Lucas ✔️

Thirty-Nine

I woke up to the sound of clanging downstairs, which told me Cole still hadn't left. Knowing him, he probably told his parent's he was staying at a soccer friend's house and crashed here. I groaned and flipped over, rolling from bed as gracefully as I could but ending in a heap on the floor.

"Lil?" Cole yelled, the clanging sounds stopping before his loud footsteps clunked upstairs and he smashed the door open.

His panicked eyes roamed the room until the found me in a heap on the floor, my blanket half fallen on top of me, and a scowl across my face. He sighed softly and made his way over, shaking his head as he did so and wrapped me in the blanket properly.

"What happened?" he asked softly as he pulled me up, fussing in the way I used to imagine my Mum would have if she had been alive.

"Nothin'," I muttered, shrugging under the covers like a burrito. "My legs are just sore."

It was true. My legs were aching in pain, the muscles cramped and cringing with each movement. I hadn't done that much exercise in a while – if you can call running for your life simple exercise. I coughed lightly and rubbed my throat, feeling the aching pain sinking across my skin as my body woke up more. Cole's eyes dragged from my face to my neck and he scowled.

"Lil, I think we should take you to the doctor," he said, pulling my hand away and inspecting my neck.

"No, no doctor." I shook my head and shrugged the blanket off, noticing I was still in my grime-crusted clothes from last night. "I'm fine."

"Your neck is so totally not fine," he snapped. "I'll kill Lucas if I see him." Cole curled his hands and narrowed his eyes, but I touched his shoulder lightly.

"Honestly, Lucas is probably the only reason I'm alive," I said lowly. I hated myself for being so weak. Weak to the men who attacked me, but also weak to Lucas.

It was obvious he was wrong. Lucas had sent so many red flags and I noticed them all, but I didn't care. It was so goddamn obvious he was bad, but I still smiled and followed him. In all reality, I knew that something wasn't right... I just didn't care.

I still didn't care.

"Who was it then?" Cole asked grumpily, crossing his arms and glaring at me.

Cole was the best. So was Janie. How I managed to snag two amazing friends I would never know. They were way too good for me. I was rude, annoying, dim-witted. I didn't bring much more than sarcasm to our group, yet they still let me hang around. More than that – they wanted me around.

"I don't know, Cole," I said as I wrapped my arms around him in a hug. "I don't know who they were or what they wanted or anything. They just went for me and I would have been killed if Shax, Amy, and Lucas didn't turn up."

Cole sighed and closed his long arms around me, resting his chin on top of my head.

"That's worse," he said, the vibrations humming from his chest relaxing me. "This whole situation is fucked up."

"I know," I hummed back, not knowing what else to say.

It was fucked up. Lucas was gone, Shax and Amy were gone, the men who attacked me were gone. I had barely been able to remember Lucas before I found his hair. Now, it was like I couldn't remember anything but Lucas.

"Food?" I mumbled into his chest, glancing up at him.

"Sure," he said with a laugh, letting me go. "I cooked your favourite – waffles!"

"Let me wash up then I will come down."

Cole nodded and left, sending me a small glance before he shut the door and his steps echoed back downstairs. With a sigh and a wobble, I headed to my bathroom, stepping over the clothes piling on the floor. I couldn't remember much from last night. I remember Cole carrying me to the car, and I remember him dropping Janie home, then nothing. I must have fallen asleep, but I was grateful I had Cole to look after me. He was like Dad, but not, I suppose.