Disparaging future

Chapter 20

When I decided to come to the cafe, I never thought someone would be able to find me. I never thought someone would know, that they would find me here. 

"Where have you been?" Luke asks out of breath. 

"How did... How did you know ... How did you find me?" I am lost for words

Breathing heavily he responds, " You weren't asking the phone. I thought... I told my mom and she told me you could be around here. Why are you wearing glass indoors?"

"I-I don't-t I don't know." I try to sound reasonable. 

"Abby." He says in a delicate matter.

I swallow not knowing what to say. I run my fingers through my hair, trying to avoid the question

"I'll be back." Luke walks toward the counter register.

Meanwhile, I pull some of my hair to a hangover so the bruise on my face won't be noticeable. Luke comes over with two cups of coffee and pastries. 

"Help yourself," He takes a seat and starts to eat a slip of chocolate cake. 

I stare at him for a while. I'm scared. But I really need to tell someone. Anyone. He's not asking questions about my face, nor prying. But I really want to tell him. To tell him I'm scared. That I live in a hellhole. 

"Come on choose one. I promise that I won't ask you to repay." He pushes a pastry forward. 

"I need to help you something," I slowly tell him.

"What, your favorite coffee is black? " He chuckles.

"No," I swallow hard. I take off my glasses.

He stops eating when he sees the big bruise on my face, "If you don't tell me, Abby. I can't help you."

"The White's they..... They're the ones that did this to me."

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Sluggish. That's the word that describes my insides. I grab a nearby stick, use it to play with a nearby puddle of water. 

"Abby, come on. Get up," Luke comes carrying several basketballs. 

I let out a sigh and start drawing with the water and stick. Finishing up a tree figure, I doodle a face next, but as I to the mouth part, I pause. Do I have the right to draw a happy face? Without noticing, Luke had come over to see what I was doing. He grabs the stick, dips into the water, added some angry eyebrow and a  mouth as if it were yelling. 

In a grotesque voice Luke makes an impression, "Hello, I'm Abby. My favorite color is black."

Luke has a smirk on his face waiting for a reaction. But I don't have the energy to give him one. "Luke, I"m really not in the mood."

He stops and sits down next to me. "a little too early for that uh."

I give him a weak smile. "yeah, a little bit."

"I still think we should tell someone. " He looks at the basketball net. 

"No, you promised me you wouldn't tell anyone, " I look at him desperately.

"I know, I  won't say anything to anyone, but I don't agree with it. My mom could help. If we explain to her- "

I cut him off, "No! We can't. If we tell someone, they could do something to Jess and I can't let that happen. I can take it a little longer, I  just want to make sure Jess is safe."