Always You || Patrick Cripps

34.

Pat's POV

Just thinking about it made me physically sick. When she pulled her collar down, at the sight of her skin. Revealing a large dark purple bruise lining her neck.

It was across her arms and on her torso. As well as her legs and face. I had never seen so many bruises on one persons body.

That was the first I saw of the damage. There was a lot more emotional damage that followed.

I knew when she lashed out at me that I couldn't take it personally. The reality of the situation was that she was going to experience some challenges from now on.

With doing normal things and I was planning on helping her as much as I could. But it was hard to do that when I didn't know any details about the night.

That's why I called Tash and Grace to come over as soon as I woke up this morning. I knew they would have a clearer idea. And as soon as I told them the basis of it, they were a bit panicked.

As well as those 2, I also called Marcus to come over and try and calm me down. I couldn't seem to sit still. All I wanted to do was get in my car and drive around until I found who was responsible.

The only thing keeping me from doing that was the now extremely fragile life that was trying to wash away her pain in the shower.

She had been in there for 20 minutes already. And with each minute that went by, I started to get more and more worried about her.

Hearing her sobs and screams all the way from the couch was not helping my confidence that she would be alright.

I sat on the couch with my hands by my side, gripping the couch with all the force I could muster up.

White knuckles from clenching my fists too hard, and gritted teeth from effort to remain silent, my hunched form exuded an animosity that was like acid - burning, slicing, potent. My face was red with suppressed rage.

Burning rage hissed through my body like deathly poison, screeching a demanded release in the form of unwanted violence.

That's when I decided I couldn't sit there any longer and listen to her cries. The fury inside of me became too much. My heart broke with each screech that exited her mouth.

I didn't know what I would do when I got to her, but I would figure it out. I just knew I needed to get to her, now.

Even though I didn't understand the way she was feeling, I would do my best to give her all the sympathy she deserved.

But the words that I said to her would be the biggest challenge. I didn't want to do anything to make it worse, but that's what I was afraid of.

I knew you shouldn't tell someone going through heartbreak happy things. It wouldn't help. Not even in the slightest.

However, she may be the most beautiful, fun-loving person you have ever met, but you can't tell her that because she won't believe you.

She is vulnerable and hurt, so hearing compliments goes in one ear and out the other. This is the worst part about experiencing someone else's pain.

You just want the person to know how much they mean to you as well as so many others, and they can't see that.

If there is anything that I've learned in life so far, it's that you should always put others before yourself.