"𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠!"
Willow currently couldn't stand herself.
Friday morning has started out normal and Willow had been beyond excited about movie night and the fact that Jasper was coming. What she hadn't was Noah waiting for her outside her house with a bouquet of roses.
It gesture was nice, even though Willow didn't like roses. No matter how bad she wanted to scream at him to leave her alone, she smiled and said thank you.
Maggie always said Willow's big heart would get her into trouble one day.
Today was that day.
Noah convinced her to skip school that way he could probably apologize to her. Willow decided to hear him out, forgiveness was always something Willow easily handed out. Noah talked for almost thirty minutes, apologizing with tears streaming down his face.
Promises flew out of his mouth, one right after the other, swearing that he would never lay hands on her again. In that run down shack that belonged to him Willow forgave him, trusting the promises he made.
In true Noah fashion, after every heartfelt apology the two of them had sex. It always started off sweet with kisses pressed to every bruise and an apology mumbled on her discoloured skin and in that sweet short moment it actually felt like he loved her.
It was when they were putting their clothes back on when Willow made the mistake of mentioning her birthday and the sleepover that night.
"And I'm not invited?" Noah questioned as he slipped his shirt over his head.
"You don't like my friends." Willow shrugged while buttoning her pants back. "Did you even remember that my birthday is tomorrow?"
"Don't throw that in my fucking face. How am I supposed to remember that?" Noah grumbled as he pulled a cigarette out of his crumbled pack.
"That's what I thought." Willow muttered, turning her back to him. Hsi words had cute her deep and she lashed back out at him. "Jasper Hale, the blonde that pinned you to the truck is coming to my sleepover."
"What the fuck?" Noah roughly pulled the cigarette away from his mouth, smoke pouring out with every word. "You wanna repeat that."
"I invited the guy whose sister kicked your ass and was the guy who put you in your place to stay the night with me."
In retrospect, it wasn't a smart decision and it was petty on her behalf and she should have known what the outcome was going to be.
Willow had to walk home from the other side town with fresh bruises on her face, a busted lip, a few bruises on her neck, her back had to be littered with marks, and her arms were still stinging.
She perched herself in the tree just outside of her bedroom window, watching the lighting that was about fifteen miles away. Her red hair was flying in the wind but Willow just felt like an empty shell of a person.
She was jealous of the sky and how it could freely let out violent spills of emotions without judgement. It didn't seem fair really.
"Willow? What the hell are you doing?" She whipped her towards her bedroom window to see Paul. His face twisted into concern, his long black hair tucked into his jacket.
"What are you doing here?" Willow called, carefully angling her head to block the bruises.
"Marshall told me you skipped and I know that means you spent the day with fuck face-"
"Paul." Willow lightly scolded.
"Come inside, a storm is coming." Paul pleaded his hands folding together and his lip pouting out. "We can even talk about fuck face."
"Paul." Willow crossed her arms over her chest, her legs hanging freely over the branch.
"Lola." Paul mimicked, titling his head to the side. Willow debated with herself, not really wanting to come in, the evidence of the day abuse wasn't covered up. "If you don't come in then I'll come out there and get you."
"I'm coming. I'm coming." Willow laughed as she carefully balanced her sock feet on the branch.
Paul moved back from the window to allow her room to walk through. Willow climbed back through, her head lowered and her hair blocking her face like a curtain.
Like normal, Paul wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into the arm in a laughing hug. Willow didn't have a chance to tell him not too and halfway through the hug Willow let out a cry of pain, her eyes welling with tears with her eyes. Paul immediately put her back on the ground with eyes filled with worry.
"I'm sorry." Willow muttered under her breath as she turned her back to him.
"Lola?" Paul's voice was quiet and a moment silence passed. "Willow?" His hand softly landed on her shoulder.
Willow frantically wiped the tears away with her lip quivering as she turned around to face him, her hand brushing through her hair back from her face.
Paul's eyes widened at the sight of the bruises on her face scanning down to her busted lip. Willow watched his expression change from shock to pure anger with his jaw clenched.
He moved carefully to push the selves of her sweater up, the new bruises were almost black mingled with other bruises of different colors.
Paul rapidly pulled his phone out of his pocket, taping rapidly against the screen and turned his back to her for a minute. As the silence lasted for another moment Willow struggled to hide her tears now, feeling more exposed than she ever had. Paul was the first person she was allowing to see the full extent of what the actual relationship between her and Noah was like.
"Babe, I need to contact everyone and tell them the sleepover's been moved to tomorrow." Paul was now on the phone with Marshall. "I can explain later. I need you and your sisters to meet me at the hospital."
"Paul?" Willow sobbed, realizing where this was going.
"Is momma Aurora working today?" He turned to look at her with a sympathetic glance. "Good. Can you tell her that Willow and I will be there soon." There was another pause and Paul lowered his head. "I'll explain everything later baby, I promise. I love you."
"What the hell Paul?" Willow almost yelled with her foot stomping the floor.
"Willow you have to report this, get a medical report and tell Charlie. This can not continue." Paul turned back to face her with a worried expression, his large hands moving to gracefully cup her cheeks. "You have to do something, an order of protection maybe."
"He's my boyfriend, Paul." Willow smacked his hands away from her. "He loves me and I love him."
"This isn't love Willow!" Paul contained his yell, sounding more like pleading than anything. "Beating you until you're covered in bruises, the cruel things he says to you, the way he tries to control you." Paul now had tears streaming down his face. "I won't bury you Willow."
"I'm scared Paul." Willow whispered with her teeth nervously chewing on her bottom lip. Paul gently wrapped her in a soft hug, his fingers running through her red hair.
"It's going to be okay Lola." Paul stated with his lips pressed to the top of her head.
Paul called Charlie, needing a ride to the hospital and Willow begged him to be the one that told Charlie. The two of them sat on the doorstep and as the cold wind cut through her jacket the soreness of her bruises made it almost unbearable for her. Charlie pulled in to the edge of the front lawn like a madman ten minutes after the phone call.
It broke Willows heart to see the tears well up in his eyes as he took in the state of her face. It was guilt that swelled inside of her when he hugged her and sobbed slightly. Willow had to talk him down from wanting to arrest Noah right then.
Willow didn't want to press charges, she just wanted a restraining order. It hurt her heart honestly, somewhere deep inside of her she really did love him and doing this ended everything.
Once they were at the hospital they were met with Aurora who was waiting for them, along with the James triplets, Jane and Matthew.Willow kept her head lowered to avoid the concerned looks on their face.
"Do you want anyone to come with you?" Aurora asked with her hand rubbing gently on Willows upper arm.
"I'll go with you." Maya volunteered, surprising Willow just slightly. "You guys can run and get us some food for us." Maya turned her head towards the others.
"Sure." Maggie answered when no one else did. Charlie stepped around the group towards Willow.
"I'm going to start the paperwork and serve him with the papers tonight." Charlie kissed her forehead. "Call me as soon as you're done if I'm not back yet."
"Okay."
"I love you kiddo." Charlie sounded like he was about to sob once again.
"I love you too." Willow wrapped her arms tightly around his body.