Toxic - Luke Hemmings

Chapter 6

Izzy's POV

I showered and laid in bed wide awake after Luke left. I didn't actually get to sleep until 5 am. I couldn't stop getting out of bed to analyze the bruise on my cheek or the hickeys on my neck and chest. Temporary reminders. I was just glad that that's all they were, though. Temporary.

I'd never been assaulted like that before. I kept feeling like I was over reacting, but then I'd think about everything that happened and realize that I really wasn't. It gave me some comfort knowing it could have been worse, though.

I woke up at 3 in the afternoon to frantic knocking on my door. I could hear Michael calling for me from the other side and took a minute to gather myself before opening up. He took one look at me and pulled me into his arms, closing the door behind us.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there. I'm so sorry." He repeated himself over and over, bringing his hand to the back of my head as if to protect me.

We sat on my bed, me in between his outstretched legs with my back to his chest, for what felt like hours. He rubbed my upper arms soothingly while I stared off into space. I think I cried enough last night for the rest of the year, and now I couldn't do it anymore. He tried to convince me to come get food with him, but in the end he decided on his own to go grab me something and bring it back. I was never hungry before, though, so I'm definitely not hungry now. But, if it made him feel like he could help I didn't argue.

As he was throwing his shoes back on there was another knock. I looked at the door, wondering who was behind it this time. Michael walked over to it and leaned a hand on the door frame.

"Who is it?" He asked, looking back at me for a second right after.

"It's Luke, Mike. Let me in." He sighed on the other side of the door. Michael looked up at me again to see if I wanted him to open it or not. I thought for a moment before nodding my head. Michael opened the door, letting a very messy looking Luke in.

"I'll be back in a bit." Michael told me, walking back over to me and kissing the top of my head. He pat Luke on the shoulder as he walked by, closing the door behind him. That small gesture told me that Luke filled them in on everything, even the fact that he helped me.

"I just wanted to see if you were alright." He said awkwardly, taking a couple steps further into the room. I stared blankly at the wall on the other side, just barely able to see him looking at me out of the corner of my eye.

"I'm fine. Thank you for helping me." I paused, looking down at my hands before continuing. "I know I didn't get to tell you that last night."

"Last night was a mess, don't worry about it." He said, scratching the back of his neck. I slowly stood from my bed and padded over to my dresser where the clothing he let me use was folded up. I grabbed the pile and turned back to him.

"I can wash them if you want me to. I just haven't left my room. I can have them back to y-" He interrupted me before I could finish my rambling.

"It's fine. I'm doing laundry tomorrow anyway." He said, walking to me and gently pulling the two items out of my hands. When I looked up at him I saw his eyes trail to the now darker bruise on my cheek. I turned my head slightly, breaking his line of sight to it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" I cut him off.

"It's okay." I said quickly. I looked down again, feeling the awkwardness in the air. It was still weird for me to be talking to him civilly. "You don't have to keep checking up on me, it's really fine. I know you don't like baby sitting and-" He threw the clothes in his hands onto my bed and pulled me into a hug. I froze for a second, not knowing what to do with myself while he held me.