Possessed Soul

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I didn't own a mirror, because I couldn't stand looking at myself. Some people may call it self loathing, but I called it not deluding myself. My body wasn't a thing of beauty, I knew that; even if it was lean and muscular. Long red welts, inflicted by Officer Stark, ran down either side of my rib cage and my chest was scarred in multiple places, from my time at the Asylum. Some of my childhood wounds that refused to heal had reopened during my time at the police station, but most of the wounds stayed preserved in time as ugly scar tissue. Flynn had said the scars would go away with time, but they hadn't, and I had given up all hope. Barely anyone had ever seen me like this. Every hook up with was done in the dark, the darkness covered my body like a warm coat.

Sage was with Derek, probably talking about Ryan again. Although I didn't know the guy, the sound of his name left a foul feeling in me; like an unexpected shiver, but much worse.

Right now I was doing push-ups on the cold floor. My already calloused hands were throbbing with the amount of effort it took to hold my weight up, but this was the only way to control the adrenaline rush that my jealously had caused.

Suddenly the door flew open and I let my chest fall to the ground. I quickly reached out to where my shirt lay, but I was already too late.

Sage had seen me. She stood by the door with her hands by her side, and her cheeks were so flushed they almost matched her hair colour. She wore one of my buttoned shirts and I could see that there was a purplish bruise forming on one of her knees. I furrowed my eyebrows, I didn't remember her falling anywhere.

I held my shirt to my chest and at the same time tried to get myself into a sitting position.

"I should have knocked." She looked down at her bare feet.

"Yes, you should have." I could feel anger bubbling in the pit of my stomach, and I didn't even attempt to hide it.

"Are you mad at me?" She took a step closer, and I shuffled back. I couldn't allow her to see me like this. She had built a picture in her head of me with a cocky persona...in fact that's what everyone did. And yes I was cocky, but only to hide the real me. The broken me, the me I worked hard to make non-existent.

I didn't respond to her question. "You can't see me like this," I said, without meeting her eyes.

"Because you're sweaty?" she enquired, tilting her head slightly. "Or because you're shy?" She giggled slightly at the end of her question.

"Choose one," I suggested, resting my back against the low-lying bed and tilted my head to look at the ceiling. The white paint had blackened with age, and the contrast of the white and black reminded me of an old movie that was shot in a variety of grey backgrounds.

"Is there something you wanted?" I enquired of her, wondering why she was so eager to come in here. I was going to say something sarcastic, but she answered before I could get the chance.

"A towel," she replied.

"Can you at least turn around?" I made a swirling motion with one of my fingers. "So that I can be decent, or are you yearning to see my naked body?"

That was enough to make her blush feverishly and close her eyes, so the outside of her eyelids were the only thing she could see.

I felt my lips curl slightly at the way her eyebrows narrowed.

I stood up, and in the process hit my head on something that was left half sticking off my bed. It was Emma's makeup bag. I didn't even want to know how that had ended up here. "Ouch!" I exclaimed.

Sage eyes flew open instantly. "Are you ok?" Her eyes were wide as they travelled along my bare chest and then back up to my face. My T-shirt lay in a heap at my feet, since I had dropped it after hitting my head. She realised what she had done and her hands flew to her mouth. "I'm sorry," she exclaimed. "I just..." her words trailed off

"You just what?" I didn't like showing anger towards her, but it was easier than letting her tell me how disgusted she was with my mangled body. I didn't bother putting my shirt on; she had already seen me, there was no going back.

"I'm sorry." A tear trickled down her cheek. Her hazel eyes had begun to fill with salty water.

"Foxie." I softened at the sight of her tears. She quickly wiped her palm across her cheek, to dry her face. I walked to her, as she tried to hold back further tears. I put a hand on her wet cheek. "Don't cry," I told her.

"I wasn't," she protested. "There's something in my eyes."

"Both of them?" I smiled feebly at her pathetic attempt to hide the fact that she was hurting.

She nodded and rested her head on my shoulder. I could feel her warm breath on my skin. She placed a gentle kiss on my collarbone and then swiped her finger across the place her lips had just touched, like she was trying to rub the kiss on to make it last longer.

"I thought you hated me." I reminded her of her previous allegations. She deserved more than someone who hooked up with girls because he felt insecure about himself.

Her reply came quickly and confidently. "So did I." The tips of her fingers trailed along both my shoulders and then along my arms. Her touch left an imprint on me, like she was able to brand me with nothing more than the soft flesh of her fingers. She traced the path of all my scars, and I waited silently while she explored my body.

"Does it hurt?" she enquired, looking up at my face.

I shook my head. "It was a long time ago." I shuddered at the memories of the Orphan Asylum and the torture I had endured while there.

"You're beautiful," she told me, with a smile playing on her lips.

"How can this be beautiful?" I knew she wasn't lying... She was incapable of lying; but I wanted to know what she saw in this scarred body.

"It's part of who you are," she told me. "When people say the past doesn't define us, they're wrong. Our past makes us who we are; we are made better because of our past. These scars add character... they make you, you. They tell a story, one that belongs only to you."

She curled her fingers over my shoulders and stood up on her toes. I could see the tiny freckles that dotted her nose as she tilted her chin towards me.

I shook my head as she brought her lips closer to mine." You deserve better," I said. "I could ruin you."

"What if I want to be ruined by you?"

It was too tempting, and I finally gave in. Oh God, please forgive me for doing this to her.

I pressed my lips to hers and allowed her warm breath to fill my mouth. She tasted like coffee and she smelled kind of floral, like lavender. She kissed me like she couldn't get enough of me. Her hands were twisted in my hair as she held me to her. I was happy to be held captive my her. I wrapped my arms around her waist and placed one of my palms on the small of her back. Removing her lips from mine for a second, she pushed me backwards onto the bed. The shirt she wore hid nothing as she climbed over me.

She rested her head on my chest and traced circles on my neck.

I put my arms around her and lay with her on my narrow bed that bent down so far it was touching the ground.

"Kaden?" She murmured in a soft voice.

"Mhmm."

" Kaden, I think I'm in love with you." And with that her eyes closed, and she fell asleep on my chest. 

Please vote and comment if you enjoyed this chapter.