Bruises and scars. (Teacher/student love story)

38. Bruises and Scars.

SATURDAY

March the 5th

It's been a month since that day in the classroom.

I stayed home the day after I smashed my head off the desk and Holden showed up after school. I was still in my pj's when he showed up and my hair was everywhere. I had just woken up and walked into the kitchen for some breakfast. I hadn't even looked in a mirror yet.

Which is why when I opened the door and saw Holden standing there I immediatly touched my hair wondering how bad it looked.

"We need to talk." He said simply.

I nodded and let him in, "Can I just go change?"

He shook his head and touched my face, "You look beautiful."

I blush and lead him into the kitchen, "Are you thirsty? Or hungry?"

"No."

I sit down at a chair and expect him to sit next to me but instead he sits across from me. Holden clasps his hands in front of him and sighs.

"This can't be good." I say pushing my freshly made bowl of Coco crispies away from me. He pushes them back.

"Go ahead and eat."

I shake my head, "I'm not hungry."

Holden sighs again, "I can't keep doing this Scarlete."

I had started to play with the cereal in my bowl, pushing the crispies different ways, I freeze when he says that.

"What do you mean?"

As an engaged women that is supposed to be madly in love with her fiancee I shouldn't have asked questions. I should have shoved him out of the room. I should have been ecstatic. Instead my heart was sinking into my stomach quickly and my chest was aching.

He reaches for my hands and I'm tempted to pull them away but I find I have no will power.

"I love you so much, and I can't keep letting him get away with hurting you. I know that I keep asking you to marry me, you keep saying no, and then I still stay but I'm not going to do it anymore. It kills me that he's hurting you and you stay with him. So I'm hoping you love me more."

"What are you talking about?" My mouth is dry and I wish I could shove a spoonful of the milk from my cereal into my mouth but I figure now is not the time.

"I need you to choose. I love you too much to share you, I also love you too much to keep watching you get hurt. So I'm hoping you'll choose me."

I shake my head, "Holden I can't leave him." I say desperately.

He presses the palm of my hand to his cheek, "Can you leave me?"

I shake my head again as tears fill my eyes. I'm not ready to make this decision yet.

"Scarlete I promise I will never hit you, I will never leave you, and I will always love you."

I shake my head again, "But you're my teacher, it's not like we could actually go public until after graduation."

"We'll get married during the summer."

I shake my head, "I can't Holden."

Tears start to leak over and he's all of a sudden in front of my kneeling, his hands cup my face, "Marry me. Leave him."