The Bruises She Hides

Chapter 10

Fin's POV

I wake up with one thing on my mind- confronting Edgar about Dani.

It took me forever to sleep last night. Seeing Dani in pain, looking so broken, tears pouring down her face, the image was etched into my brain. It was all I saw when I closed my eyes. I'm surprised I even fell asleep what with all the tossing and turning.

And finding out that what Edgar said was a lie pissed me off even more. He better have a good reason for lying about my Dani, the dick.

I walk downstairs surprised to see Morgan studying alone. "Where's Alex?" I question as I grab an Up & Go from the kitchen for breakfast.

"Left to see Dani, they've got five years of making up to do," I nod in agreement.

"Alright I'm heading out,"

"Where to?" questions Morgan, the serious look on his face almost makes me burst out laughing.

"To catch up with a friend dad, do I have your permission?" I joke as I start to put on my jacket. Just as I'm about to close the front door I hear Morgan yell "don't miss curfew!". I roll my eyes heading to my car.

Before I know it I'm standing in front of Edgar's house. The anger that I thought I had gotten over suddenly coming back. I take a deep breath mentally preparing myself for whatever Edgar has to say for himself before knocking on the door.

The door opens and instead of Edgar's admittedly creepy eyes and tall height I look down to see a shorter but older woman who looks like Edgar – this must be his mother, I think. The woman who is in fact his mum, introduces herself as Margaret and explains that Edgar is away for the weekend with a couple of his mates from his old school. I thank her, internally seething, before heading back to my car.

I still feel myself fuming in anger. I should tell someone or I'm gonna go insane, I think knowing I need someway to stop all these thoughts running through my head.

I dial Izzy's number and ask if we can meet up. Not even 5 minutes later we are seated at a booth at our usual place; the Chocolate Therapist. "So what was so important you had to wake me up early on a bloody Saturday, huh Finley?" I roll my eyes at the name.

"It's not that early it like 11," I respond.

"not that early my ass," I hear her mutter under her breath. We stay in silence for a bit before I can't take it and I tell her everything. About seeing Edgar walk out of Dani's room. Being so unbelievably angry at Dani. Alex coming back. Seeing Dani last night balling her eyes out and how much it killed me to see her that way. How unexplainably angry I am about all of it. By the time I'm done Izzy for what the first time in all our years of friendship is speechless. It takes her a moment to regain herself but what she says is not what I was expecting.

"You really don't see it do you?" she asks blatantly.

"See what?" I ask confused.

"Dani's always been clueless about these things but I expected better from you," better from me? Have I pissed her off lately or something?

"Come on Fin," she ushers me though I'm still lost. "Really think about why your so angry, seriously think about it," and with that she leaves. I sit there as I watch her walk out of the shop. Think about it, the words repeat in my head over and over. So I do.

I think about it. I think about how I dropped all hatred I had against Dani the second I saw her in pain. I think about how much I wanted to beat Edgar's face in till I had reshaped it completely when I found out he was lying. I think about how every sob cut through me and every tear hurt me. I think about how worried I get over every injury she gets no matter how small. I think about how protective of her I get when I see her in pain. I think about how happy I get when I see her every morning, when I hear her laugh, see her smile, when she adorably bites her lip. I think about how cute I find it when she zones out for a couple minutes lost in her own world and how much I love the feeling of holding her small hands in my large ones, that fit together perfectly. I think about how I would do anything to protect her no matter how much harm it caused me. And then it hits me.

I love Dani.

I am completely in love with her and I always have been. All those hints dropped by Izzy and Morgan over the years are finally making sense. They saw it before me.

I am completely totally and hopelessly in love with Danielle Warren, and nothing can change my mind about it. "I'm in love with my best friend," I repeat, wait did I say that out loud?

I look around to see what feels like hundreds of pairs of eyes on me but I don't care. I smile so wide it hurts my face. "I love her," I scream out once again feeling relieved. I run out the shop feeling happier than ever. I can hear them laughing at me but I don't care. I love Dani.

I call her number still smiling like an idiot. "Hey," I smile even wider at the sound of her voice.

"Dani hi, can we meet up somewhere I have to tell..."

"Got ya, this is my voicemail. Leave a message after the beep though I probably won't get back to you," Damn it. I leave a message anyway knowing she won't check it but I can't help myself. She's probably spending the day with Alex. I'll wait at home for him to come back and then I'll tell her. I'll tell her exactly how I feel.

Then my brain tells me something. Something that wipes the smile off my face and replaces it with a look of worry. What if she doesn't feel the same way.

Dani's POV

Spending the whole day with Alex was the only thing keeping my mind off the pain.

After he caught me sneaking back into the house he lost it. Not only did he reopen the wounds on my stomach, again with a beer bottle he threw the shards of broken glass on me cutting all over my arms.

He even went to punch me in the face which I luckily ducked but it shocked me, he usually avoids my face and hands knowing that if they were severely bruised like that rest of me people would start to notice.

My towel in my bathroom is red with blood. It took me almost two hours to pull all the glass from out of the cuts and disinfect them. Not forgetting having to bandage up my stomach all the while dealing with this annoying pounding in my head from another one of my many bruises that haven't healed.

The weather is not on my side either. Today being a warm and sunny day only means I will have to sweat like a pig in the long sleeves I'm wearing. Great, just great.

"So that was how I got kicked out of my last home, that bloody nurse...Dani? Earth to Dani," He waves his hand in front of my face snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I ask, desperately trying not to show my pain but instead mask it.

"You didn't hear anything I just said did you?" he asks and I feel guilty. I haven't seen my brother in years and my dumb brain won't shut up to let me listen to him.

"No sorry I zoned out," I mumble. He grabs my hand and I feel something cold go up my spine.

"That's okay. You seem to that a lot now don't you?" he points out. I try to respond but all I can think about is him touching me. After last night the physical contact just brought back the nightmares. Let go of my hand, please just let go, I silently plea. "Dani, what's wrong?" questions Alex he raises his hand to stroke my hair and I fight the urge to flinch. But instead I shiver, pretty much shake. "Dani," he sounds angry now, an emotion I'm all to use to dealing with.

I try to speak back, to answer him but nothing comes out. All I want to do is yank my arm out of his and run away. "Dani, answer me sis what's wrong?" he looks furious by now, his grip on my hand tightening making me yelp in pain. He immediately let's go of my hands and looks down ashamed that he hurt me. I breathe out a sigh of relief. And then everything goes black.