So sorry its been so long, i'll try not to make it so long to wait between this one and the next. Comments always appreciated. Thanks for the ongoing support xx
Chapter 14
I sit and stare at my brother, watching his lips move as he talks but not a single word goes in. I can see him clearly enough but can't hear him to save a life, I hear all the noises from the cafe around us. Chris stops talking and looks at me, I try hard to focus and blink hard, squeezing my eyes closed and opening them again. It's been too long since I last saw him and heard his voice, it's all too much. I get up off my chair and walk out. I take big, wide steps and walk fast up the high street, slowly getting the sound of my brothers shouting behind me in focus. He grabs my arm and pulls me to a stop
"Laura. Whats the matter?" Chris asks me as he looks at me concerned
'I'm sorry, I had to get out of there' I say back
"Do you want to go for a walk?" He asks and I nod and we walk up the highstreet once again. I look at each person to check they aren't my mum or dad, any police officers I see I hide my face by staring at the floor and pulling my hoodie over my face. Chris tells me how everyone is, he tells me about everyone being worried about me. Maybe he thinks it will get me sucked in and i'll beg him to take my home. I wonder when he'll see that "home" isn't that anymore, it's just a place where I once lived.
"Everyone misses you, you do know that don't you? They all want you home" Chris says to me
'They might miss me, Chris, but I can't go back there, i thought that you understood that'
"of course I understand, I just thought that you might like to know that people are thinking about you" Chris says to me and I snort out loud
'They are only thinking about me because their trying to cover their backs, you should know that' I tell him, looking him in the face. The expression on his face turns from hopeful to hopeless 'Did you think that you could come here and take me back with you?' I ask him and he shrugs his shoulder
"I guess in a way, yes I did. But for totally selfish reasons, because I miss you, I miss my little sister". I stop and take a seat on a bench and Chris sits next to me.
'Do you want me to be happy?' I ask him and he nods
"of course i want you to be happy"
'Then please do something for me' I say to him
"anything, anything you want"
'tell them i'm dead. Tell them you met with Luke and i'm dead. A car accident, anything, I don't care, just make them stop looking for me, i'm happy here, i'm doing well. I mean, do i look like i'm down or depressed, struggling like i was when i was there?' I ask him, he looks at me and i notice his eyes have filled up
"you look amazing, Law"
'Then please, let me live the rest of my life how i want, here with Luke, with freedom' I take his hand in mine and squeeze it
"And what about me? What about your Neice?" Chris asks me
'It's up to you and if you think you can keep a secret about where I am. I'm not going to tell you i never want to see you again and i'm not going to say you have to keep seeing me, its your choice and not mine'
"I can't do this, I wish I could, but I can't" Chris pulls his hand away from mine and stands up
'what do you mean?' I ask him, bewildered
"I'm sorry, Law, I really am, but this is better for you" I try to stand up when a couple of hands push me down by the shoulders.I look up to my right and stood there is my dad, i turn my head and look to the left and see a police officer, I look back at Chris who's stood staring at me, probably waiting for a reaction. I shake my head and try to speak, but my words fail me. I shake vigerously as I'm taken away to a silver car. my dad gets in the back with me and pats me on the knee, I bite my lip as I feel like telling him to get his grubby hands off me, I bite it so hard that I draw blood.
'What about Luke? I want to see Luke' I manage to say
"It's been taken care of" My dad says calmly
'What do you mean it's been taken care of?' I say to him, staring at his face as he stares out of the window trying to get a sign of something, anything in his expression, but nothing.
"he won't be bothering you again" Dad says. I start to cry as the car pulls away, I turn to watch as I get further away from Chris and he mouths that he's sorry. My mind spins with thoughts of things they might of done with Luke. What if they've hurt him? Oh God, what if they've hurt him?
The police officer thats driving the car pulls up outside where me and Luke were living
"You have to pick up all your stuff, your cats in there too, Lukes agreed to you having her, a police women will come in with you, you have twenty minutes to collect your stuff, i'll wait out here" My dad says, the police women opens my door and helps me out. She has a smile on her face that just makes me want to knock her out. I walk to the flat and walk through the door
'will you wait here please?' I ask the police officer, she speaks into her radio and then nods. I push the front door closed a little and take a couple of steps in. Milly runs up to me and I scoop her up into my arms
'Wheres dad gone, Milly?' I whisper to her hoping that she'll develop a voice and tell me where Luke was but hear nothing back. I press the button on the landline phone and listen carefully
"Laura, its Jackie. Listen, i'll get him out of there, don't worry, they can't lock him up. Look i've got to go but don't worry i'll get him out of there" Jackie says clearly, then lowers her voice "Grab the old mobile, its in your bedroom, hide it somewhere, i'll ring you later". I delete the message then run up to the room, frantically looking for the mobile, finding it i shove it down my underwear, thinking thats the only place that they won't look. I chuck some things into a bag, along with a picture of me and Luke, grab some stuff for the kitten, a cat carrier, i put her in there and grab anything else i see as i'm walking through the house.
The police officer lady opens the door
"it's time to go now" She tells me. I nod and walk out of the front door, looking back behind me and taking one long look at the perfect life i had, if only for a while. Walking to the car, I think of what Jackie said on the message, i play it over and over in my mind
i'll get him out of there. Get him out of where? what have they done with Luke?
