Cherry's fingers instantly rose to her cheek. She knew the makeup she had applied probably washed off. It probably looked worse than this morning.
Her voice was silent as she searched for an excuse anything was better than nothing. Cherry didn't want to bring up old memories.
"Did someone jump you?" Luke set the things in his arms down as he made his way closer to her. Cherry out of instinct backed away.
His anger rose when she did that.
"No, no one j-jumped me, I-I hit my face when I-" Cherry rambled on with her lie.
"Don't fucking lie to me right now. Not when your face looks like someone used it as a damn punching bag." Luke fumed with anger for whoever did this.
"It's okay, I promise. I'm s-sorry to cause trouble I'll leave now." Cherry stumbled over her words and started grabbing all of her things.
"Like fuck you are. Stop moving and sit down. You ain't causing trouble." Luke said his voice finally calming.
Cherry's eyes finally let go of the tears she was holding back since he walked in.
"I'm sorry-" Her broken sob tore throw him. There was no way he was letting this poor woman out of his sight.
"Look at me." Luke said and Cherry shook her head no.
"Look at me, please." His voice was more welcoming and Cherry's head lifted slowly.
God damn. He was going to kill the bastard who did this to her. That was once he figured out who it was.
"A man do this to you, baby?" Luke hadn't realized he called Cherry that but it stuck.
Cherry's answer was a small nod. Her tummy felt warm at the name he called her.
"Well I'd like to meet the sorry fucker who decided to hit a woman so violently and a small woman at that." Luke seethed as he gently raised his hand showing her he wasn't gonna do anything.
"I'm just gonna see where most of the pain is coming from, treat that part first. Gotta hurt like shit." Luke explained as his fingers gently applied pressure. Her wince went straight to his bones.
"I know." Luke said this to calm her. The fuck good was he at calming. He didn't even know how to be calm himself.
Cherry told him where the pain hurt the most, and he applied some cream to the cut parts. He gave her an icepack for the swelling.
"I have pain killers, if you need them." Luke offered and Cherry nodded, even though she knew she couldn't swallow pills. Such a childish habit.
"Okay I'll go get them." Luke said exiting the room. Cherry was about to tell him never mind but he was already gone.
She waited nervously, biting the inside of her lip. Cherry's heart started beating faster when he walked back into the room.
"Here take these with that water." Luke explained and Cherry took the pills in her hand.
Luke watched as she waited and didn't put the pills in her mouth.
"Something wrong?" Luke questioned and Cherry nodded slowly.
She hated being such a burden.
You fucking slut, you can't do anything right. A damn burden that's what you are.
Cherry snapped out of the flashback as her eyes teared up. Her heart racing as Luke stared at her waiting for an answer.
Cherry swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I c-can't swallow pills. I know it's stupid." Cherry breathed out a sense of relief after finally spitting it out.
Luke wondered how bad this guy had treated her. She was scared to tell him that. Cherry wiped the tear that had fallen.
"Ain't nothing to get upset over. Give me the medicine." Luke grabbed the two pills and left the room. He headed into the shops kitchen room and went to the fridge. Grabbing applesauce he'd put in for the guys.
He slipped the pills into a ziploc bag and crushed them. Stirring the now powdered medicine into the applesauce.
Such an easy solution, yet it made her so upset.
He walked back out, stirring the applesauce once more. Luke knelt in front of her and Cherry slowly watched as he scooped some applesauce onto the spoon.
"I can feed myself." Cherry tried to explain as Luke held the spoon to her mouth.
"Ah don't argue. Why should you when I'm here to do it for you." Luke said and Cherry's soft lips fell open. Luke slid the spoon into her mouth.
Cherry felt so warm from the caring act. Her heart actually hurt because it was so pleasing. It wasn't used to such kind gestures.
"I know this probably tastes like shit, but you gotta get it down. Don't want that pain keeping you up." Luke explained and Cherry nodded as he fed her another bite.
Cherry finished the applesauce and Luke gave her a nod of approval. It was small gesture but it too made her feel warm.
Cherry had noticed how closed off Luke seemed, even if they had not known each other from other than this night.
"You gotta eat something and drink some water and then you can go to bed. That medicine is gonna make you sleepy." Luke explained and grabbed the food he had brought down in the first place.
Cherry ate in silence and drank the water Luke had brought her.
"Thank you so much Luke. I know you don't want anybody here. I promise to be gone by tomorrow night." Cherry explained and pulled the blanket around her cold frame.
"I didn't say you gotta leave. If you don't got somewhere to go, you ain't leaving." Luke grunted out.
Cherry looked at him, perplexed by his kindness but also by his manners. He was rough but he was also so sweet.
At least sweet to her.
"I'll get you another blanket. It's fucking freezing." Luke said walking away mumbling something about the heater.
Cherry sat up and grabbed her bag. Shuffling through it, she grabbed her stuffed animal. A small bunny that she'd had for a while. She got it and her ex had said it was childish. Cherry told him she got rid of it, but she had hid it away.
Before she could get back under the covers, Luke barged back into the room.
Cherry's hid the bunny behind her back quickly. Luke's eyebrows furrowed at the action. What was she hiding.
"What do you got?" Luke said holding back a small lift tugging at his lips.
"Nothing!" Cherry said as her cheeks blossomed a pretty pink.
"Come on, show me." Luke said and watched as Cherry moved her hands in front of her. They gripped the bunny tightly.
"A bunny, huh." Luke said without judgement. He always thought it was sweet that some people kept stuffed animals. And it was too sweet coming from Cherry, it was giving his heart a toothache.
"Yes, don't take him please." Cherry said as she walked back over to the couch.
"I ain't taking him, baby. Now go to bed. You need some sleep. And I'm fucking exhausted so once you are sleeping I can go upstairs." Luke said and Cherry nodded.
Her eyes were so heavy and every bone in Cherry's body ached.
"Thank you." She whispered into the darkness.
"Mhm ain't got to thank me. You gotta sleep." Luke said his tone a bit stricter, not harsh, just commanding.
"Okay." Her soft voice drifted outwards into the night.
Lukes eyes closed as he was still upright in a chair in the room. Why didn't he want to leave her, beat him. His back would regret it in the morning.
"Okay." His voice coaxed her into a deep sleep as his own sleep took over.
