The Tutor || S.M.

Chapter 63 || "Silence."

The world around me starts to move in slow-motion, as if I've suddenly been submerged underwater and everything now happens at half the speed it normally does. I look up to see Shawn's chest rising and falling rapidly as he stalks over to Ben. Ben scatters to his feet, looking at Shawn in shock. He wipes his mouth and opens his mouth to speak, possibly to try and raise his white flag to Shawn, but he doesn't get the chance to do so.

Shawn jumps on top of Ben, knocking him to the ground. Ben's head slams into the ground, and his face contorts with pain as he screams out for help. Shawn's fists raise in the air and go speeding towards Ben's face as he punches him hard, practically pummeling him to a pulp.

I see the blood start to trickle out of Ben's nose, and flashbacks of Saturday night start to play in my mind. I can't stand here and allow for Shawn to hurt Ben the same way he he hurt Liam when he attacked me. Liam was an asshole who preyed on me when he knew I was vulnerable and weak. He found me drunk and alone and took me outside to exploit me. Shawn had every right to beat the shit out of him. Liam deserved every black and blue bruise he got.

Ben, however? Ben did absolutely nothing wrong.

I kissed Ben back. If I didn't want him to kiss me, I would have pushed him off of me. I would have screamed for help the same way I did Saturday night when I tried to make Liam stop, and tried to push Ben off repeatedly. If I didn't want him to kiss me, I wouldn't have wrapped my arms around him in the same endearing way that I do with Shawn. I wouldn't have ran my fingers through Ben's hair. I wouldn't have tugged on it and hoped for him to start kissing down my neck the same way Shawn does.

Here I am, being the biggest hypocrite in the world. I've been agonizing over Kennedy hating me and trying to find ways to gain her forgiveness and trust again, and yet. at the first chance I get, I turn around and completely blow it. I go and do exactly what she feared most; I made out with her boyfriend. I've been trying to get reassurance from everyone this whole time that it was all Ben's fault that this happened and that I in no way was an influencer to the situation, when in reality, I'm just as much to blame. I secretly enjoyed the thrill of being a forbidden lust. I liked the idea of more than one person liking me, and knowing they could never have me. It was a fun little idea to me, like I was living in my own soap opera.

Now, I'm finally beginning to realize that it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

I snap out of my daze and rush over to Shawn, slapping him with my hands in attempt to get him to stop hurting Ben.

"Shawn! Stop!" I scream. "You're hurting him!"

Ben just groans, not bothering to fight back. Even if he did try to fight back, though, there's no way he would win. Sure, Ben has some muscle to him; enough to help him be nice to look at without a shirt on, but in comparison to Shawn? He's the size of a twig.

"Shawn! Please!" I shout, clawing at Shawn's skin to make him stop.

"Helaina! Get away from me!" Shawn screams, pushing me away. I stumble backwards, and Shawn continues to hit Ben.

"He didn't do anything wrong!" I scream, and this surprisingly makes Shawn stops. He gets off of Ben and walks over to me, his large stature suddenly intimidating to me.

"He didn't do anything wrong?" he asks quietly. "I just caught him making out with my fucking girlfriend!" Shawn yells, his voice echoing throughout the hallway.