Safe With You

14. Leaving.

This is a time in my life where I think the universe is on my side, because there is someone at the front desk of his apartment complex, but they're talking to someone. Just distracted enough to not notice I'm a bloody mess. Just in case though I pull my hood over my head a little tighter and walk quickly. My run/limp up the stairs isn't fast but I try the best I can. The carpet is much better than the twigs and blacktop. 

The door flies open before I can even knock. I don't look up, I just look at my cold, bare, cut up, feet and silently cry in shame. Hunter doesn't say anything, he bends down in front of and carries me inside. He kicks the door closed and grips me really tight. 

He gently sits down with me next to him and my legs across his lap. He tries to push my hood off but I pull it back down shaking my head.

"Aly, let me see." He whispers.

"No Hunter, please."

"Aly, c'mon." We fight back and forth for a few minutes until I accidentally look up. "Aly!" He cups my face with his hands looking at my eye and the gash on my face. Starting to rub my cheek with his thumb, his lip quivers along with mine.

"Hunter I have to go back, he said he loved me and apologized when I was running across the street. I can't just leave him like that." I start to raise my voice.

His head shakes. "Aly, do you even hear yourself?" The look in his eyes as he says this breaks my heart. "You cannot go back there."

"Why not? It's not like anybody else is gonna love me!" I shout, I never thought I would say something like that, but after hearing it for so long its just truth to me now. 

"Wh-" he shakes his head in confusion "What?"

I ignore him because I know what he's going to say. "Hunter I'm such a burden, on you and him and everyone else in my life! Shit, I'm a burden on my neighbor for making her drive me here. The world would be better without me."

His eyes get so wide they look like they're about to pop out of his head. "Aly! What the hell are you talking about?! Don't ever say that! Stop! Snap out of it! He's got you brain washed!" He lets out a sigh as I cry, "c'mon." He gets up and takes my hand walking me to his bathroom and I sit up on the counter as he plays doctor. "This is the last time I'm doing this. I'm not gonna let this happen anymore." He grumbles.

"Hunter I'm fine its just tonight he-"

"got out of control." we say together, him looking down at the band aid he's opening.

"You say that every single time." He mumbles while trying to get the little flaps off.

He finishes patching me up and just stares at me. He tries to look in my eyes but I hang my head in embarrassment, looking down at my knees. He puts his hands on either side of my legs and leans into me, giving me the I-told-you-so face.

"It-" I start to say

"won't happen again." we say together.

"Stop saying that." He says with a low, deep, soft voice. "Don't talk to me like you talk to him. Stop doing this to yourself."

There's a pause. He looks down and sees that I have no shoes on and I have dirt and blood all over them. He spins me around so they land in the sink and runs warm water over them. I hide my face in my arms with my knees against me so he doesn't see that I'm wincing in pain. I feel him tap me.

"You don't have to hide your face, I want to know if I'm hurting you or not." I nod my head and look up trying to relax. He finishes rising them off and puts band aids on the really bad parts and spins me back around towards him. "You wanna stay over tonight?"