I Hate You But I Love You.

I Hate You But I Love You. Chapter 25

**Lukas’s P.O.V.**

Scarlet suggested that we just hang out around town center. I was curious about her sudden interest in hanging out, but was still happy that I got to be with her. She really did light up my day.

We spent most of an hour talking and window shopping, and it was actually really fun. But it was pretty cold. Scarlet wrapped her purple scarf around her neck a few times. Then I noticed a bench on an empty street corner and asked her if she wanted to sit.

“So Lukas,” she started. I looked at her and her eyes flickered to me and then to her lap. She pushed her scarf up over her nose and muttered, “It’s pretty cold, huh.” But it seemed like that wasn’t what she was going to say.

I chuckled and moved so I was right next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and said in a low voice, “If you wanted me to hold you, you could have just said so.” I’m pretty sure she blushed, but she looked away from me.

“S-Shut up Lukas,” she muttered.

“Oh, stuttering now? Or that just from the cold,” I don’t know why I was flirting so much, but it was fun.

She rolled her eyes and slapped a hand against my chest, “Be serious Lukas.” I started chuckling again and figured it would be best if I didn’t say “I am”. But nonetheless, she settled herself into my embrace.

After a few moments of peaceful silence, she spoke up again, “So, did you really cut yourself shaving?”

I sighed, “No.”

“So you get…”

“Yes, obviously,” I found myself leaning my head against hers. “You figured it out pretty quickly.”

“Well, I think it helps that I’ve kind of been through the same thing.”

“True true.”

There was another tick of silence. “Well, you know my story, so what’s yours?” she asked.

I looked around and noticed a few people were starting to walk around, “I’ll tell you while we walk.” So we got up and started walking away from the people, my arm still slung across her shoulders.

“I suppose it’s a pretty common story with these things,” I started, “Crazy, drunk, asshole of a father. A sick mom, and a little brother that I try to protect.”

“Does your mom know what happens?” She asked.

I nodded, “Oh yes. He used to do it to her too, but now I jump in whenever I can so he doesn’t go after her or Jona.”

“That’s…sad. Does he hit you every day?”

I looked at her with a slight smile, “What, are we comparing scars now?”

She started giggling, “Isn’t that a line in a song?”

“I…don’t know, actually.” We started laughing and then I shrugged. “Some days he doesn’t do much to me. Maybe just a little slap or cruel words. Normally on the weekends when he gets drunk are pretty bad, but…” I shrugged again, staring at my feet as we walked.

“Hmm,” she hummed, “It was pretty much the same thing for me every day.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Come home from school, clean the house, make dinner, get beat and whipped, wake up and get a shower and then go to school, repeat.”

“Well that… sucks. Your back must be mad scarred,” I thought back, thinking to the times when I got whipped by a belt. I could hardly handle it. How could she have done it? And she was what, only ten at the time!