The Distance Between Our Love

Vera.

'Where are you?' I stared at Greysons message. Maybe if I stared long enough it would simply, disappear. It wont. It'll only get worse, it does every time. He raises his voice every time. He hurts me every time. I Forgive him every time. I'm running our of chances to give. I'm getting tired.
The Uber pulls over on my side of the street, letting me out. I walk up my driveway. I know the moment I walk through the door my mother will be parading me with questions. I take a deep breath and open the front door. My mom peers from around the corner.
"Oh, hey Honey!"
I forced a smile. "Hey."
She took a second glance at me, noticing I was wearing the same clothes I had left in, my makeup had been smeared, and the fact that my hair was a disaster.
She pauses for a moment to take it all in." Where have you been..?"
" Oh, Well- I went to Noahs House. We studied. I fell asleep."
She eyes me.
" Well, Alright Dear, Go clean up. I Invited Greysons family over for dinner."
I feel sick to my stomach.
I nod, running up the stairs, walking down the hallway and taking a left to my bedroom.
I cant see him. Not now. I have to.
I have to act like everything is perfectly fine. I'm good at this. I can do this.
I took a deep breath, staring at myself in the mirror. I don't stare too deeply, then I know Ill start to cry, I cant do that now, Either.
When we have guests over, mother always tells me to 'dress for the best.' All of my dresses reveal what shouldn't be. My marks should stay hidden, out of reach, out of sight. I throw on a dress from my closet. I stare at it for a moment. I haven't wore this dress since the day I told Noah about Greyson. I shrug, throwing it on. I turn, checking my back out in the mirror. Greysons words stumble over me, giving me chills. "Never let them see, never let them know." I grab a cardigan, which doesn't match, for those who ask ill claim to be 'Cold.' Thats what I always do.
"They'll never know." I mumble to myself.
I take one last glance at myself in the mirror, practicing my best forceable smile. I walk back downstairs. Mother is downstairs, chopping vegetables for the dinner. I pull out a stool at the island, taking a seat.
" How are Noahs parents?" She asks.
" Out of town still." I remind her. She always forgets. Noah and I's parents are long friends from high school, hence the reason Noah and I were raised together. His parents travel the world.
" Oh, thats right!" She couldn't be less clueless could she? I'm her daughter. I'm all she has. I'm not even me. I'm not her happy Little girl anymore. I'm a broken doll. A Beaten, Broken Doll.
The doorbell rings, Mother walks over to open it.
" Welcome!!" She greets them, allowing them inside.
Greysons parents, Caroline and Josh Richardson walk through the door. His parents look around as he pulls out the seat beside me.
" hey.." He starts a conversation as if last time he saw me he didn't throw me into a wall. As if last time he didn't break me.
" You Look Hot."
I Look down at myself, wishing I could be invisible. I want to fade away. I don't want to be 'hot.' I want to be Gorgeous, Not just hot.
I stumble to find a response.
" Thanks..?"
He gives me an intense look, gesturing to my wrist. I get the message. He's threatening me now.
" Ya'know, You should be more appreciative." He says sternly, under his breath so nobody would hear. I nodded.
" R- right. I'm s-sorry."
Before he could continue, his parents come over to say Hello.
" Hello Vera." Mr. Richardson says, looking me up and down.
" You look just like your mother." he says after a moment.
He isn't wrong. My mother and I have a very similar face, Golden blonde, wavy hair. Blue eyes, though mine appear to be more green in the sun.
" Hello, Mr. Richardson, I am very aware." I nervously laughed, hoping Greyson hadn't gotten his genes from his father.
Josh had seemed friendly and polite, but then again, Greyson was too. Looks can be foolish.
After a few minutes of chit chat, my mother scrambling between making dinner and assisting the guests, we sit at the table. The silverware is prestigiously placed, the china plates shined as if they were brand new, not a single speck or scratch. Mother only brings them out for serious occasions. 
Greysons mother is very quiet, Judgmental, but quiet.
My phone buzzed, I pulled it under the table, reading a text from Noah. 'Hey.'
" So..? Elizabeth, How are the Grey's?" Mrs.Richardson gaze switched from me to my mother as she asked.
I Looked up, then I had texted Noah back, trying to not draw attention to my phone, being polite. ' Hey, Uh Extremely bad time. Greysons here. Things aren't going too well. Talk later?' I turned my phone off, setting it faced down on the table face-down. I picked my fork back up, listening to the dinner conversation.
"Well- Olivia and Malachi Are out of town. They've been traveling a lot lately, but Noahs stays home, he has to because of school. Ask Vera, She was just with him last night!" All heads turn toward me, including Greysons. His eyes are filled with anger as they peered upon me. He gestured his head upstairs, I know better by now to not fight back. I cleared my throat and stood.
"He's uh well- Thank you for dinner mother. It was nice seeing you Mr. & Mrs. Richardson, I have some more homework- I have to. Go- uh- Work on.. now." I rushed upstairs and sat on my bed, waiting.
Greyson entered a few minutes later, shutting the door behind himself.
" You have to be kidding me?!" His voice had an angry tone, but he had kept quiet, not wanting to draw attention our way.
I stared at the floor, waiting for the abuse.
" I'm sorry. Its not what you think, I promise."
His hand had reached out, grabbing my neck.
" If you EVER lie to me.."
" Please let me go." I stayed calm, my voice soft.
He had noticed his hand, instantly letting me go.
"Fine, Since you cheated, Ill have you know that I Cheated too." He crossed his arms, towering over me. Cheated? I thought he said he loved me.
" C- Cheated?" My voice cracked in pain, trying my hardest to hold back the cries from inside.
" This isn't even worth my time. You aren't even worth my time." He snapped, his voice harsh, like a stab to my chest.
He gave me a disappointed look before exiting my room and heading back downstairs. How could he just walk away and be fine with this? How could he hurt me and not care? I thought he loved me.
I heard the front door open, and mother saying her goodbyes, I knew they had left.
I took my cardigan off. The deep pit inside of me felt as if my heart had been ripped from my chest. I walked over to the bathroom attached to my bedroom, staring at myself in the mirror as I held myself together. I started the shower, I was too tired to take my clothes off. My body ached too much to make those unnecessary movements. I turned the silver handle, opening the glass shower door. I stepped inside and fell to the floor, curling into a ball. There was only one person I had wanted to see now, to hold me like he had before. To tell me he was there. Noah. I heard my mother talking to somebody but I couldn't quite make out the voice, so familiar, so comforting. After a few moments I had heard a knock on my bedroom door. I ignored it, hoping whoever it was, they'd go away. I'm not in the mood to talk. I just want to cry. I just want to be held. I just want to be loved. Then there was another knock, this time it was closer. It wasn't on my bedroom door, but my bathroom door. I ignored it once again, there was another.
" Ver, I know You're in there, Your mom texted me- she told me you didn't eat much of your dinner so I brought you a shake and some fries from your favorite diner downtown." I recognized the voice. It was Noahs. I stopped crying, turning to the door. I stayed quiet.
" Vera, are You alright? Please, I'm sorry about last night, I crossed a Line. I shouldn't have."
I was soaked and my makeup was still smeared from both the shower water that was pounding on me and my tears, a constant river.
" Vera? Are you okay? Please just open the door." He knocked again, I could hear the desperation in his voice as he begged. As much as I wanted to I couldn't get up. I couldn't say a word.
The doorknob twisted.
" Vera, I need to make sure you're alright- I- I'm coming in."
The bathroom door had opened,  Noah had looked around, then he had spotted me, soaked on the shower floor in my dress. We met eyes, my heart had fluttered for a moment until I realized why I was here.
" Vera.." He looked down at me, i could see the confusion in his eyes.
" Hmm?" I stared up at him.
" Cmon, Let's get you out, You can eat something- you can put n some comfortable clothes and we can watch a movie?"
I shook my head.
I wanted to say yes.
I wanted to go explore the world with him for all I cared.
I just wanted to be with him.
I needed to hear his voice, to feel his hands in my hair.
" Vera, Please. I- Ill help you. Please just get out so that I can help you."
I allowed a few words to slip from my mouth.
" Noah, I- I- I'm sorry- I-I just cant right now." Those words had brought my tears back, I couldn't hold them back anymore. I couldn't keep hiding my true self. I Started to cry, unable to control myself.
Noah stared down in awe at me for a moment, then he took a deep breath.
When I looked back up he was taking his watch off. Then his phone from his pocket, placing them on my bathroom counter. He kicked his shoes off.
He opened the shower door and climbed in, he sat, pulling me onto his lap. I wanted this. I needed this.
He stared at me for a moment, then he swept my hair behind my ear.
" Beautiful."  He whispered.
I was a mess. My hair was dripping wet, my curls had faded. My makeup was all smeared. My dress was soaked. I was a wreck, and to make matters worse I was crying.
I had stopped for a moment when he had done this. Then he proceeded to pull me to himself. He held me close, his arms wrapped around me. I laid my head back on his shoulder. He had grabbed my hand, holding it.
" I'm right here. Its going to be alright." He mumbled into my ear.
I could feel his heartbeat.
This moment is what I had waited for.
After a while when my legs had felt numb and my tears had stopped, he had picked me up. We were both dripping wet, he didn't care. He wrapped me in a towel and had set me on the bed. Before Greyson had forbid me from hanging out with Noah, he has basically lived here. With his parents constantly out of town, he'd stay here, in a guest room next to mine,where he kept a few fresh sets of clothes.
" Ill be right back. Stay here." he had told me, walking out of the room.
When he had returned he was holding Two sets of sweatpants and Two hoodies. He handed me one of each.
" Go change in the bathroom, Ill change out here."
I nodded, doing as he said. I was still startled from Greysons threats.
I walked out of the bathroom in clothes that were long and extremely baggy on me, I didn't care, as long as they had belonged to Noah.
When I walked out, Noah was sitting on the bed, yawning.
" Thank you." I managed to say.
He nodded.
" Of course. thats what I'm here for."
I walked over to my bed, climbing in beside him.
" I Uhm- I hate to ask this- But that mark.."
I went quiet, knowing he had saw them in the shower.
" Did- Greyson put that on you??"
" Which one..?"
His eyebrows raised, shocked.
" There are multiple?"
I nodded.
" So.. did he put them on you?"
I stayed quiet.
" He-  He- He did this to you?!"
" Shh! If he knows I t- told you-"
" He hits you?!"
She shook her head, he watched, confused.
" Then how did he-"
She'd point at them, telling the tuarmatizing story's behind them.
. . .
When she was finished he stared at her, his face blank.
" H- He's done that t- to you?"
She nodded.
" I am so sorry, Vera."
" Don't be. You did nothing wrong. You should be be sorry."
" Actually- I watched, that day at the diner, I wanted to make sure your ride showed up, so I stayed in my car and watched. I saw him yell- then grab your wrists. I told myself it was nothing, but it'll forever be my biggest regret that I never said or done anything."
" I don't blame you, Noah, This isn't your fault. A- and I hate to ask this- But Uhm- Can y- you maybe hold me again?-" She blushed. " I know its odd- I just- It makes me feel so comforted."
He smiled, pulling her in.
She had felt genuine happiness.