The Girl With A Broken Heart

Chapter 9

Feeling my face streaked with tears frighten me more than anything. I haven't shed tears in years, not after waking up in the hospital bed damaged and broken. Knowing my life would never be the same again or when I finally realized just who the man I loved truly was. So why now?

Sliding to the wooded floors I hold Mariel back, the flood gates of my eyes opening up. Crying equally as hard as she is. Hiccups escape my lips without permission. I don't know how long we held each other crying.

Letting all the emotions from the past years flow away. For the girl I lost so long ago. The person I had to become, the years spent trying to be strong enough to protect the people I care for. What I have had to do in order to survive. The monster I turned into.

"I'm so sorry. " I say through choppy breaths.

"Me too." Mariel says wiping her eyes with the back of her hand taking lung fulls of breaths.

Taking my hoodie sleeve I wipe away the salty liquid littering on my checks and chin.

"Why are you apologizing?" confusion covering my brain.

"Because... Cuz I was supposed to be by your side. We had a bond strong like sisters but i couldn't see how much pain you were in, pain you endure for so long. I should have see the signs, to know something was wrong but when I saw a glimpse I chose to ignore them. " fresh tears falling harder.

"You couldn't have known, I didn't want to admit it for so long... even to myself. "

"I don't understand." Mariel tells me taking my hands in hers.

"I tried so hard to pretend I didn't see the little changes in Jordan's personality. The anger outbursts that slowly showed the volient monster that lay hidden just beneath the surface. He would disappear for hours only to come back with blood strains on his clothes.

I started pullin away from you and Mich not because i wanted too but because I thought I needed keep you both safe."

"Scar had threated to hurt you and Michael. If I ever said anything and I knew he would go through with it too. He..m he has done it before."

Mariel watches me, her hands tightly squeezes mine. "I don't understand?"

More tears are pushed downas I shut my eyes tight. 
"My parents accident wasn't a accident." 

"Wha... What?" she squawks

For anyone who knows the story. They think the accident that killed my parents was due to icy roads, where I was the only one to survive.

Only that isn't the real story. The real story is much more shattering and it was all my fault.

"Scar killed them." Saying that aloud again It is like breathing through a straw, unable to get a full breath. The memory of that pitch black night consuming me, pulling me down into a state of panic.

Her eyes pop while she opens and closes her mouth, the shock withholding her words.

"A few days before my parents accident, Scar and I had a fight about something I can't even remember. But after that I tried to leave him. I called my mom and dad and begged them to come fetch me while Scar was out.

It wasn't long until he found out I had left but he didn't came after me. For the first couple days I felt something I hadn't felt in so long...free."

Shaking my head I try to clear the wave of despair.
"We were on own our way back from the archery den."

"That was place that was special to you and your dad. " she asks.

"Yes." swallowing the ever growing lump in my throat. The archery den was one of my favorite places to go with my parents, especially with my dad. He was a skilled and talented archer who taught me everything I know.

"Sorry please continue." Mariel says wiping away stray tears.

"I don't remember much expect a terrible crash from a car trying to run us off the road. I don't know how long I was out but when I finally came too again, I found myself tied to a chair the tightness of the ropes cutting off my circulation.

Looking up I felt like I was looking through a tunnel, black spots dancing in my eyes. But at the end of the tunnel I saw something terrible, Jordan standing above me, a hint of a smile lingering on his thin lips "Did you really think you could run from me?"

He stepped aside only for me to see my parents also tired up in front of me, Both gaged and afraid. Pulling against the ropes, I begged him to let them go. That I was sorry, I promised to never run from him again. That I would do anything.

But it was too late.

He made me watch as he... As he killed them in front of me." Tears sliently roll down my checks.

"Oh Ari." Throwing her arms around me Mariel trys to confort me rocking me back and forth like a kid. Her tears coming harder

"Please let me finish, I need to finish this."

Clearing my throat. "He kept me a prisoner in a sense. For a long time afterwards I was plagued by nightmares and flashbacks of that night. I went into heavy denial and depression.

I felt powerless and vulnerable. That's why I cut off contract with both you and Michael, to kept my distance as much as possible. I couldn't lose anymore people I cared for, I wouldn't let that happen.

Months past and Scar became more panopid and got it into his head I was leaking information to the law."

Looking past her I look out at the ocean.

"You know the rest of the story from there."

Noises of gurgling and wheezing echoed in my head. The sound was coming from me, spitting up blood, my body ached from broken bones and the multitude of repeated punches I received from the Ripper. He tortured me and thought he had killed me because I stopped breathing.

"Branson saw what had happened to me, while he was undercover trying to gather Intel. He followed The Ripper to where he disposed of me and took me to a hospital, he saved me that night.

But I knew Scar would make good on his promises if he knew I was still alive so I vowed to myself to help Branson and Daylan take him down. So no one would ever go through what I had to suffer. They helped my stay dead. I became a different person to protect myself and those around me."

A tiny smile spreads across Mariel's face but her eyes still hold sadness. The same sadness I know my eyes mirrow.

"He saved you?"

I nod and I see the puzzle pieces clicking into place.