My Heart Holds Onto You *COMPLETED*

Chapter 7

Brenna's POV

      I couldn't help the tears from falling. I had been crying all day, I coudn't face reality just yet. Flashbacks kept replaying in my head as his face began to reappear more and more. Tom snapped me out of my thoughts as he shifted a bit on the couch, causing me to slightly jump. "Sorry," I heard him say. He sat there waiting patiently for me to tell him about Isaac, but I had stalled for a good ten minutes. But I was now ready.

           "I met Isaac when I was fifteen. We had English together and he sat next to me, I found out we had common interests like our love for Shakespeare and art and things like that. He was the first boy that had ever taken the slightest interest in me so I fell pretty hard. We got on really well and after about a month of getting to know each other he asked me out. I took him to meet my mum and the family since they kept nagging me. Seev never liked him for some reason, but I just ignored his many warnings about 'those types of boys'." I took a deep breath, knowing I'd be here for a while and it caused my already huge headache to grow even more. 

        "We were about five months into the relationship and one day he asked me to come over to his house. I had a family party that day so I couldn't, but he didn't believe me. He constantly called me that day, accusing me of being with someone else and saying that I was just making excuses and trying to ignore him. Then about a week later we went to a friend's house for a party and he was just being so clingy, always following me around and giving dirty looks to every one of my guy friends that talked to me that night. I wanted to leave so I grabbed my things and started to walk out but he grabbed me by my wrist and threw me against the wall." I winced at the painful memory of that night. My head hit the wall so hard I thought i was bleeding, but thankfully I wasn't. I looked at Tom and tried to read his face, see what he was feeling, but all I could see what sadness and sympathy. i kept going before I could think to stop. 

        "I tried to ignore him after that but it just got worse from there. He would constantly call, follow me everywhere, he hit me a couple times a week, even show up at my house in the middle of the night wanting to sneak in and do things. I was never that kind of girl so everytime he asked I said no. But the day after my sixteenth birthday he wouldn't take no for an answer." I paused as I felt more tears start to sting my eyes. I never talked about that night to anyone, and here I was about to open up and let Tom in. Hopefully I wouldn't regret this. 

          "I just went over there to say it was over. My family never caught on but Siva had accidentally seen the bruise on my stomach one day and was concerned ever since. He saw my change of mood, I was never happy anymore, and he was the only one who noticed. But I kept making excuses for Isaac because I still had this little sliver of hope that he'd change back to the sweet boy I fell in love with a year ago. Anyway, I asked if I could come over that day and he said yeah. So I walked to his and he was standing outside, waiting for me, like he usually did. He tried to kiss me but I moved my head so he kissed my cheek, which made him angry. We went inside and he slapped me across the face and I just couldn't take it anymore. I started yelling and saying it was over, I'd had enough and I just remember feeling so enraged and I was fuming. But he just laughed in my face. And kept saying that he owned me, like as if I was some sort of animal to him. He grabbed my wrists but I started kicking and screaming at him to let me go. He didn't. He dragged me up the stairs with such force that my shoulder popped out of it's socket, I couldn't help but cry out in pain. He kicked me and told me to shut up and he dragged me into his room. H-he threw me on the bed and climbed on top of m-me, pinning me down by my wrists." 

          I started shaking and stuttering as I replayed it in my head. I could still feel the pain in my shoulder and the weight of his body on mine. Tears started falling as I tried to start up again, but I couldn't. But Tom didn't mind, he just moved closer to me and engulfed me in a hug. 

         After a good few minutes of crying on Tom's chest, I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts, continuing where I left off. "He just kept kissing me and said that no one would ever love me, that I was worthless and stupid and a slut. Then he slapped me across the face a couple of times for me shouting at him earlier. I begged him numerous times to get off of me and just let me go, saying he could find someone so much better than me. i tried to think of everything I could to just get out of there but he wouldn't get off of me. Next thing I know he's pulling off my clothes and saying I asked for it, saying that he wasn't going to wait anymore." I shook my head as more tears fell. I realized I was clinging on to Tom's shirt and gently let go, but he put his hand over mine and kept it on his chest, nodding to signal me to continue. "It hurt so bad, Tom, but he kept telling me to shut up everytime I winced or cried or shouted. I repeatedly said no and even tried to push him off of me but he wouldn't budge. After what felt like years he finally climbed off of me. I just grabbed my clothes, put them on as fast as I could, and ran. I felt so dirty and ashamed, I couldn't face anyone. I ended up going home the next night. I just wanted to go to my room and never come out. I got yelled at by my mum, other siblings, and of course Siva. But he was more lenient on me, noticing my state and how I looked. He tried to talk to me a few times that week but I kept shutting him out. I just wasn't the same.

          "After two months, I cut off all ties with Isaac. I changed my number, switched schools, changed my look a bit. I convinced my parents to let me take martial arts classes just in case, but it gave me a sense of protection in my head. I finally built up the courage to tell someone about what happened, that someone was Siva. One day I decided that I'd tell him but when I got home from school that afternoon he was nowhere to be found. His things were packed and he wouldn't answer his phone. Turns out, that was when he left to go join the band, and from that day on something inside of me just snapped. I became such an angry and bitter person. My mum tried to help as best as she could but I just kept tuning her out. My other siblings didn't want anything to do with me. I was doing horrible in school, all of my friends left me so I was alone, nobody wanted to talk to me. I just felt like giving up on everything. That was, until Noah was born." I slightly smiled remembering the day my mum and her boyfriend brought her home. She was so tiny and adorable, she was the hope in my life. "From that day on I just sort of stopped doing what I was doing. I tried to become a better big sister for her and a better daughter for my mum. But then that's when everything happened. My mum dying, her boyfriend leaving us, my siblings not caring about me or Noah, and me being left to take care of her. I had to grow up so fast, forget my problems and start putting them aside for someone else's. I finished school but never went to uni, got numerous jobs to try and support the both of us. I can barely afford dinner for her, rent comes first. Her birthday's coming up and I can't throw her a nice little birthday party with all her friends. And then Isaac shows up again and I-I'm losing it, Tom."

           My breathing started becoming irregular and I stood up, feeling suffocated and lost. I stepped outside to get some fresh air and he quickly followed me. He let me have my moment before standing in front of me. He put his hands softly on my cheeks and looked into my eyes. His eyes were no longer filled with sympathy or sadness, they were filled with hope and love. "I appreciate that you opened up to me, I really do. I know it took a lot." He paused for a second before taking a deep breath and dropping his hands from my cheeks. He took my hands in his and looked in my eyes again, smiling shyly before continuing. "I want you to come live with me. I'm not forcing you to or saying you have to, but I feel it would be better. I care about you a lot and if you live with me I'd be able to protect you and Noah. The hotel is a walk but I can drive you there, and I can drive Noah to school as well. I just want you to feel safe and protected and no offense, but this neighborhood sort of scares me." I let out a chuckle at his cuteness. "I really like you and I want you to be happy, and I want to help you reach that happiness. But I can only help if you let me. So, what do you say?"

             Tears spilled over and I couldn't believe what just came out of his mouth. He was just so sweet and amazing, he cared about me and he cares about Noah. I bit my lip as I tried to stop the huge smile that was on my face. I nodded and wrapped my arms around his neck, puling him close to me in a hug. "Yes."