Stray Scars (Book 2)

Chapter 19

Pov: Isabelle Snow

A cool knob rested inside my hardened fingers, keeping me standing as I stared at the painting on the wall in front of me. A bit of light seeped through my brother's room on the other side of the corridor, disappearing gradually as his door closed, engulfing his entire figure.

I remained paralyzed and squashed by two muscular arms that had found me in front of my room's door as soon as I'd unlocked it.

He smelt the same.

He felt the same.

He would hurt me the same.

"Calvin," I said, everything in me going numb at the sight of him. "Welcome back."

He pulled away, the faintest smile on his face. I was finally seeing the repeating pattern, the vicious cycle, the manipulative trap. Fight, corner, silence, then return like nothing happened.

Only this time, something did happen.

I was no longer trying to fix him, no longer interested in helping him or holding on to the little bit of good I could see in him. Forgiveness was only taken advantage of here. It really was a shame. He had the potential to become a nice guy and nothing was forcing him to behave like this.

All the stories I'd been fed were wrong. The good girl would only be taken advantage of if she tried to fix the dark and abused bad boy. Real life was much more complicated than being able to change someone just because you wanted to. Movies only gave you inaccurate expectations.

You're not special.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked as he walked into my room, sitting down on the wooden chair next to my closet.

"Have you finished your work for today?" he wondered while stretching his neck and massaging it.

"Yes, and I'm going to sleep." I glanced at my bed.

"Let me take you to a restaurant," he invited, standing up and approaching me. His gaze was still dark like three days ago when he'd made me cry then disappeared as always. Maybe he thought coming back like this was a way to make it up to me, but I had no more chances left to give him. He'd lost the lover in me back when he'd rejected me, lost the friend in me back when he'd used my brother to threaten me, and lost every grain of my respect when he'd forced me to keep up the girlfriend act.

"I can't go anywhere. The lieutenant's put me on probation," I replied, not a muscle on my face moving to show him an expression other than exhaustion. He'd crossed the line, and had the audacity to stand before me like this, completely unbothered by our last conversation.

Not only had I been kept away from my loving boyfriend, but I was also being worked to the bone. The cherry on top was this heartless guy visiting me. This was the first time I'd been happy about him disappearing after a fight. These three days, although straining with the workload, were peaceful without him.

"I'll take care of that," he said, slipping his large hand in mine. His words were just a reminder of how much power he'd held this whole time.

I didn't get it. What was the point of keeping me around when I wasn't into it anymore? What had him so obsessed with me?

I didn't even pity him anymore because I was far more pitiful.

"You can allow me to leave?" I asked, glancing up at him accusingly. He was staring at me for much longer than he usually did, as if trying to take in every detail of my face, specifically my eyes.

He nodded, jaw tensed for some reason.

When I raised a questioning brow, he quietly lifted his hand, holding my cheek and gently rubbing it with his thumb. "I didn't know you would cry like that," he whispered, his typical deep voice coated in a bit of a soft hue.