my first | mileven

21.

MIKE'S POV

she wasn't taken advantage of. i'm so glad because i swear to god, i would've killed him if he did.

but though she wasn't taken advantage of, her pain is from something happening there. the doctors are figuring it out so i'm just trying to distract el till then.

right now, we're both drawing as a random movie plays, we're just doing it to relax.

i watch as her stare at her paper, her hair hiding her face so i go to move it away for her.

she looks up at me and i smile at her but she doesn't smile back. furrowing my eyebrows, i ask, "what's wrong?"

"i'm scared." she whispers, "i don't know what he did to me."

i hold her cheek, "it'll be okay, love. also, an officer is coming in—"

"okay." she cuts me off as i nod, "i'll be with you. it'll be okay."

she nods, moving to lean against me and i wrap my arms around her. i softly caress her back, careful not to hurt her and i kiss her hair, "i'm so proud of you." i whisper.

she nods, "i'm trying."

i peck her temple, "i know you are. i know you are and i'm so proud of you because of it. you didn't deserve all that, el."

she cries against me quietly, "i don't know what i ever did to him!"

i nod as she hides her face into my shoulder, "i tried. i tried to be positive, i tried for so long but i just couldn't take it. i tried to end it before, he saved me because i was his slave. his cinderella. that's what he said."

i close my eyes to control my anger, "you are no fucking slave."

she sniffles, "at least there won't be a new scar. i just reopened my old one."

i pull back and hold her cheek again. she looks up into my eyes and i lean in to peck her upper lips as she frowns.

"don't frown, love." i whisper as her frown deepens, "it looks ugly now."

i shake my head, "that wouldn't matter."

"it does because you'll see it all the freaking time!" she exclaims.

"so? it's just a scar, el, it's nothing big. i got tone of scars from my football days." i say.

"football days." she starts to smile widely, "you played football?"

i nod, "in high school but parents wanted me to go down the business so i stopped when i went to college."

she smiles, "you have to play for me one day. i'll cheer you on like a cheerleader, mike."

chuckling, i nod, "i'll like that, baby."

•

EL'S POV

i'm trying very hard to listen to this police moustache man in front of me. he's talking about me and my uncle and how i should press charges but all i'm thinking about is how well that moustache suits him.