𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 - 𝚝𝚢𝚕𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚜

(wind)whipped

I Hate Myself for Loving You - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Belle barreled through the front door to her apartment, tearing up her bedroom for anything valuable. She huffed with frustration, desperately trying to stall the tears threatening to fall from her bloodshot eyes. This man had somehow managed to weasel his way into her heart in less than a week, made her feel like she was worth absolutely nothing, and yet she still owed him for his generosity.

The audacity.

She screamed, leaning her hands against her desk and looking at her messy reflection. The braid holding her hair together was falling apart, and the tight T shirt was starting to choke her out. She sucked in a breath, trying to calm her nerves as she looked around her room for anything worth any kind of money. She didn't have much, with only the bare necessities and a few plants. Her eyes flicked around nervously until an idea popped into her head. Her piggy bank. Her frog shaped piggy bank.

She smiled, running to her closet and grabbing the ceramic frog from the top shelf, smashing it across the floor and watching bills fall out along with sharp clay pieces flying across the wood. She crouched down and grabbed the pile of cash, fishing through until there was just enough to pay him back, leaving three leftover dollars on her bed and running back to her beat down truck. She peeled down the roads towards the disgusting Motel 6 she knew they were staying at across town. When she pulled up, she spotted him and his team unloading their truck, talking and laughing with another. Even worse, he was chatting it up with another girl. Anger bubbled out of her chest, watching him flirt effortlessly with a tilt of a hat before the blonde brushed him off and walked up the stairs.

Belle threw to door to her truck open, wiping her cheeks before storming up to him, who was beside the truck while Lily and Boone talked on the other side. Her feet scuffed across the dirt, both watching in silence as she approached an oblivious Tyler.

"Take it back." She shoved the wad or wrinkled cash out in front of her, his body whipping around with his eyebrows raised.

"What?" He looked back and forth between the money in her outstretched hand and the terrifying look on her face.

"Take it back." She shoved it closer to him, pushing it into his chest. "It's what I owe you. Every dollar."

"Wa," He shook his head, trying to line his thoughts up with his mouth. "No." He pushed her hands back to herself, but she refused.

"No?"

"You heard me hon. No. It's you're money." He shook his head, rubbing his temples.

"What do you think this is? I'm not a fucking charity case!" She yelled out, making the curious Lily and Boone jump from their spot peeping in the mirror. Tyler mumbled something to himself, grabbing her arm and pulling her around the building to a more secluded spot.

"I'm not taking your goddamn money!" He screwed his eyes shut. Belle felt herself grow ever more furious.

"Why the fuck not? I don't want to owe anyone anything. I never asked for your help!" She crumpled it up, reaching forward and shoving it into his jean pocket. She felt the way his breath hitched when she made contact. There was a long, jagged scratch down the side of his cheek, dried blood closing the wound.

To be honest, Tyler didn't really know why he paid her rent. He didn't think much about it, seeing it in an "I have money, you need money" kind of way. He never thought of money much regardless, even if he made a lot from his channel. He knew he grew up nice, with a family who supported him and friends who backed him up. This was something he never really had to worry about, and a part of him just wanted her to feel like someone had her back.