Colton's Miracle ✔️

22. Best Thing

Colton:

I've never been so fucking furious in my whole life. The only thing keeping me from going insane is Lily's body in my arms.

Her own sick father used to hurt her enough to leave her with scars. The one person on this fucked up planet who was supposed to save and protect her caused her pain instead. I don't know what it's like to have parents, but I know for a fact that it's not supposed to go this way. My Lily doesn't fucking deserve to go through that.

I didn't deserve that either. But fuck, at least I grew up knowing that this was my life. These assholes beat me up for as long as I can remember. I didn't feel the betrayal that Lily did, because I never trusted them to do anything else to begin with. I never knew anything different but their hatred, so for years it was just normal, in a way.

It's sad, really, that the both of us have gone through that. I've gone through more, and I know Lily has too. And it only makes me fall for her even harder. She's so much like me, yet totally different. It makes me admire her in a way I never thought possible.

"You're the strongest person I've ever met." Caressing her head and feeling her soft red locks between my fingers, I speak the truth.

"I'm not. A strong person doesn't do what I've done. " She mumbles the last part in a low whisper that I wasn't supposed to hear, and I can see in her eyes more words that are dying to be spoken. There's much more to Lily that I know, and I feel like a fucking asshole because the first time I met her all I could think was that she was a ball of sunshine.

She was so damn joyful that it unsettled me. I was so fucking shaken by her purity and innocence, that it worried me to ever think of the world treating her with a fraction of the cruelty I've been treated with. And then I took it all out on her and told her that her cheerfulness disgusted me.

"I'm so fucking sorry, baby. For everything I've done and said when we first met." I know she can see how deeply I regret my stupidity, because her eyes soften and she smiles at me.

"It's okay, Colton. I already forgot all about that." A small chuckle leaves her, but it sounds nothing like the Lily I know.

"I'll make it up to you." I vow.

"You already have." She yawns and I suddenly see how exhausted she really looks. I know better than anyone the toll it takes on a person to remember things they wish they wouldn't. It aches my heart to know that my precious little Lily lives with that kind of burden too. I wish I could somehow take her pain away, along with the bad memories that swim behind her eyes.

"Want me to take you upstairs and call it a night, baby?" I ask, softly cupping her cheek to keep reminding myself that she's here with me, that she's safe. Watching her fighting with herself to keep breathing scared me in a way I wish to never experience again.

Lily's eyes instantly widen, and she sits straight with a gasp. "Our date."

"Don't worry about it. We'll go another time." I quickly shake my head, because she's had enough for tonight. She needs rest and I need to keep her tucked against me without an inch of space between us.

She doesn't argue with me and I'm glad. I don't enjoy the frown on her face though. "I'm sorry I ruined your plans."

"You've ruined nothing." I state firmly, grabbing her chin between my fingers so her cast down eyes can meet mine. "I don't give a shit where we are or what we're doing as long as I can still see and touch you. That's all I need, baby."

Lily gives me that smile that makes my insides melt and my heart calm down.

"There it is, my favorite smile." I grin at her, pride filling me up when she blushes. "Besides, there's a part of tonight which I have planned that we still get to do."