Petal [h.s.]

THIRTY-FIVE - HEART RECOGNIZES YOURS

*This chapter contains a brief discussion about child abuse (physical).

She was quiet.

I ran a hand up and down her bare back, touching the scars that she had there. They were so faded that any normal person wouldn't notice them, except I had been staring at her naked body for hours now. I'd been exploring it and touching it and studying every inch. I touched the marks. They were thin and spread out across her back at random. They were a very light pink color.

"Do you want to know what they're from?" She whispered as I traced my fingertips along them gently.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay." She said, turning her head to look at me. She gave me a small smile, shaking her head, "I want to tell you."

I swallowed, sitting up and leaning over to her. I pressed my mouth against her back, along one of the scars, covering the entire length of it in kisses. I wrapped my arm around the front of her body as I continued to do this, kissing every single one.

"When I was a little girl, my mom died. Me and my sister went into foster care for a bit. We were lucky, actually. We weren't in the system as long as some kids are... it was only a few years. We were placed with a foster family." She paused, averting her gaze as she took a shaky breath in, "And our foster dad had a drinking problem and a resentment for his wife's good deeds... better known as her foster kids."

"He hit you?" I whispered, frowning as I adjusted myself to look at her face. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Me and my sister were the only ones placed with them at the time. They wanted to keep us together and I'm glad they did. He would get drunk after work and the more he drank, the angrier he became. He would come into our room late at night with his belt, ready to get some of his anger out. He tried to take my sister so many times... she was so little." She started to cry harder, her entire body shaking. I held her tighter.

"She was just a baby. I couldn't let him hurt her. She was tiny... she was fucking tiny..." She gasped for breath, trying her hardest to stop her tears, shaking her head.

"Let it out. Let it out." I whispered to her, pulling her back into my arms and squeezing her. She shook her head.

"I can't cry. This isn't... this isn't what I do. I listen. I don't talk... I don't cry over this shit. I never have.... this is so embarrassing, I'm sorry, I-" Her words cut off with a strangled cry that she choked down. I understood what she was telling me.

"Hey. Look at me." I murmured to her, tilting her head to look up at me. Her eyes were wet with tears as they searched mine, waiting for me to go on.

"I don't do this either." I whispered, "So if you promise not to tell anyone about my crying, I won't tell anyone about yours. I'll hold this for you. Okay? It's okay. We're strangers... we'll... we'll never see one another again. You can tell me anything and I promise I will forget it as soon as I leave."