Against All Odds

Chapter 30

Lucas

The evening has gone, the night taken over but still I can't sleep. Eve's in my arms, breathing gently but even her sleeping face is strained, unhappy. It hurts me to see her like this. Although she hasn't told me about her conversation with her brother I know it went badly. All last evening she put a fake smile on for Benji and I but as soon as she turned away I could see sadness radiating off her.
And yet I don't know how to help.
It wasn't her fault Stan did what he did. She couldn't have know asking for his help would lead to that and if she did, she would never have gone to him.
"I'm going to make this right." I say gently, stroking her hair out of her face. "I'm going to see that smile again."
I hear the downstairs door opening and realise that must be Max finally coming home.
I kiss Eve's forehead softly and then slip out of her bed, careful not to wake her.
I find a piece of paper and a pen and write a quick goodbye before trotting down the stairs. Max is dragging himself into the living room, looking like a right state.
"Max." I say, not wanting to startle him. He turns to face me and I can see it in his eyes that he's drunk. "Come sit down."
"I don't need your help." He slurs groggily, almost falling over but I manage to catch him in time.
"You were saying?" I try to suppress a smile. Even though Max is being hostile towards me I still have high respect for him considering how he's kept his family together. He's done a darn sight better than my dad.
"Fuck off." He mutters but I can see his slight amusement.
I help him slump down on the sofa and he covers his face with his arm.
"What do I do? How am I supposed to..."
I frown, knowing he's talking about Eve.
"Don't beat her up about it." I advise him, hoping he'd remember this in the morning. "She's doing a good enough job of that all by herself."
"But if she'd come to me instead of him, Lily might still be alive." His voice breaks with emotion and my heart goes out to this poor guy. He'd lost his parents and the love of his life.
"You've lost a lot man, but don't forget about the family you still have, the friends you have. This life you've made is a good life. Thinking about the 'what ifs' will only make things seem worse." I'm surprised at how easy my advice is flowing from my mouth considering I'm not too used to giving it. "You don't even know if things would have been any different. Harvey said Lily always had a dark side. If Stan hadn't tipped her over the edge, something else could have. Don't punish your sister for a mistake she made trying to protect you and Benji."

~~~

My house is silent. Dad's not home which doesn't surprise me although as I entre the house I'm wary. Something feels off.
Flicking the light switch on I almost jump out of my skin.
"Hey Luc, you look like you've seen a ghost." The girl standing in my doorway chuckles, hands folded across her chest. "What? Not happy to see your girlfriend huh?"
I'm lost for words, literally speechless.
"What are you doing here Abby?" I manage to say, shoving past her and into the kitchen to grab myself a drink of water.
"Well that's a nice welcome." She replies sarcastically. "I haven't seen you in how long? Months?"
After I've downed the drink I turn to her, taking in the sight of my ex girlfriend. Well, we're broken up in my eyes but in reality we never broke up officially. I just kind of left.
"Things have changed, I've changed." I shrug, leaning back on the counter. For some reason I feel guilty when I check her out, recognising her familiar curves. The surprise of seeing a face from my old life is evident.

"You haven't changed. You're still Lucas." Abby takes a step closer, hand reaching under my T-shirt. I breath in her smell as her fingers caress my chest, painted nails scraping softly on the bruised skin. I wince, pulling away from her touch.
"I can't do this." I mutter, Eve coming to mind. Why do I keep thinking about her? "You need to leave."
Abby smiles sadly.
"That's the thing, I haven't got anywhere else to go." She admits, staring up at me through her long, dark eyelashes that are caked in mascara. Eve doesn't wear her makeup like that. It's subtle. Natural. "Dad kicked me out, Mum doesn't want to know. You were the only person I could turn too." Abby steps closer to me again and pins me between herself and the counter. "I've missed you. It's been lonely without you."
Our lips are inches away. I can feel her breath tickling my lips. Why don't I want to kiss her? What's holding me back?
She stands on tiptoes and plants her lips on mine, arms winding around my neck. After a second, I begin to kiss back, changing our positions so she's sat on the counter and I'm between her legs.
The kissing is hungry, desperate. Abby slips my shirt off and doesn't seem surprised at my ribs. She always was used to my constant bruises. Never asked questions though.
I feel her hands fiddle with my jeans, pushing them off my body.
"I haven't got..." I break the intense makeout session, gesturing down to my underwear. Abby smirks and pulls a condom out of her bra. "Shit that's hot."
"Knew you wouldn't be able to keep your dirty hands off me." She tears the packet with her teeth seductively.

~~~

Well, she was right. It was an intensely intimate night.

Looking back, I regret how easily she could get me to trust her. I regret how quickly I let her in. Considering the events of the next few days, I should have kicked her out there and then. I should have realised all she cared about was her own skin, even if it meant harming mine.
But my teenage hormones told me otherwise.

~~~

"It's good to see you again you know." I mutter as Abby plays with my fingers absentmindedly. We're both clothe less, lying on my bed with our legs tangled together. "It wasn't my choice to up and leave when we did."
She's quiet for a few seconds, watching our fingers entwined together. She then kisses my fingers softly and replies.
"I know, your Dad's this crazy drug thug or whatever." She snuggles into my shoulder contently. "He's stupid to think he can run from the cops forever."
"Yeah I know." I mutter under my breath. Her eyes flicker up to meet mine and she frowns.
"You're up to something." She decides and I sigh. "Luc, tell me you're not going to do something stupid."
This time I'm the quiet one.
"Lucas." She demands and I look her straight in the eye.
"I'm bringing my Dad down with the cops. He's hurt me too many times. He needs to get put away." I say, admitting it to someone else other than Harvey for the first time. It feels good, to get that off my chest.
Her face darkens but she nods in understanding. I never told her Dad abused me, but I think she guessed it long ago.

It doesn't take long for me to drift off to sleep but when I wake Abby's gone, not leaving a single trace other than my own confusion.