if we just had time.

chapter eighteen

mention of rape, self harm and blades. please read with caution.

Theodore Scott

Theodore was looking at Isabella in shock, on her bed, as she wiped a few tears that fell on her cheek. Theodore heard why she had all of those bruises on her body at the old house at the beginning of the year, and why she had the bruise on her eye, and why she flinched at the party that happened a few hours ago. He heard more than he needed to hear.

"And the scars?" he managed to ask.

"The first one was after my father raped me." she said, ever so casually. "I've done them ever since."

How can she be so casual with this?

"The most recent cut?" he asked.

"Before we were supposed to meet on the rooftop." she looked down at her hands.

His heart sank there. He didn't want her to cut her fragile skin. He didn't want her to do any sort of self harm at all. No one should go through what she went through.

"If you ever have the urge to cut or do any sort of thing to hurt yourself, you come to me. Alright? Even if I'm busy or doing something important, I'll drop the things i'm going to and help you. You shouldn't do that to yourself." he said to her.

"I can't ask you to-'' she started.

"You're not asking. I'm telling you. You come to me if you ever want to hurt yourself. Me. No one else, got that?" he said.

She nodded, "okay."

"Good." Theodore said. "I'm going to use your bathroom." he got up, walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. He quietly dug through the drawers of her bathroom sink and found five blades. He sighed when he found them. Why would someone do this to themselves? He threw the blades in the toilet and flushed, watching them disappear into the pipes.

When he came out of the bathroom Isabella was reading a book.

Theodore sat and layed on the bed, looking at the girl. "What are you reading?" he asked.

She looked at him. "A Jane Austen book. Pride and prejudice."

Theodore held out his hand. "I'll read to you." he said with a smile. He wasn't a really big reader with books, but he wanted her to sleep.

She smiled at him, giving him the book. She laid down next to him from her sitting position and got comfortable.

She showed him where she was in the book and he started reading.

As he was reading, he felt Isabella's head weighing on his shoulder. He moved his arm and wrapped it around her, still reading the books if it's not happening. He was hearing her breathing. It was a soft sound.

It's been ten minutes andTheodore is still reading to isabella. He looked at her to find she was sleeping. Theodore thought that she looked so peaceful. She looked beautiful to him.

She shouldn't have gone through what she told him. No one should.

_____________________________________

Theodore was woken up by someone shaking his shoulder. When he opened his eyes he saw isabella. Why is she in my dorm? When he looked around the room, he wasn't in his room. It was Isabella's. He stayed the night.

"You have to go, my mums going to be here any minute." she said, walking to the bathroom. She was all dressed and ready to go. And still, she looked beautiful.

He got up from the bed and picked up his coat from the floor. That was when he heard a knock on the door. She wasn't joking with the minute.

Isabella came out of the bathroom to the door. When she opened it, he saw a woman no older than his mother. She was around the same height as isabella. She looked a bit like her as well.

"Hi, mum." Isabella said, cheerfully.

"Hello, my love." Isabella's mother said and looked at theodore. "And who is this?"

Isabella looked at him and back at her mother. "This is a friend of mine, Theodore Scott." friend. They're friends now.

"Making progress, are you?" the voice said.

"Shut up. It's not a good time." Theodore said to the voice.

"fine."

"A Scott?" she looked at her daughter "he's a good looking man, bella. Not to mention wealthy"

Theodore smiled at that. Now he knew where Isabella got her kindness from.

"Mum." Isabella groaned in embarrassment. "He's just a friend. Really. And he was just about to leave." she looked at him.

Theodore nodded and walked out the door, before Isabella moved out of the way for him to get out the door. "It was lovely to meet you..?"

"Ms, reid." she smiled at him.

"It was lovely to meet you, Ms Reid." Theodore shook her hand.

As he was about to leave, Ms Reid said; "why don't you come and join us, theodore?" she offered. "If you are not busy today, of course."

Theodore turned to them. He looked at Isabella who shrugged at him, showing that she didn't care if he came or not. He nodded, "okay, let me just go to my dorm and change really quick. It'll be five minutes." he said, pointing behind him.

"Of course, take all the time you need." Ms Reid said, smiling kindly.

Theodore smiled at the sweet women and walked away, to his dorm.