Tattoo || m.c.

56

Mars laughed as they stood in front of the parlor. Michael wiggled his eyebrows as he held open the door. They slid into the same exact booth as in their first date and looked around. It was quiet but busy at the same time.

The tables weren't filled with people but the chatter of everybody floated around the room as if looking for a place to escape. The feeling of heat and excitement was all around from the busboy to the chef to the cashier to the customers. It was as if time had set up this place for the perfect moment, not just for Michael and Mars but for everybody there. The day was amazing, the weather was perfect, and the night had begun nicely.

"Hi, I will be your waiter for the evening, " a deep and leather voice popped next to their booth.

Mars knew this voice all too well.

Derek.

Mars' head flew up as she saw him. A smirk on his face as he held a paper and pen in his hand.

"Derek," she choked out, her throat becoming dry and her thoughts slamming against each other. Her heart pounded at the sight of him and her eyes bulged out of her sockets.

"Do you know him," Michael whispered as he saw her fear and awkwardness in her eyes. He instinctively put his arm around her and pulled her close. Giving her a kiss to her temple eased her but only for a second in that moment did she feel safe. Her barriers were built so high with Derek around her.

"Oh yes, we know each other very well." Mars shook her heard as if it would stop him from what was about to come out next, "In the beginning I was her, I guess you could say, weight trainer. I would help her lose and lose pounds of weight each week. Her thin body becoming thinner and thinner but it still wasn't beautiful. She didn't have a defined waist by the time she was only 70 pounds then how could I work with her at all. Eventually, we started to date and I guess she just couldn't be skinny enough and so I left her sorry ass on homecoming night," Derek laughed, as if this entire story was from a book his father would read to make him smile.

Mars bowed her head in shame. He made her feel worse everyday that they trained. Derek would insult her, hit her, starve her, humiliate her and she thought that it was for the beauty to be skinny.

"Why are you here, Derek," Mars mumbled loud enough for him to hear, she recoiled behind Michael's shoulder who no doubt had the glare to kill one hundred monsters.

"Just thought, I would move into town and see what it would be like to live here," Derek smirked, loving the way he could twist and tear her emotions and make the prominent fear upon her face grow, "Maybe, I can even get you back into my training."

His hand trailed up her arm and gave it a slight squeeze.

"Get your hands off her," Michael hissed, abruptly standing up.

"I think I can do whatever I like to her," Derek viciously smiled, "After all, I made her who she is today."

At that moment, Michael had enough and punched him repeatedly in the jaw. The other customers were startled but knew that it was the waiter's fault. Derek's words were proud and very loud among the room.

"You made her hate herself, starve herself, make herself think being thick as a twig is beauty. You are a psychopath," Michael grabbed Derek by the collar and leaned in, "Leave this town and never come back or I can promise you I will do more than just break a couple of bones."

Michael held Mars hand before leaning in and kissing her. The whisper of 'I love you's flowing into both of them like they were sharing a part of their soul to each other.