Habits

Habits | four

| four

THEN

His hand slid down my back, slowly massaging my tense muscles. I could feel my muscles finally relaxing. A moan threatened to escape but I knew better. His talented fingers drew circles on my back making me smile. Suddenly I'm flipped over and he starts kissing me. My fingers make their way up towards his hair and tug. He chuckles and pulls back. His eyes were like a siren that lured me in.

"You feel better?" He asks. I only nod. He gives me a smile and jumps off my bed. "So I was thinking that since this Friday is Homecoming, how about we ditch school?"

"Don't we have a pep rally? Aren't you in the pep rally Paul?" I ask.

He rolls his eyes, "yes I am. But babe, come on. It's senior year! We need to go out and do senior things. Like ditching a dámn pep rally."

"And is this your way of being a rebel?" He laughs and starts walking towards me. "'Cause if it is, I'm in."

"I knew I could count on you." He says. Just as he's about to peck my lips my bedroom door slams wide open.

Jacqueline.

She smirks, "oh I'm sorry. Was I interrupting something?" As I'm about to reply she holds her perfectly manicured hand out. "Mom said he needs to go home and you need to go wash the dishes. The maid couldn't make it tonight. And I just got a manicure so I can't do it."

I close my eyes and rub my temples. "Yeah, of course, I'll be down in a second."

"Now."

"Fine, I'm going." I huff as I get up from my bed and hug Paul and peck his cheek. Paul follows me downstairs pecks my cheek and leaves. Leaving his cologne lingering in the air.

Thirty minutes later all of the dishes were done. I was cleaning the counter when I heard footsteps enter the kitchen.

My dear mother.

She arched her eyebrow at me and smiled. "I see all the dishes are done."

"Yes ma'am."

"But you forgot to clean something."

"What's that?"

"This plate." She goes to hand me a plate but drops it. "You can't do anything right Isabella! I hate the day you were born!"

My heart breaks into pieces like the plate that had just fell, but I was used to it by now. As I go to pick up the broken pieces I'm shoved from behind, I gasp as I feel the pain shooting through my arms.

The glass from the plate were shoved deep up both my hands leaving a pool of blood at my tips. I could hear their laughter. This is what they wanted to do. Hurt me. Kill me. And they succeeded, because now I'm slowly dying.

     

NOW

It was 12:45 AM.

I was stuck in a 24 hour café, because I had no idea where to go. My options were getting cut short. I couldn't always run. Running was for cowards.

I'm not a coward! Yes, you are.

I groaned as I felt a massive headache forming inside my head. I grabbed the warm cup of coffee the waitress had left for me and took a sip. The warmness of the coffee seeped throughout my body causing my insides to warm up. It felt good. The tiny bell overhead the door chimed as someone came in. It was a boy around my age or maybe older. His rain jacket caught my attention. I watched as the water droplets slithered down his jacket and onto the marbled floor. Frowning I looked out the window and seen that it had started to rain. I turned my head towards the boy and meet his green eyes. He smiled but I didn't return it, instead I looked out the café window and watched as the sky released the drops of water.

"I'll have a medium coffee please." I heard him tell the young girl who had took my order earlier.

I looked towards my hands and traced the scars that were left on my hands. Till this day I could still remember how much pain I had felt that night. I could still remember my dads screams. And I could still remember how my mother lied to his face telling him I had tripped and broke the plate causing the cuts on my hands. That night had been the first time I had ever gotten stitches. Little did I know, it wasn't going to be the last time I would get them either. After that incident my dear sister would cut my stomach calling me fat. She would tell my father that I hated myself and was depressed and he believed her. He always believed her. Just like he did that night. That night that ruined everything.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when a hand started to shake vigorously in front of my eyes, causing me to stop thinking of the bad thoughts. I looked over at the waitress. Her name tag in my face.

Lucy.

"Yes?"

"I asked if you needed a refill?" She pointed towards my empty cup. I shook my head. "Would you like your bill?" I nodded as she tore the paper off her small notepad and walked away. 

The boy that had came in was nowhere in sight. The place looked as empty as when I came in. I noticed a styrofoam cup by the register and looked around again. Empty. There was no one here but me.

I stood up slowly and looked for the waitress. I found her at one of the tables with the boy that had came in. Her back was to me as she chatted quietly with him so she didn't notice me. His eyes looked up as he heard me approaching.

"I need to pay my bill." I tell Lucy.

She smiled at me. "Of course."

We walk to the register and I hand her a crispy five dollar bill. "You happen to know where a hotel is located? I lived a couple of miles from this town and I'm kinda lost."

"Yeah! I'm actually about to be on break so I could take you since it's raining."

I shake my head at her response. "No I would just like to know where one is at."

"Are you sure? It's still raining outside. I promise, I don't mind giving you a lift." The waitress asks me.

"Positive." She nods and takes a piece of paper and writes an address and a phone number.

"That's the address to the hotel and that's my phone number just in case you need something."

As I make my way outside I feel a shiver crawling up my body. I knew I would be sick by tomorrow if I walked in this weather but I had no choice.

"I know you don't plan on walking in this rain."

I stop and turn towards the source of the voice. It was the boy that had just been in the café talking to Lucy.

"I do."

"Come on I'll give you a lift." He thumbs back towards his truck.

He's a stranger Isabella. You can't trust him.

"I don't even know you."

He smiles. "My name is Adam Fields. I promise I won't hurt you. My dads actually the chief of police. If you want I'll call him so he can give you a lift. But he's in bed right now so he might not come to your rescue."

I smile because I feel as if I can trust him. I smile because there are actually good and honest people in the world.

For once in my life, I actually make a good choice getting in the truck with him.