Scarred

Seven

Oscar pulled up in his driveway and killed the engine in silence. He'd initially planned for their lunch to go on smoothly, her to meet his friends and hoped they'd all get along well and she would find herself less reclusive. He knew he didn't have much in common with her and was hoping Vanessa, Ian or Norman could help in that department. But lately it seems like all his plans backfire. What in the world went wrong?

He wasn't certain where exactly to go after he took her to his car. Drive her home? Nope. After today, he was even more determined to keep her by his side. He'd only left the table to get food for mere minutes and shit happened; he couldn't ever imagine being apart from her anymore. She might not want him to fight her fight but fuck, he did. It was all he wanted to.

"You really don't have to be bothered by their words." Fuck. He indeed sucked at this.

Aurelia kept silent, not even giving him a glance as he spoke. But he wasn't taking any of it. He knew she must be bottling up all her feelings. This girl had been an open book from day one and he wanted nothing more than for her to be that girl again.

"I know it hurts. Say something." He urged a little more desperately. "Tell me what you're thinking about."

She inhaled a sharp breath. "I told you I wasn't ready."

He waited as she paused.

"I told you I wasn't ready." She turned to face him now. "I told you I needed the mask and you were the one who told me everything's going to be okay!" God, why was she saying all these?

Oscar sighed. "I know... I thought—"

"You thought you could fix me!" Her eyes began to well up. Maybe it was just easier to direct the anger to him. "You thought I was a project you failed. You thought you owed it to me to get back on my feet. But you know what? You've done nothing other than to make my life worse at it is." She kept going. She couldn't fucking stop.

Oscar's hands clenched into fists. He was already pissed, but hearing her say that was the cherry on top of the fucking cake.

"This." She waved a hand between them. "What the hell even is this? Guilt? Shame? And kissing me, taking me to meet your friends? Was that all part of your rehabilitation program?" She scoffed.

"You know it isn't." He said in a low, controlled voice.

"So, what? And this?" She pointed out the window. "Why am I even here? Why didn't you just take me home? What is the damn point of this? Why can't you just leave me the fuck alone?!" Suddenly the two-seater sports car was getting claustrophobic as it swiftly turned into a shouting match.

Oscar stepped out of the Ferrari first, slamming the door shut with her still in it. He needed to calm himself down. He was never known to have a good temper and lord knows he was just about to erupt as well.

Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out.

He rounded the car in seconds and opened her side of the door. He crouched to her height. "Because I care about you, dammit."

Aurelia shook her head and chuckled humourlessly. "Don't kid yourself. You care about me? We don't even know each other!"

"You do know me." He said gravely. "And I know you too. I know you use this defensive method to protect yourself. But I'm telling you, munchkin, you won't get to push me away." He asserted.

She grunted out loud in frustration. How could he not see he was the worst thing that ever happened to her? Sure, he made her feel things too. But the good will never outweigh the bad. The damage was done. Why couldn't he just leave it at that?