Chapter 28

The Picture and the Anger

Luka unlocked the house and walked inside with me still on his back. He set me down in the living room and I started looking around. There was a TV sitting on the wall and across from it was a large brown couch and two recliners. I wandered farther into the house, unaware that Luka had walked off in the opposite direction. I smiled as I walked around the kitchen. It was small but beautiful, it had warm stone cabinets and steel appliances. I looked out the small window above the sink and saw a small deck with lawn chairs and a table outside. A lovely place to just sit out and watch the stars. I giggled as I thought of the last time me and Luka had gone to watch the stars. We had been caught by a cop and we both had hickeys on our necks.

I reached up and touched the spot where Lukas mark used to be. It had healed mostly. Now it was just a small mark, almost unnoticed by most people. I jumped when a towel was draped over my shoulders. I looked behind me to see Luka smiling at me. I smiled back and wrapped myself in the towel. He pulled me closer to him and frowned.

"You need a warm shower, you're shivering." He said. I frowned.

"Aren't we going to leave, everyone will be worried." I said. Luka smiled.

"They know we're here, remember? I told Snake. He'll tell the other guys and they'll come get us Sunday afternoon so we can turn in that project." He said. I smiled.

"You do realize my mother will freak out?" I asked. He shook his head.

"My father's already talked to her and from what I understand she will be spending the weekend with her boss, David." He said. I giggled.

"You thought of everything." I said. He smiled.

"Even food and clothes. Now go shower." He said, pushing me towards a hallway I hadn't been down. I turned back to him.

"I don't know where I'm going." I said with a small blush. He chuckled and took my hand, leading me down the picture filled hallway. I stopped at one picture that caught my eye. Luka pulled me, trying to get me to walk again, but I refused. I walked closer to the picture and reached my hand out to touch it, but Luka caught my wrist and roughly threw it away from the picture. I flinched back, letting out a small yelp. I looked up at him with wide eyes, trying not to shake as I saw anger and sadness in his eyes. I knew what that combination could do. I backed away and lowered my head.

"Where's the bathroom?" I asked in a small voice. I heard Luka sigh. The floor boards creaked as he came closer, but I backed away.

"Where's the bathroom?" I asked again, still looking at the floor. Luka sighed once more but stepped back.

"Through those doors to the left." He said. I looked up to see him pointing at a set of double doors a few steps away. I nodded and scurried past him, afraid he would reach out to touch me. My body was on high alert, and if he tried to touch me right now I would fight back, and I didn't want him finding out about my street fights. I know he would want me to stop and I couldn't do that. I didn't love the fights, but it helped with the anger and the stress. I could get into the ring and take it all out on my opponent. When I stepped out of that ring I was bloody and bruised, but I felt as if I was at peace once more, if only for a little while. I couldn't let him take that away from me.

I rushing into the room and shut the door before rushing into the bathroom. I closed and locked the door. I leaned against it and sighed. I knew he didn't mean to get angry, and somewhere in my mind I knew he wouldn't hurt me, but at that moment all I saw was the hand of a man coming towards me, and I knew that man was angry. It was on instinct and years of old memoires that made me flinch away and act so submissive to him. I knew that, and he probably knew that too.

I sighed and pushed myself up and looked around the bathroom. It was huge. A huge stone shower stood to the left of me, it looked like it could fit four or maybe five grown men with room to spare. A large tub sat next to it. I smiled, thinking of how wonderful it would be to lounge in the tube all day and let my worries fade, but I couldn't, not today. I had to shower and find Luka and talk to him. I rushed to the shower and turned it on. I set the water and was about to get into the shower when there was a knock on the bathroom door.