Page 5 of Luke

Chapter Three

Luke

Luke stretched as he sat up on Paisley’s tiny sofa. It was too small for him, but he didn’t mind as long as she was letting him stay here. Garrett was the greatest thing, and he knew that he’d do anything for him already.

It was weird since it was the opposite of the way Luke’s dad acted toward his children. He’d spent the last several weeks telling Luke what a piece of shit he was and threatening him. After a while, Luke had gotten tired of it and pressed back.

He had to protect his sister from all the threats that his father was making toward her. She was trying to complete her degree early and get herself out of the line of fire, but it might not work. Luke had made a very healthy donation to the school in hopes that anything that was said about her wouldn’t matter.

As for her, she didn’t seem to care that much. His sister decided that if something happened, she’d just go to another school. Ivy League wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. He wanted this to not get ruined for her if he could help it.

So far, nothing had happened, but he was prepared and waiting for it. After Paisley was feeling better, Luke was going to his friends to tell them the truth. He hadn’t done it yet out of sheer fear of how they’d react. It was time, though.

Garrett let out a cry and Luke stood, pulling a shirt on before he went into Paisley’s room. She hadn’t told him to get out of her home, so Luke was treading as lightly as he could on her nerves, but he wanted to get Garrett when he woke up.

“Shh,” Luke whispered as he lifted him out of the crib. “Mommy’s sleeping.”

He carried him from the room and headed to the kitchen to make a bottle. While it was warming, he changed his first diaper with no help. Proud of himself, he held Garrett to his chest and just smiled at how things were going here.

Paisley’s coughing drifted down the hall from her now open bedroom door. He should have closed it but thought she’d feel better being able to hear them.

Luke grabbed the bottle and settled down to feed Garrett. Her coughing seemed to get worse as he sat there and did nothing. Well, not nothing, but nothing for her.

“All right, little man. I need you to not fuss while Daddy checks on Mommy, okay?” Luke told Garrett as he burped him.

Once he was settled in the small chair of his in the living room, Luke went to check on Paisley. Tiptoeing into her room, he walked to the side of the bed and touched her forehead as she coughed again.

She was burning up. Not many things would have caught him off guard like Paisley being sick. When the delivery driver called him yesterday to tell him, Luke had put hiding on the back burner and come straight here.

It seemed like it was good he had because she wasn’t doing any better today.

He went back into the kitchen and got her some fever and cold medicine and a cup of water, taking it back to her. “Paisley.” He nudged her shoulder. “Baby, I have medicine for you.”

She groaned but then sat up so quickly, she nearly headbutted him. “Garrett?”

“In his seat in the living room. Fed, changed, burped, and good to go.”

Paisley blinked at him a few times before nodding. “My head hurts,” she said.

“You feel like you have a fever. I brought medicine.”

She took it, and Luke helped her lie back down and get comfortable.

“Go to sleep,” he urged. “I’m not going anywhere.” He slipped from the room, leaving the door cracked, and went back to Garrett who was happily swatting at the toys above his chair.

He sat back on her sofa and thought over what he would need to do if Paisley didn’t get better. Talking her into going to the doctor would probably be easier when she was sicker, unable to argue too much.

Hopefully, it didn’t reach that point, but he needed to figure it out and come up with a plan to get them both out of here. Somewhere that was safer, cleaner, and just nicer. Not that Paisley’s apartment wasn’t clean, but you could only put so much elbow grease into years of neglect and not be able to see it.

Paisley’s coughs continued to float down the hallway. The medicine didn’t seem to be helping at all. He made up his mind that she needed to go to the doctor today.

Luke took a deep breath and pulled out his phone. He hoped and prayed that the other person answered.

“Well, long time no see.” Ryker’s gruff tone came through the line.

“I know. I have a lot of explaining to do, but first, I need your help,” Luke said.

He could hear Ryker adjusting himself in his seat. “With what?”

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