☾☆

Melanie

I fought the tears for as long as I could but the events of the night all became too much and the tears began to stream. I looked away from Hunter in an effort to hide how I was feeling, not wanting him to think I was some pathetic weak girl. I had been through so much worse, I was better than this.

My attempt to hide my emotions failed as Hunter moved next to me on the bed, coming face to face with me. I could see pain flash through his eyes at seeing me hurt, and while it seemed to show he cared the other events of the night led me to believe otherwise. I tried to understand his explanation but honestly it all sounded like bullshit. He fed me so many lies already, how could I trust anything he said?

I knew that I had to respond eventually so I worked up my courage and lifted my head to look him in the eye. Once the tears began to slow I spoke, "That makes no sense, and I just don't have the energy to make sense of this all right now. Honestly, you have lied to me so many times that I don't even know what to believe from you. How can I trust anything that comes out of your mouth now?"

In an almost desperate voice he responded, "I know I lied about some things before but everything I was feeling was real. Please ask me anything you want to know. I really want you to feel like you can trust me."

I signed and looked back down at my hands. My nails were currently digging into my palms and if I wasn't careful I would soon draw blood. It was an old habit I developed in situations where I was scared or feeling pain. My therapist says it is may way of controlling the pain and diverting my attention to something new. I hadn't done it since my last day at home over a month ago, but now it was back and I couldn't tell if the creep from before caused it or if it's return was a direct result of the man in front of me. I had a strong feeling it was caused by the former because even though Hunter scared me sometimes and I didn't exactly know what to believe when it came to him, he still brought a sense of calm to me that was a new and foreign feeling.

He seemed to notice my hands, as he opened the fists I was making and took my hands in his, causing me to look back up at him. "I have so many questions but so much has happened tonight, I think I just need to get some sleep."

"I completely understand. Will you stay the night? I will sleep on the floor if that makes you more comfortable, I just want you here with me where I know you are safe." Regardless of the night's events with Hunter and the bitchy blonde, I wanted to be here too. I had never slept in the same room as a guy but I knew if I was alone I wouldn't get any sleep, as it is I have a feeling the nightmares will return causing a lack of sleep.

"Okay I will stay, but I will take the floor. I don't want to be a bother kicking you out of your own bed." As soon as the statement came out of my mouth Hunter was shaking his head, "Mel you could never be a bother, and after everything that happened tonight it is the least I could do."

I simply smiled and nodded knowing this was not a fight I was going to win. Hunter smiled back as he stood up and headed to his closet. "You can sleep in some of my clothes, those skinny jeans don't seem too comfortable." He was right, sleeping in this outfit would not be too comfortable, but the act of sleeping his clothes in his bed seemed so intimate.

This was all new territory for me so I shyly nodded my head signaling I wanted to wear something of his. He walked toward his closet and returned with a simple grey t-shirt, but upon further inspection, I noticed the school logo followed by the word football. Was he on the team? Football was a big deal here, or so I have heard, I haven't actually been to a game. There was so much about him that I didn't know but I decided to wait until tomorrow to ask any questions.

As I took the sweatshirt from him I noticed the bruising on his knuckles. I turned his hands in mine trying to better inspect the damage resulting from the fight. "Are you okay? This looks like it hurts." I said slightly panicked.

I let his hands hold mine for a moment then pulled them back saying, "Don't worry about it. I will go downstairs and bandage them up. You can head into the bathroom and clean up and change."

I nodded my head and gave him a soft smile before turning around and heading into the bathroom to try and compose myself. When I looked in the mirror, I saw something that frightened me. My makeup that had so carefully been applied by Alana only hours earlier was now smeared around my eyes from the crying. I looked pale and fragile, and the sight brought me back home. It was something I thought I had escaped from, something I never wanted to see again. I washed my face to try to get my normal appearance back, but even without the running makeup I still looked tired.

I lifted up my shirt to inspect the area where the creep had kneed me. There was a large bruise on the left side of my stomach, and I knew from experience that the mark would get darker before it began to heal. I gingerly touched the skin, and upon the contact felt nothing. I was immune to this pain.

I quickly finished undressing and then put on Hunter's large t-shirt, wanting to hide the mark again. The shirt came down to my knees effectively covering me up while being big and comfortable. After putting it on, I was flooded by the scent I have now come to associate with Hunter, and to my surprise I found myself comforted by it. I took one more deep breath and headed back into Hunter's bedroom.