hope// 5SOS

15

Luke

"Take my phone," Bella mumbled, "I don't wanna see what he replies,"

She shoved her phone in my hand, the message to Harry still on the screen.

"You've not sent it,"

"I can't,"

"Come and sit down, mum will be here soon. I'll read it for you,"

She covered her face, sitting down and laying on my lap.

I don't know if you're playing the victim, or if you're too scared to talk to me, but if we are gonna then it has to be soon. You knew I would see that photo, and you know how much I love and care for you, so I just don't understand why. So what if people would think you're a chicken, you have a girlfriend. It's so stupid, because we are so young and I can find someone else in the future but I've told you stuff I've never told anyone else- I trusted you. It's been broken, and the longer we leave it, the longer it takes to get back.

"You can leave it at that, I think it's good. Don't let him take over,"

"Can you click send?"

"No, hun, you need to do it,"

"Luke," she mumbled, "Please,"

"Just click it, because it's what he needs to hear. I'm gonna let everyone in, and when I get back you should've sent it,"

She whined, sitting up and hitting her head on her knees. I opened the door, my family piling in and hugging me; everyone's head turned when they heard something get thrown.

Bella's phone laid on the floor, across the room, with luckily no scratches.

"You sent it?"

She nodded, covering her eyes and walking over to me. Mum raised her eyebrows, the four of them sitting down as I hugged her.

"There's a lot going on right now," I assured, not wanting my family to get the wrong impression.

"It's ok," Jack said, "we don't have to pay attention to that,"

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Why was the strawberry crying? Because his mum was in a jam," dad said, everyone simultaneously face palming.

However, a small laugh escaped from Bella so I took the opportunity to sit down next to Ben and let her calm down.

"See, they work!" he smiled, standing up, "anyone want a drink?"

"I can get them," I said, not bothering to stand when he went to the kitchen.

"I like your hair, did it take long?" Ben asked her, noticing how she'd plaited it.

"Yeah, I got bored,"

"I think it'd look great on Luke,"

"And Jack," I shot back, both of them smiling.

"We're just teasing you," they mocked, "to you he's the biggest but to us, he's still a little baby,"

"And to me," mum said, "although Bella is the only one smaller than me,"

"Yeah, we're still getting some height and weight onto you, aren't we?" I said to her, squeezing her shoulder.

"I think I'll be small forever,"

"Well if Luke feeds you anything like how I fed them, you'll give hin a run for his money," dad said, returning with a glass of water for him and Bella.

She thanked him, taking a small sip before putting it down so her shaky hands didn't drop it.

"And probably his brains," Jack snorted, "Do you like school?"

She looked round at us, then back down to her lap.

"I don't know anymore,"