TREPIDATION

CHAPTER EIGHT

You let in a sharp breath and stood there in shock. "Michael.." You breathed. His head shot up and his gaze locked on you. His green eyes were now puffy and red and tears were rolling down his pale cheeks. He dropped the razor and clamped his left hand over his bleeding wrist. "(y/n).." He sobbed. "I-I'm-I" Michael burst into tears and dropped to the floor. You ran over to him throwing your arms around his neck and running your hands through his messy hair. "Sh Michael, it's okay, it's fine, I'm here now okay?" You felt a tear roll down your cheek but you held back the rest because you needed to be strong. You glanced down at the blood that was staining Michael's hand. "Stay here okay, I'm going to go and get a bandage so we can get you cleaned up" you whispered. "Hey Michael?" You cupped his face in your hands. "I love you."

You ran off into the kitchen and grabbed the first aid box that was still sitting on the side from earlier. Sprinting back to your bedroom you jogged into the bathroom where Michael was still kneeling on the floor. "I'm back," you said as you knelt on the cold tiles next to Michael. You unwrapped the bandage and the re-wrapped it around his bleeding arm, him whimpering as you did it. "There, all better." You said pulling his head into your chest. His crying had calmed but he still sniffed every now and then. Michael moved his head so he was looking you in the eyes. "(y/n) I'm so sorry you had to see me like this, ther-" "Michael, it's okay," you cut him off, "you just scared me.." "I know I'm sorry but (y/n) I really need to tell you something.." "Okay, but let me get rid of all these people so we can be alone okay?" You kissed him lightly and got up making your way towards the door of your bedroom ready to scream at the crowd in your living room. You opened the door and made your way over to one of the stools that sat under your breakfast bar. Pulling it out and climbing on it, you pulled out the wire of the iPod speakers that were sat on the counter below you and cut off the loud music before letting out a whistle to attract the attention of the confused crowd. "OKAY PARTY'S OVER PEOPLE NOW GET OUT OF MY APARTMENT" you screamed at the top of your voice. The crowd mumbled as they flooded out of the door, leaving your apartment as empty as it usually was. The living room and kitchen were trashed but you needed to be alone with Michael tonight, the tidying could wait until tomorrow.

Making your way back into yours and Michael's room you noticed Michael had moved and was now sat on the edge of his side of your bed. You made your way round and sat down next to him, intertwining your hand with his as you sat down. "(y/n)," Michael started, "the reason I said we need to leave Sydney is because, we can't be around Harry, I can't be around Harry." "What do you mean?" "Since I was 14, Harry and his friends have bullied me. The scar on my forehead.." You looked up at the scar on Michael's forehead, it sat just above his eyebrow but it hid underneath his hair most of the time. "Harry gave me that, when we were 15, him and his friends were trying to get me to smoke and I kept refusing and in the end he punched me in the forehead and the ring he was wearing split the skin on my forehead and caused the scar.." "Michael..." You snuggled in closer to him. "Why were you scared to tell me this?" "I've always been afraid to tell anyone this, my mum only knows because she was at the house when I came home after Harry had made my head bleed, she had to clean me up, but I made her swear she wouldn't tell anyone" He sighed. "That's not the only thing he's done (y/n), but we need to leave before he tries to hurt you.." "Michael, just leaving isn't going to solve the fact he basically abuses you every time you come back home, and has done for the last 4 years.." "I know but I need to protect you, he can hurt me all he wants," he said lifting your chin with his finger, "but he's not going anywhere near you."