When Love Gets in the Way

Chapter Seventy-nine

James

I knock my fist against the worn door to Luca's house and wait for a few seconds before I realise that I'm not going to get a reply.

I know that Luca said that he was fine making his way to mine on his own and that's he'd see me there but I have a really bad feeling.

I knock again and this time something happens. The door swings inwards like it wasn't shut properly and I frown.

"Hello?" I call as I creep slowly into the house. The stench of alcohol is so strong that I wrinkle my nose and my eyes begin to water. This is what Luca had to live with. He had to stay here and live in a house like this with desgusting parents.

I don't understand. Luca once told me that his parents never leave the house so how come they're not here now? Maybe they're sleeping?

"Luca?" I hiss but once again I receive no reply. I frown as I wonder through the littered lounge and come to the shut door to what must be a kitchen.

This place is an absolute mess!

I take the greacy handle in my hand and open the kitchen door. A strangled scream rips from my mouth at the sight that is before me.

Broken glass scattering the dusty tile floor. A puddle of blood seeping from a head wound.

A head wound belonging to Luca.

Once my body unfreezes I start to replay all of the stuff I ever learnt in first aid classes. I fall to Luca's side and gently tap his blood stained face.

He's as pail as death.

"Luca! Can you hear me?" I call but he doesn't reply. He doesn't even move.

I fumble my phone out of my pocket and dial 999 in a hurry.

"Ambulance." I cry when the woman asks what service I require.

"What's the issue?" A woman asks as I lay my phone on the ground next me me on speaker phone.

"My boyfriend has a head wound and is bleeding a lot." I say as I remove my jumper and place it against the gushing wound. I don't know if this is helping but I can't just sit here and let him bleed out to death!

"Where are you?" She asks and I hastily give her our location. "Is he breathing?"

"Yes."

"Is he responsive?"

"No."

"When was he hit?"

"I don't know. It could have been minutes ago or maybe even hours. There's a lot of blood."

"Just try to remain calm. An ambulance is on its way." The woman tells me and I breath out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you."

"What's the patients name?"

"Luca." I tell her.

"Okay, you two just sit tight okay. I'm going to stay on the phone until the ambulance arrives." She tells me and I'm thankful that I'm not going to be left alone to deal with this all.

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I watch from the wall as the paramedics care for Luca. A man stands besides me trying to help me calm down which seems impossible.

I follow them out of the house to where the ambulance is.

"Can I ride with him?" I ask.

"We normally allow the parents to." A paramedic tells me.

"His parents fucking did this to him!" I scream unable to contain my fear and anger any longer.

"James?"

I turn to find Officer Garrett standing there.

"It's Luca." I tell him as tears finally start to flow as the shock sets in.

"I'll drive you to the hospital." He tells me and I nod as I get into the police car that must have been called regarding Luca's injury.

"Thank you." I say as I watch the ambulance drive off through the streets with my broken boyfriend in.