Suits and Scars

Chapter Twenty: Information

Matt's Point of View

She just stared at me like I had somehow hurt her by waking her up.

We were all now sitting on the couch but TayTay was clearly trying to separate herself from us. She grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch to cocoon herself in and pulled her knees up to her chest. She kept looking at Chris and Declan but would only look at me for a second. I sat between the guys with my arms crossed over my chest.

I had asked her about the scars three times now but each time she just looked at the floor. I inhaled deeply, holding it in my chest for as long as I could before pushing myself to the edge of the couch.

I ground my teeth together, "Tell me why you have scars on your back."

More silence followed my question before Declan exhaled loudly and dropped his head to the back of the couch.

"She's not going to tell you." Declan grumbled.

The fact that Declan wasn't surprised or even pissed off about the scars, like Chris and I were, told me he knew more than I did, "And how the hell do you know that?"

He picked his head up and made eye contact with TayTay. Her eyebrows pulled together and her eyes widened just a little. I could see her silently begging him for something but I didn't know what it was. All I could do was watch him tilt his head as she continued to plead with him before it finally clicked in my head.

"How long has he known about them?" I asked her. I could have asked Declan but I needed to hear her speak. She hadn't said anything since realized what we were looking at.

Declan broke the silence of Taylor not answering me, "Since college. It's...uh... That's why I left."

Now I was even more pissed, "You left her because of scars!" I stood ready to hit him in his face. He may be my enforcer but that didn't mean I couldn't beat the absolute shit out of him. I had his shirt wrapped into my hand when TayTay's voice broke through my anger.

The sound was just a touch louder than a whisper, "I asked him to leave. He saw them when we slept together and I told him if he couldn't keep my secret then he needed to leave."

"Tot, who were you keeping this a secret from?" Chris was always the voice of reason. He was able to stay calm on the outside when I was unable to get my feelings in check.

"From everyone." she looked down and started picking at the blanket in her lap, "Mostly the two of you."

I let go of Declan and pushed him back onto the couch, "What all do you know?"

He glanced over at TayTay as if to ask permission to speak but she just kept looking down, "All she told me is that they haven't continued." He looked down at his lap like he had betrayed her.

I walked over to TayTay and knelt down in front of her, "Is that true? They've stopped?"

She nodded.

"Did you do this to yourself?"

She shook her head and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Are they just on your back?" I wished to see her nod but she didn't, "Show me."

Her head snapped up to look me in the eyes. I could practically feel the panic as I read it on her face. She shook her head. I let my emotion drop from my face and allowed all the training from my dad to come forward. I let my mouth flatten as I pulled my eyebrows down and narrowed my eyes at her.

"Now Ms. Carter." I deadpanned.

Her face paled slightly and she physically gulped down her emotion. I had never talked to TayTay like this and never wanted to but I needed to know what I was dealing with. She stood up and I sat on the coffee table behind me. Declan and Chris also adjusted to be able to see whatever she would show us. She turned around and lifted her dress over her head. After dropping it on the couch, she tucked her thumbs into the waistband of her underwear. Under different circumstances this could be the best strip tease I've ever had but all I could focus on was the lines that criss crossed her back.