Always Been You

Chapter 13

Malakai's POV
"Let me in! Now I'm soaked!"

"Ha! Payback!"

"Please!"

"Ugh. Fine."

I unlocked the door opened it. Rose slapped my arm.

"Ow! What the hell?!"

"You are such a child."

"ME?! You're the one who attacked me with water guns!"

"That was funny!"

"Not for me it wasn't. Did your dad leave?"

"Yeah. He left when Chris and I were getting out of the pool."

"I'm going to shower. Are you coming?"

"No. I'll be fine."

After I stepped into the shower I turned the water on.

"HI!"

"AH!"

I turned around.

"What the hell?!"

"HA! That's the second time I got you today!"

"Uh why are you in here? Aren't you uncomfortable?"

"Not at the moment. I can always get out."

"No seriously why are you in here?"

"I changed my mind! Plus I got lonely..."

"I walked away from you like what? Five minutes ago? You got lonely within five minutes?"

"Mhm!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Please don't kick me out."

"Do-don't give me the puppy dog eyes! Please anything but that! I'm not kicking you out!"

"Yay!"

Her arms went around my waist.

"You really want to be glued to me huh?"

"Yeah... I want to do stuff with you but I'm scared."

"Don't rush into anything. Don't cry. It's gonna be okay."

"I feel like all I've been doing lately is cry."

"You're just letting it all out. I don't see anything wrong with that. Can I be honest with you? I have no idea how to hold you."

"I can tell."

"I need to know something.."

"Okay?"

"If I wasn't there to stop you would you've gone into the street? Did you really want to do that?"

She looked away.

"So I need to keep an eye on you then."

After I said that she stopped talking. She didn't talk for a few weeks. She tosses and turns while she tries to sleep. After a while she gives up and watches tv. When we didn't have school the only time she would sleep was during the day. I have to stay with her while she sleeps. She doesn't talk at school. She wore long sleeves until the bruises went away. For a while everyone thought me and the guys were doing something to her. She clearly remembers more but she won't tell anyone. I still don't know how to help her. I still don't know how to hold her. She doesn't smile. It's like she stopped living. I still catch her staring at her wrists. I keep telling her she shouldn't do that but she doesn't listen.

"Rose what's wrong? It's been a month since you last talked."

She opened her mouth to talk but then closed it.

"Holland what's going on with you?"

She just looked at me. All I see is sadness. She handed me her phone. There's multiple texts from Hailey. I scrolled through to see how long this has been going on for.

"This is what's been going on? You're being threatened?"

She nodded.

"I'm blocking her on everything. Why didn't you do this already?"

She shrugged.

"You're trying come to terms with this aren't you?"

She nodded again.

"You're gonna have to speak eventually."

She shook her head.

"Look. I really need to know if this is the only thing that's been going on. You don't laugh. You don't smile. You're not happy anymore. I know you're not sleeping at night. I know you're struggling with everything. I know a lot. The one thing that I don't know is how to help you. That kills me. I don't even know if you've been going to therapy,"

I walked closer to her and she took a step back. Now her eyes show fear. I put my hands up.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. I've told you this. If you want space that's fine. You're probably tired of being right next to me all the time. I'll sleep on the couch for a while. I'll only come in here to shower and change. Find me when you're okay."

I turned around and started walking towards the door. I felt my hand being grabbed.

"P-please don't go."

There we go.

I turned to face her.

"I love being near you. You make me feel safe. You're right about everything. I'm not happy anymore. But that's not your fault. I have been going to therapy. I've just been writing down everything."

"You haven't even said a word to her?"

She shook her head.

"I've been writing everything down."

"I guess that's better than nothing. Have you thought about you know?"

"What do you mean? Oh... that... sometimes."

Shit.

"That's one of things we're covering in therapy."

"If you think you're going to do something I need to know right away."

She looked down.

"What did you do?!"

"Nothing! I almost did something! I couldn't bring myself to do it!"

"Do I wanna know?"

"I don't think you do.."

"Where did you do it?"

"Huh? I didn't do anything! I-I swear!"

"Rosemary where did you do it?"

"I did nothing!"

"Please don't lie to me."

"I need to know."

"I-I-there-there-there's nothing!"

"You're lying."

"No I'm not!"

"Your body language says otherwise.."

I crossed my arms. I scanned her body.

There's no way she's telling me the truth.

There's no way.

I knew it.

I saw blood on her pant leg.