Secrets (BxB) ✅

18: broken in so many places

A/N: sorry Zedd... (btw this is straight on from the previous).
Mild trigger warning. Don't look at the banner if you don't like blood. 🥺😢

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Zedd cont.

I only realised that I was still wearing Mitch's shirt when I walked up the front steps of my house. I cursed under my breath but there was nothing I could do about it. In a way, I was glad that I wasn't turning up on my doorstep with a croptop. Even if only my mum saw. I had to go in the front door because there was no way I could climb up the wall of the house to my window. Jumping down was easy, but now I had to go in the obvious way. I figured it's always easier to ask forgiveness than ask permission.

I walked into the front door and into the kitchen and froze. I had to be hallucinating. This couldn't be happening. No no no. There he sat at the kitchen table, newspaper propped up in front of his face.

"You shouldn't sneak out like that without telling your mum Zedd," my father said from behind his newspaper.

"Uh..." I stuttered, "Weren't you coming home Monday morning?"

"Yeah but the conferences ended early so instead I came back this morning, on Sunday," my father replied, before finally lowering his newspaper.

His face froze as he looked me up and down. I gulped. I was so thankful at that moment that Mitch had cleaned the makeup off my face and that I had accidentally kept his shirt on.

"What the hell is in your hair?" My father's voice came out deathly calm as he slowly stood up from the kitchen table.

Shit. I had forgotten that detail.

"Uh... just some hair gel..." my voice trailed off as he neared me and I could see the anger in his eyes.

I was so done for. My heart skipped a beat and I hated myself for letting my father make me feel this fear.

"You look like a twink," my father spat, pushing me brutally against the wall.

I was just pushing back off the wall when his fist came flying towards my face and my head cracked to the side. I felt a burning pain in my bottom lip and I could taste my blood in my mouth, warm and tasting of rust.

"Richard!" I heard my mother's shriek distantly as I brought my hand up to gingerly touch my lip. My fingers came away covered in blood. That bastard had split my lip. Wanting to get the hell out of here I pushed past my mum who was rubbing my father's arm soothingly and dashed up the stairs. I found refuge in my room, taking care to lock the door behind me.

I mechanically made my way to the bathroom, discarding my clothes as I went, until I was standing naked in front of my shower. I risked a quick glance in the mirror and cringed at the sight that met me. A jagged crack in my lip which coated my chin with blood. There were still lingering bruises on my cheekbone and chest from last time. My eyes looked hangover, my hair looked like a dog had chewed a wig and spat it out onto my head. I looked like a wreck. I was a wreck. And not just physically.

I stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water. It stung my lip like hell but the pain helped me feel grounded. The water washed away the blood, diluting it to pink tinges that disappeared down the drain. I stood under the rushing water for a long time, letting it run over my shoulders and body in a way that became kind of soothing. I couldn't get Mitch's betrayed face out of my head. I had hurt him so bad, I didn't know if we could ever go back. That had been my point. I was protecting him. And myself. But I was also killing myself.