much more then that." I tell him and he stares at me before shakin his head.

"I can't."

"Yes you can and you will." I tell him sternly and he stares into my eyes before lookig at the floor. "Do you trust me?" I ask him softly.

"Yes." He tells me with so much meaning that my heart bursts.

"Then trust me to save you."