Flowers & Bruises

Chapter Six

“Under a spell you’re hypnotized, darling how could you be so blind?” – Snap Out Of It, Arctic Monkeys

Chapter Six

        Liam just hit me.

        With my hands still holding my stinging cheek, I slowly turn to look at Liam. He’s fuming, like he might hit me again. The emotion in his eyes is unrecognizable to me. A tear slides down my opposite cheek, and Liam’s eyes immediately soften. In a matter of seconds he’s transformed back from whatever monster he’d let escape, and into Liam again.

        He steps forward and starts to reach out for me, but I back up out of his reach. He looks helpless, like a kid whose mother just slapped their hand for reaching into the cookie jar.

        “Don’t touch me,” I warn.

        “Char,” He whispers, breathless.

        I run past him into my bathroom, closing and locking the door behind me in case he tries to follow me into it. I lean my forehead against the bathroom door, letting the coldness of it soothe me. Then there’s a knock on the door that makes me jump away from it.

        “Char?” Liam says through the door.

        I back as far away from the door as my small bathroom will let me, and sit down on the floor with my back pressed against the bathtub. Bringing my knees up to my chest, and resting my head on my knees, I just stare straight ahead at the door, watching Liam’s feet move impatiently underneath it.

        “Please come out, Char,” Liam whines, “I didn’t mean to…” He trails off.

        Even he can’t believe what he just did. He can’t even say it out loud. I don’t think that I can either.

        “Babe? At least answer me so I know you’re okay in there,” He states.

        “Of course I’m not okay in here,” I say loud enough so he can hear me.

        “Come out and talk to me.”

        “Go home, Liam,” I whimper, the tears starting to fall again.

        “I’m not going anywhere until you come out!” He exclaims, hitting the door with his hand.

        “Just leave!” I scream.

        He opens the bathroom door, and I’m mad at myself for not remembering that the lock on the door is broken. Then I’m mad at him for coming in, even though I told him to leave.

        Liam stands in the doorway, looking at me with that same monstrous expression, but then his eyes soften once again at the sight of my tears. He walks over and sits down next to me. He tries to reach out for me, but I retreat into myself, tucking my knees in tighter and leaning away.

        “Char, let me hold you.”

         I don’t say anything, instead I bite my thumb nail and stare at the floor, tears still coming out slowly.

        Liam snakes his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into him. He wipes away a tear as it falls from my eye, and caresses my swollen cheek. He kisses my head, and then starts lightly kissing my cheek over and over.

        “I’m so sorry,” He whispers. “I don’t know what came over me, I was just –” He pauses. “I was just so mad because you weren’t listening to me, and I’m only trying to protect you.”