End Up Here lh au

Chapter 17

*Flashback*

The house is cold, the absence of him lying next to me very present in my bones. I miss him. It's only been a few hours but after last night, I'm afraid. Where did he go? What is he doing? I should've been the one who left, not him. He hit me. He hurt me. I stayed, and he left in the early hours of the morning, hoping I wouldn't notice.

I step out of bed, placing one foot in front of the other, slowly moving towards the connecting bathroom, ready to apply makeup to the already visible bruising. I sigh, hoping that this time the coloring isn't too dark and that my pale makeup will be able to cover the injury resulting from last night. I don't know why I stay with him, I don't get why I love him. All I know is that for some twisted reason, I do. I can't leave his presence. I can't get enough of him. It's almost as though I've accepted the pain and abuse as a part of my life. I don't like change, not even for the good of myself. Maybe that's why I refuse to give it up. How I did end up here? How did I let it succumb to this mess?

I look in the mirror after applying my makeup and suddenly, all I can see is last night. My mind fills with the beating I received. I close my eyes, and cover my ears, his words lingering in my mind. All you are is a worthless piece of shit. All you do is disgust me. I know he didn't mean them..He ws drunk, as usual. But that doesn't mean they didn't hurt. They still affect me. He is toxic. So unbelivably toxic. Yet it's been nearly a year now.

Sometimes, like now, I wish that the world saw him like I did. Everyone sees him as the Mikey who makes everyone laugh, who can't keep his hair one color, who is so bubbly it's contagious. But really, deep down, I see him. I know the real Mikey. The Mikey with anger issues, the Mikey who can't accept that his father is gone, the Mikey that can be calm one second and a monster the next. I wish I knew someone who could help me. But honestly, I don't think anyone can...

Presleigh's POV

The rising sun seeps in through the window and settles on Luke and I entangled, asleep. I sit here awake, laying next to him silently sleeping. He looks so innocent when he sleeps. His eyes seem to flutter and his mouth relaxes, releasing the scowl he usually has plastered on his face. It's almost as though he's a different person when he sleeps. The world can't harm him, his past can't touch him.

I sit up, yawning, planting a kiss on his ear as I walk across the hall into the bathroom. I look into the mirror, slowly beginning to see my face for how it is, accepting it. I don't want to hide under a mask anymore. Luke makes me feel special, complete, like there's no reason to hide who I am- physically or emotionally. I smile, proud that I've finally been pulled out of the quicksand and placed on solid ground, able to accept myself.

A fist meets the bathroom door making a knocking sound. I snap out of my thoughts and smile, opening to the door to see Luke, my new boyfriend, standing in front of me. I giggle as his arms wrap around my waist pulling me up to his lips as he kisses me passionately. "Goodmorning beautiful." His smirk is enough to be heard in his words.

"Goodmorning dork," I say, rolling my eyes at his mood. "You seem in a good mood."

"Well of course I am. I can officially call you mine. That's reason enough to be happy." He looks at me as he smiles, poking my nose knowing that it'll make me smile. His words sink into me, making my ever fiber jump with excitement. And lust. Wow, suddenly my eyes find themselves scanning his body from his head down to his feet. He is standing before me in nothing but a tight pair of boxers. I can feel my cheeks get red as he looks at me, smirking.

"You like what you see huh?"

"Luke!" I playfully shove his shoulder.

"Well, uh. Tell me when you're done in here so I can catch a shower and then if you want we can go do something?"

"That sounds great. You can shower now, I'm done." He nods, kissing my forehead before walking past me into the bathroom and begins to shut the door behind him. "Hey, uh. Luke?" He turns around, looking at me, waiting for me to continue. "I just wanna say, thank you for last night. You didn't have to do that, especially after what I did to you and I just want to say thank you. It meant a lot to me." Suddenly, his lips crash into mine as I can feel his smile against me. We pull away and I wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He kisses the top of my head before pulling away and walking into the bathroom again to jump into the shower.

It's in that moment that I realize just how lucky I am. He says he doesn't know how to love, how to care about someone. But I know that he change, I have faith in him. He is so much different than how he sees himself and I can't help but to feel a slight sense of proudness hoping to know that I was capable of changing him for the better.

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Not sure what to do to kill time, I decide to go out to Luke's car, searching for my book I left in there the other day. Digging through his dirty vehicle, I find myself picking up a journal, one I know isn't something I should be looking at but I can't help but look inside to figure out what it is.

You're gone. I have to accept that. I know the real reason mom wanted to move here. Not because of she got a new job, but because she couldn't stand to raise us in a place where you lived for so many years. You walked out on us and I can't help but to hate you for it. You have no idea what this has done to me dad. I had to help mom raise your sons. It's been nine years now and I still can't believe that I had to become their 'father' at the age of eleven. That isn't fair to me, that isn't fair to mom, that isn't fair to the boys. You robbed me of my childhood, of my teen years. I spent every day taking care of my brothers because you left and mom had to work three jobs to support us, to put food on the table, to do the job that was carved out for you. How dare you leave us.

Before I continue reading, I feel guilty and decide to place the journal beneath the seat just as I found it. I close the door and move to the front seat, instantly finding it laying on the passenger seat, just where I left it. I pick it up, locking the car and walking back in, settling on a spot on the couch in the front area, placing the blanket hanging over the edge over my shivering body, opening my book to the bookmarked page and reading, getting lost in the character's world.

As the doorbell rings, I take my headphones out of my ears and wonder if I should answer it given that it's not my house. But then again, if it's important, I don't want Luke to miss it because of his shower. I place my book on the coffee table placed in front of me and get up, walking to answer the door. I look through the peephole and see a girl I don't notice, her back turned to me. I open it, not really sure what to expect. She turns around and begins talking before she can even realize who is standing in front of her. "Luke, I- I love you and last night made me realize that." Suddenly, she stops dead in her words, noticing that she didn't confess her feelings to Luke but some stranger standing in his doorway. Anger fills my body and I slam the door in her face, running up the stairs and into the bathroom.

"Someone's at the door for you." I yell over the water pouring down onto Luke's naked body.

(a/n) heey my beautiful readers. how are you guys? x I'm sorry I haven't updated recently. I've had an ear infection the past few days and I've been in a lot of pain and stuff. but I'm going to the doctor today finally so hopefully I'll get some antibiotics and be better soon so I can write again! I love you all and hope you're having a a great week.

really quick before I go to the doctor, QOTP time. what was your favorite show as a child? mine was the teletubbies, then doodlebops, then icarly XD kinda took a walk down memory lane there. lol anyway, let me know! Hope you like this chapter - x Shae