What did I do to deserve you?//L.R.H.

CHAPTER 21

"Mum, I'm home."

I instantly freeze as her voice rings in my ears. Why am I so nervous? I mean, this is why I came here, right? To see Chloe.

"Mum?" she questions again as she enters the living room.

"Chloe, honey, that's Lea. Lea Taker." Rose says and Chloe's jaw drops.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. I know, I shouldn't have come but when I found out about you I felt like I had to see you." I stand up from the couch and walk to her.

"Please, give her some space, she just found out about the story, she didn't know ab-" Rose begins to talk but she gets interrupted by Chloe.

"You finally came." she yells and drops the backpack she had on her back to run and throw her arms around me.

I am shocked by her hug but I soon hug her back and she tightens her grip around me.

"Since they told me about you there isn't a day I haven't been waiting for you." Chloe says as she pulls back. "Dad wouldn't stop talking about you and I couldn't wait to finally meet you."

She has the same raven hair as her mother's but her eyes hide a tone of grey inside their dark blue. She's tall for her age and she doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would wear a dress, but who am I to judge?

I'm in a loss of words right now. I just really don't know how to react. We pull away and I look at her with an apologetic frown on my face.

"I would have come earlier but-" I begin to say but she cuts me off.

"What's that in your wrist?" she asks.

"What?"

She can't have noticed, can she?

"The scars on your wrists."

Oh great she's noticed. Great. Just great.

"That's nothing. I-" I can't form any words.

"You hurt yourself?" she asks.

Her look is not judgemental, just sympathetic.

"I-I-yes." my eyes fall to the floor. I can't look at her. Not after what I admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she bends a little to look at my face.

"Hi I'm Lea Taker, your sister, and I cut myself. Yeah, I don't think so." I say and she laughs.

"Was it because of dad?" she asks and I finally look at her.

"No." I say and she raises an eyebrow at me. "Fine, yes." I admit.

"Lea, I think we should go now." Emily interrupts. "If we're lucky we'll be back before midnight."

"What? It's just two o'clock." I exclaim.

"Nuh uh." Emily says and I look out of the window to see that it's already dark.

"You can stay here for the night." Rose offers but I decline.

"We haven't really told anywhere where we are." Emily says and Rose nods in understatement.

"Where are you going?" Chloe asks.

"Back to Sydney." I reply.

"Are you going to come again?" she asks, disappointment hidden quite well in her voice.

"I don't know." I say and hug her.

"So, I'm never going to meet the others?"

Again, my answer is the same as before.