Tattoos and Scars | Rewritten Version

Chapter 44 || Sober

"You just look so beautiful."

"I'd look better without these scars," I mumble as I slip into Adrian's shirt and Adrian's sweatshirt. Adrian cups my face, lifting them up so I can meet his eyes.

"You look beautiful. How many times do I have to tell you that? These scars show me how strong you are, especially when they're all over your body except your wrist. I've never known someone that faced half the battles you faced and came out on top. So look at these scars as marks of your bravery, because that's how I look at them. Brave girls are the prettiest, you know."

I smile from ear to ear at his words. "You're the best," I sniffle, and try to command my eyes to pull the tear back inside.

"Do you want me to give you a ride?"

I open my mouth to say something dirty, but he quickly patches up his words. "To your old neighborhood in the car in a very innocent manner."

"Yes please."

I noticed that Adrian was dressed in a parka. A black parka with wool sticking out near the hood. He looked so cute and hot it in. I wanted to kiss him senseless.

He scoops me up once more, carrying my bridal style towards the car. "I'm going to make sure you walk the very minimum until you feel all better." My heart melts once more. I'm going to need a heart transplant at this rate.

So far, I'm doing a very good job keeping my mind off my dad. An extremely good job. I think I deserve a medal for this.

Adrian places me in the car as he takes a seat next to me. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Yes. I wanted to do it. I was curious about his sober side. I've always wanted to see him sober, and this was my chance to do it. "Yes," I reply, fidgeting furiously with my hair.

Adrian leans over and plants a kiss on my lips. "Remember, you can always turn back. You don't have to do this."

"Let's just go," I reply, trying to keep my heart rate in check. "Tell me something to distract me," I tell him.

"Okay..." He takes a deep breath. "I want to celebrate Christmas with you. I've never celebrated it before, and this time, I want to, because you're here."

"Aw," I coo. "Me too. I'd love to celebrate it with you."

"Really?" His eyes light up. "Good. I didn't want to bring it up because I was worried I'd accidentally hurt your feelings or something."

Oh my god. He was worried that it might trigger some unhappy memories from my childhood. He. Is. So. Sweet.

"No! I want to spend as much time with you as possible in the best ways possible. Just being with you is enough for me."

"I'll never leave you. I'm always here for you, Bailey. Whenever you want me, for innocent or dirty purposes, I'm here," He winks at the end and I laugh.

A while later, the car begins to slow down and comes to a full stop in front of my old apartment. I find myself gripping Adrian's hand tightly.

Stop. He's sober. He's sober. He's sober. He's sober. He's sober. He's fucking sober. You can always run away. Adrian's right here. He can't hurt you. He can't fucking lay another finger on you.

I pushed away all my dark thoughts up till now, but I can't do it anymore when I'm standing right in front of my horrible childhood memories. With trembling hands, I reach for the car door and open it, slowly stepping out.

"I'll be here," Adrian assures me. "If he tries to hurt you, just call me and I'll be there."

Not being able to form words, I simply smile weakly at him before turning around and walking up the stairs towards my old apartment. The door is open, but I don't walk in. I stand outside, gripping the doorframe tightly.

There was my dad. He was standing in the small kitchen, with a knife in his hand. When he sees me, I ready myself to run away, expecting him to attack me with the knife.

He puts it down and turns to me. His eyes were hollower and more lifeless than usual and he had lost a lot of weight.

He was sober.

"Bailey..." He starts.

"H-hey." 

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a/n: okay. i have shit ton of hw. i thought my english essay was due tmrw night but it's due fucking today night! WELP. it's okay *takes a deep breath* well, no double updates today, i guess. i need to do hw. 

but i hope you enjoyed this chapter!! ♥️ make sure you vote if you did 😁 

i love you!! thank you for reading ♥️