A Chance for Normalcy

CHAPTER 4; family

"Take that you little bitch!" Nathan screams at you before slapping you across the face.

"The next time you decide to dress like a whore I'm going to pimp you out like one, do you understand?" He screams at you. Tears running down your face. You were just a teenager at the time. How would you have known any better.

"No one else could ever love you." Nathan sneers before stabbing the knife into your thigh.

The nightmares of the past still haunting you, jolting you awake. You take a few deep breaths staring at the ceiling before sitting up, the pain in your thigh radiating. Max is laying next to you blissfully asleep, unaware of the terror's that still haunt you. Slowly you slip out of bed heading to the bathroom to splash some water on your face. You look at yourself in the mirror patting your face dry before concentrating on the stab wound on your thigh. You're so preoccupied trying to slow your breathing staring at it that you don't notice the tall muscular figure standing in the doorway.

"You okay princess?" The familiar husky voice asks.

"Oh Max," you say looking up startled. "Yeah, just a bad dream. I'm sorry I woke you up." You say as he walks over wrapping his arms around you.

"Never apologize for waking me up when you need me okay?" Max says kissing the top of your head.

Fucking jumping over the low bar of my expectations for men.

"Okay." You say holding back tears.

"You want to talk about it?" He asks softly and you bite the inside of your cheek debating.

"He's dead now, so it's fine." You say taking a deep breath referring back to Nathan. Max doesn't say anything, he just holds you standing in the bathroom as you start to breakdown and tell him everything. All of the physical and emotional abuse Nathan put you through over the years spilling off your lips.

To your surprise, Max doesn't yell at you, or get mad at you, or tell you to suck it up like others you know would have. He just holds you. Your tears eventually stop flowing and Max wipes the remaining tears from your face with his thumbs gently.

"Feel better?" Max asks and you nod your head, "yes."

You crawl back into bed and Max pulls you close to him wrapping his big strong arms around you.

"You're safe. I've got you. Nathan is dead and he can't ever hurt you again." Max says, and even though you've only known him for a few days you believe him. "I wish I would have known before we killed him though. I would have enjoyed torturing him a little first. Make him regret what he did." Max says and you laugh softly.

"Well, he's dead so that's all that matters," you say smiling, your eyes starting to feel heavy again drifting off to sleep.

Waking up to the sound of your alarm going off in the morning was less than pleasant. Groaning as you roll over to turn it off, hating getting up in the morning. You roll over reaching for Max, but sadness fills you as you find empty cool sheets instead.

Great, I scared him off. I knew it was too good to be true.

You sigh getting out of bed starting to gather your clothes when you hear noises coming from the kitchen. You set your clothes back down on the bed your curiosity cautiously peaked. You open the bedroom door hesitantly, "Max?" you ask poking your head out. Hearing the sound of sizzling you head out to the kitchen a smile forming on your face as you see Max shirtless cooking bacon and sipping on a cup of coffee.

"Good morning princess," he says smiling handing you a cup of coffee. You notice there's already milk inside and smile taking a sip.

"Morning," you say leaning up against the kitchen island. "How long have you been up? I didn't hear you getting out of bed."