Recovery | On Hiatus

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

I STARED BLANKLY at my naked body in my reflection. The steam from my previous shower fogged up the mirror, but I could still clearly make out my soaked blonde hair and the bags under my gray eyes. I looked tired. Sick, even.

I sighed reluctantly and pulled a towel out of the cabinet under the sink. I hesitantly wrapped it around my body, careful not to press on any of the recent bruises as I slipped from the bathroom and into the guest room Camille left ready for me. The door clicked softly behind me, and I mentally scolded myself for paying attention to the scars and bruises in the mirror. If I didn't pay attention to them, I could ignore that they were there in the first place. Just like I did with every other defat ice aspect of my life.

I pulled on the matching black bra and underwear set that I'd had laid out on the bed and dropped my towel in their place. I let my head hand and pressed my palms against the white sheets. Today was Saturday. The good news was that I could stay at Hayden's for the rest of the weekend, maybe even the week. Mom sensed some tension between Darrin and I, but not enough to piece together what was going on. Camille had somehow managed to magically convince my mother to let me stay longer, reminding her I was nearly eighteen, and I was immensely grateful for it.

I was dragged from my thoughts as my bedroom door opened. My spine straightened and my attention shot to the doorway in a panic. "Hey, Scarlet—shit! I'm sorry!"

"Hayden!" I threw the towel at him with more force than I thought I cold muster. The shock of the situation quickly drifted to concern when Hayden didn't run sputtering from the room, but instead effortlessly caught the towel and stood there with parted lips and round eyes. Eyes that stared directly at me—or rather, my body.

I took a cautious step back, arms wrapping around myself self-consciously. "Hayden?"

His eyes shifted up to mine and his shoulders dropped. "Those are new." I knew he wasn't talking about the underwear. He was referring to the bruises littering my body.

I bit my lip and turned away to grab some clothes, but the gasp that left his lips told me he'd seen the darkest bruise on the back of my thigh. He didn't speak as I pulled on a pair of leggings and turned around to get a shirt out of my closet. Hayden slowly approached me, our chests almost touching when I turned to face him. Tears welled in the back of my eyes but I️ fought them down. I didn't want him to see me like this. I didn't want anyone to see me like this.

His hands landed gently on my cheeks and lifted my face to look at him, but I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. He sighed when he realized I wasn't going to give in. I flinched as his hand lowered to the dip in my neck and his thumb brushed gently over the prints from where Darrin had choked me a few days ago.

I couldn't help finding Hayden's touch comforting. He was familiar. My old childhood friend. Somebody I trusted.

"Who's doing this to you?"

I jerked away from his touch and stepped back, reality sinking in. I couldn't get used to the comfort. It wouldn't last, and if I tried to keep it with me, I'd only get Hayden hurt. "I already told you. It's nothing."

"Bullshit," he snapped, but there was no anger in his words. He took another step towards me, but stopped when I flinched. "It's not even just the bruises, Scarlet. You're skin and bones. Who is hurting you so badly that you won't even eat?"