I'll Stand By You

2. Ella & Lucas

Ella Westin woke up early every day. It had become a habit over the past two years to wake up early and get dressed as quickly as possible so she could escape to work before her boyfriend woke up. He was the worst when he woke up; his frustration at his awful hangovers always seemed to be Ella’s fault. This morning was no different. She woke up at six AM, sliding out of her bed quietly. She got dressed in her usual long-sleeved shirt and jeans, and brushed out her hair, tying it up in a bun. She grabbed her bag which she had packed the night before and was on her way down the stairs when she heard his groaning. She froze for a few seconds, which cost her dearly.

“Ella!” Henry slurred from the top of the staircase. “Where are you going?”

“To work, Henry.” Ella replied without turning around. She felt him coming down the stairs and made a move to go when he grabbed her arm sharply.

“You’re not going to work! You’re going out to see your boyfriend!” He shouted, loud enough that she knew it would go through the thin walls of their house. Ella shook her head, trying to pull away, but his grip only tightened, no doubt adding to the canvas of bruises he had already left on her arm. His breath reeked of alcohol, and Ella wrinkled her nose, turning her head away.

“No, Henry. Now, please, I have to go or I’ll be late.” She pleaded, using her free hand to try to pry his fingers off her arm.

“Fine! Go! Cheat on me, see if I care!” He yelled, pushing her roughly away from him. She stumbled but quickly regained her balance, walking down the stairs quickly. As she opened the door, he shouted obscene names after her.

“Shut up.” She muttered under her breath, slamming the door behind her. She knew that would probably cost her later, but she didn’t care at the moment. She stormed down her porch stairs, not noticing her neighbor who was on his porch as well.

Lucas St. Cloud had heard their argument while taking out his trash, and had stayed outside to make sure she was okay. He wasn’t sure why, they had never properly met and he only knew her name because her boyfriend often shouted it, but he always felt like he had to protect her. He watched her as she stormed out of her house, keeping her head down as she began her walk to work. He wanted to say something to her, anything, but what could he say?

Hi, I’m Lucas, your nosy neighbor and I’ve noticed that you’re fighting with your boyfriend. Might I offer you a place to stay? Lucas snorted, shaking his head at himself. Yeah, that’ll work. He thought sarcastically, watching as Ella walked out of sight. He began moving back into his house, closing the door. He would find her and introduce himself to her. Soon.