Insatiable [h.s]

50

Aurora Walker
Present: June 9, 2020

I was just finishing up in the bathroom, hanging the towel up to dry on a rack as the tub drained when I heard the bedroom door shut.

"You were right, Thalia." I called out as I walked towards the room. "I needed tha—"

I stopped, frozen in my tracks as I made it into the bedroom. My breath caught in my throat and for a moment I questioned whether or not I had fallen asleep in the tub and was dreaming right now.

"Hi." Harry breathed out, his hand slipping from the doorknob.

"Hi." I said softly, my eyes meeting his.

Fresh bruises littered his face, dried blood etched onto his skin from small cuts. And then I looked down...

He wore a black button up, the material ripped and tattered in various places. His arm holding his scars had dried blood stained onto his skin, his scars having fresh cuts all along them.

"Harry—" My eyes flashed up to meet his again as I took a few steps towards him.

For the first time I saw his ability to hide all of his emotions falter for more than just a few seconds. His eyes shifted from mine and he stared down to the floor with a look of shame.

I closed the distance between us and reached a hand out towards his wounded arm. "Who did this to you?" I asked with a hitch in my voice as I searched over his face.

He looks so tired. His eyes were strained and bloodshot, dark circles underneath. He looked completely drained— as if there were nothing left in him. His skin was pale, his usual color replaced with a ghostly white that terrified me.

His bottom lip trembled, my heart breaking as I saw tears well up in his eyes. "I deserved it." He said softly, his voice cracking as he spoke. "I caused this."

I took a step towards him as he spoke, my body subconsciously pulling me towards him without thinking of it. I shouldn't be getting closer to him, I know that. But I couldn't help it. Seeing him like this and hearing the pain in his voice caused me to hurt in a way I couldn't describe.

"No." I said shaking my head as I stood in front of him. My hand moved under his chin to tilt his head up to look towards me. I rested both of my hands on his cheeks in a desperate attempt to show him any kind of physical connection that I could without seeming too overbearing. "You don't deserve this to be hurt like this. You deserve so much better than this."

"How can you say that?" His glossy eyes met mine, my heart falling to pieces as a tear rolled down his cheek. "You don't know the things I've done, Rori."

"I don't have to." I swallowed, trying to compose myself as I used the pad of my thumb to swipe away his tear. "I talked to Thalia... I know you've been through things— Things that I'll never be able to understand. But I do know that pain, grief, loss... They all change you. Sometimes not for the better, and sometimes they can cause us to lose sight of who we truly are. I know you're a good person, Harry. I see it in you everyday. But I think you let your past overshadow the person you are."

Harrys brows pinched together, "How can you say that? After everything I've done— After what I said to you."

Truth is, I know he's right. After everything he's done to me, everything he's said to me, I shouldn't be sitting here trying to make him feel better. I should be grabbing my things and finding a new room to sleep in without giving him a second thought.

Yet, here I am. My hands on his cheeks, telling him I know he's not a bad person.

I've truly lost my mind.