Aiden's POV-
As I looked at her I could feel a hole forming in my chest. The way she winced as she moved and the way she unconsciously cradled her bandaged hand made me feel absolutely awful. I was responsible for everything! I got another girl hurt! It was my fault.
The way she looked at me though... It wasn't a look of blame or anger, it was soft and understanding. She wasn't looking at me with any judgment as I spoke. It was endearing, and that just annoyed me because I wanted to be angry... Not at her per se but at the situation. I needed her to leave me alone. I didn't want to hurt her.
I told her of my past. I laid it all out for her to see. I let her in on one of my deepest darkest secrets.
She needed to know... she needed to understand. It was difficult, but it was necessary. She had to see reason. She had to see me for what I truly was... a messed up man.
I couldn't take any more chances with her... with anyone. Everyone needed to stay away from me. I only brought pain upon the people in my life. I only hurt.
I knew she didn't see me that way though. I could see it in her eyes, she never saw me as that guy. She might have seen me as a jerk, as a narcissist, even as a fuck-boy... but she never saw me as a bad guy. It comforted me because I knew, from the harsh injuries that she showed up with, that she knew bad guys. To know that I wasn't roped in with them in her book was amazing.
Still, it didn't change anything... she needed to stay away for her own safety. She needed to forget our deal and move on to something else. It wasn't safe.
She wouldn't. I knew she wouldn't. She was a stubborn girl when it came to certain things, and that was one of those things. She wasn't going to leave me alone unless I forcibly removed her from my life. I was about ready to do that until she caught me off guard by her words.
"Do you know why I didn't die tonight? Because I fought back! Because... for the first time in my life, there is hope, real tangible hope!"
I felt myself softening at her frantic words. I was confused as to how I brought her hope, but it was the sentiment, nonetheless.
"Hope that I can go somewhere and be something. Hope that I will live through the things that have happened to me... If you hadn't agreed to our deal... I would be dead by now."
I took in a sharp breath at her ominous words. I was confused, but I knew that fire in her beautiful eyes... she wasn't lying.
She continued talking, saying things about people worse than Ronnie and the money she owed. I desperately wanted to know who it was, but I knew that she would have never told me anyways... I wanted to help her. I wanted to kill the people that had hurt her so greatly. I wanted to hurt the people who messed up her childhood.
"Look, I can't stop fighting... It's not an option for me," she told me with a determined set of her jaw.
She was so incredibly beautiful in that moment. The fire that was burning in her eyes was so incredible and bright, it was radiating out of her. I knew that there was no use in arguing with her, she had me wrapped around her finger and she no idea of it.
When I said nothing, she began to talk again. It was kind of cute seeing her be so passionate and stubborn. She wasn't going to drop any of it until she convinced me that I was a good guy. The things she was saying made sense. But... I had been thinking one way for so long that it was hard to tell myself differently.
"Aiden, Bri needs you right now. She hates herself." It was those words that instantly caught my attention. Bri had done nothing wrong...
"She can't stand what Ronnie did to her and its consuming her quickly. You need to talk to her. You need to make her understand that you love her. She needs someone to be there for her unconditionally so she can start putting the pieces of herself back together. She needs you."
I wasn't sure if those were words just designed to make me get over myself or if they were really the truth. Aubry didn't seem like the type of girl to lie about that though...
"Have you noticed a change in her recently? Has she been crying less? Has she seemed better... yet not really?"
I had... I could still see the sadness in her though. I could see the hurt. I could see the hate. I hadn't thought that it was towards herself though... I always thought that it was directed at me.
"She is drowning in sorrow. She isn't getting better but worse. She is letting the sorrow drag her under. When you let the sorrow finally take ahold, it masquerades as numbness for a little while. You finally start to feel a little better and the negative thing that you're doing to yourself becomes your life line... until the numbness gives way to soul crushing pain and you can't take it anymore."
I knew that she knew what she was talking about. I could see it in the passion in her eyes and by the scars that were up and down her arms. She knew that Bri was in trouble...
"What negative thing?" I didn't really need to ask the question but I wanted confirmation nonetheless.
"You know..."
I almost sobbed when she confirmed it... "She's hurting herself," I said to myself as I touched Aubry's self induced scars. Bri was hurting herself.
I needed to help her.
"I...."
"It's okay, Aiden." Aubry said as I felt the tears well up in my eyes. "Just go to her. Talk to her. Love her."
"Thank you. I am so sorry this happened." I told her with a sigh of regret.
"You have nothing to be sorry for except being a dick after the dinner." I laughed at that. "Just go help Bri and then be ready to teach me how to win fights with only one hand on Monday."
"You..." I sighed not even knowing the right words to explain how amazing she was. "You are so incredible."
She sighed and shook her head. "That's not true... but thank you anyways."
"You're perceptive of everyone but yourself." I said with a headshake.
"Do you think... I could possibly stay here tonight?" Aubry said smally. "I... I really don't want to face my dad like this yet," she added timidly.
I nodded, "I don't think T was going to let you leave anyways. He's really worried." I nodded. "I'll go talk to him. Get some sleep, Aub. You look exhausted."
I slowly left the room as she laid back painfully. I winced at the whimpers that were escaping her lips. Her ribs must've really been in bad shape...
I slowly walked up to Tommy after I exited the room.
"She knows?" He asked as soon as he saw me.
I nodded in affirmation.
"Good, she deserves to."
"She's going to fight." I stated while turning to one of the punching bags and taking a few swings.
"I figured, even you can't tell her what to do!" Tommy said smiling. "Y'all are too much alike. Have you accepted the fact that you like her yet?" Tommy asked.
I stopped punching quickly, "honestly, I don't know what I feel for her. I know that when I told her to stay away from me I wanted to throw up. I know that she has demons in her past... just like me. But... I also know that I want to be the one to help her kill all those demons." I sighed and shook my head in annoyance. "I know that she knows me in a different way than everyone else does... She's different, and what I feel for her is different. And I know that it scares the hell out of me."
He smiled and shook his head at me. "Well... at least you're trying to get yourself out of denial." He laughed at my glare.
"I'm going to get home, I have something that I have to do. You made sure that Brandon didn't go back to try to kill Ronnie by himself, right?"
"Yeah... He's actually at your house. I told him to go check on Bri since she was acting weird at Pawpaw's party."
"Good... you don't mind staying here with her, do you?" I asked as I nodded towards the training room. "She's too beat up to go home tonight."
"Did you honestly think that I was going to let her out of my sight?" He asked incredulously. "She's the type of girl who will cough up blood, completely ignore it, and then help an old lady cross a road while she's the one dying. It's ridiculous... she needs someone to watch over her."
I smiled and nodded at my cousin. "You're a good guy, Tom."
"So are you, Aid... you just don't see it in yourself."
----
When I walked into my house, I heard loud snores coming from the living room. I couldn't help but to laugh at my best friend's ridiculously loud sleep.
I sighed as I made my way down the hall. I was going to wait until the next day, but the shadow moving under Bri and Cece's door caught my attention.
I knew that it was Bri. I knew that she hardly ever slept. She was up at all hours of the night doing God knows what.
I knocked on the door softly after a long moment of bucking up the courage to do so.
"B- I told you-" She stopped immediately when she opened the door and realized that it was me.
"It's not B," I said dumbly.
"Obviously. What?" She asked harshly.
"Can I talk with you?" I whispered as Cece moved in her bed. Briana looked at me weirdly and looked around as if to see if there was someone else around that I was talking to. "Please, Bri?"
She sighed and nodded while tightening the sweater that she was wearing around her and followed me into my room. I gestured for her to sit on my bed while I took the floor.
"She told you?" Bri accused with a whimper.
"Not technically... but I think I already knew." I sighed and tried to hold in the tears that wanted to fall with hers.
"Bri..."
"I know! I'm weak and pathetic... I just- I just can't be strong. I'm not strong."
"No. Briana, no... you are so strong."
She scoffed at my words. "Oh? And that's why you stopped talking to me and began ignoring me?"
"I am so sorry." The tears finally fell down my cheeks. I felt so badly for treating her the way I had been. "I thought that keeping my distance was going to help you. I thought that you hated me and blamed me. I just... I wanted to do right by you." I almost sobbed. "I just wanted to help you, and by trying to help you by cutting me out of your life, I hurt you."
She stayed quiet as she studied me.
"Bri I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you... I love you. I truly thought that you hated me. I love you... I really do."
She sobbed at my words.
"Bri, I only want what's best for you. And this... she let me roll up her sweater sleeves revealing several fresh cuts. This isn't it. We need to get you some help."
"I... I'm too messed up to be helped," She sobbed violently and I wrapped her up in a hug. "I'm broken and scarred in too many ways. No one will ever want me again after everything that happened."
"No. Don't ever say that. You are amazing!" I rocked her gently as she cried. "You are so strong for being able to hang on this long. You went through something so traumatic and scary... I am so proud of you for being so strong, but I'm here now Bri. I know that it's hard to trust me after the ass that I have been, but I promise that I will be there for you. I will hold you together so you can let yourself fall apart. You need help, Bri." I sobbed as I spoke. "Let me help you. Let all of us help you... We're all here. We all love you! I know that we let ourselves get in the way, but I wont let that happen again." I kissed the top of her head as she calmed down.
I pulled away from our hug and stared into her teary eyes. "Will you let me, and everyone else, help you?"
After a few moments of contemplation, she nodded slowly.
"Please... Please help me. I just... I want the pain gone."
She started to cry again and I let her as she laid down on my lap. I let her cry out her heartbreak to me. In the tears that she cried to me, though, I could see her tense shoulders begin to relax, her breathing finally begin to slow. After a few more minutes, she was fast asleep and I breathed a sigh of relief.
I looked at the cuts on her arm. I felt like throwing up at seeing them. I hated what had happened to her. What I had let her become. I just hoped that with mine and my family's help... we could make her whole again. Not back to the way she was because that would be impossible, but whole. Happy, in spite of Ronnie. I hoped that we could get her to love herself and trust others again. I hoped and prayed it to be...
A/N-
Sooo what do you think Aiden feels for Aubry? What about Aubry for Aiden? Tell me what you think! Constructive criticism always welcome! Point out any mistakes! Vote, comment and share please!!!
-KAF❤️