He continued holding my hand. I didn't mind. We walked in silence for about ten minutes, he seemed to be following where I was walking. He didn't know my destination. I didn't know my destination but I was taking the lead.
"Where are we going?" He asked me after a while.
"Anywhere."
"You're so full of secrets Kristy" He stopped walking and grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to him. I winced. My bruises have not yet healed and they still hurt very much. It's not that I didn't like being closer to him, it's just that I don't want to open up to someone that will only just hurt me in the end. He noticed that I flinched when he grabbed my waist and he looked at me with concern. I could feel the tears burning to leave my eyes but I wouldn't let them.
"Are you okay love?" He liked to call me love. I liked that. Ignoring the question I pulled out a cigarette and lit it. I started to keep walking but he pulled me back again, softer this time. "Kristy, it's everything okay? You can trust me. What's going on?" I kept taking drags of my cigarette to avoid answering the question. I looked down. I couldn't bare to look at his face, with his concerned eyes. I would feel even more upset than I do now.
He pulled me into a hug and when we let go he whispered, "let me see..." I knew he was talking about the bruises but I couldn't bring myself to actually show him, so he gently pulled me closer once again and lifted the bottom of my shirt just enough to see some of the bruises that were on my stomach. "Who did this to you?" Suddenly his expression was hard. He was no longer sad for me. He was pissed. Pissed that someone would leave such cruel marks on my skin.
"Nobody... I uh...fell..." I whispered, looking down at the ground. It was damp from all the rain we had been getting.
"Bullshit." He knew I was lying but I wasn't going to tell him the truth. I can't trust him. I won't trust him.
"Drop it. It's not a big deal." I smiled a fake smile and kissed his cheek to throw him off guard. I continued to walk and he continued as well.
We kept walking around town for a good thirty minutes or so before I heard footsteps. Not our footsteps. Someone else's. Alex didn't seem to hear anything but I knew someone was out there. I started to worry. I turned back to see if I could see something or someone and as it turns out I saw a guy in a dark blue hoodie with blonde hair and automatically I knew it was Ethan, my ex.
Ethan is mentally unstable, he had to take anti-psychotics and last time I checked he was off his medication. He has a bad temper and he is a very jealous person. If he saw me and Alex together something really bad would happen really quick. Before I could try to hide Alex and I from Ethan, it was to late. He saw us.
"KRISTY!" Ethan yelled. He ran and caught up to us. "Hey, who the hell are you?" He glared at Alex. "Are trying to get with my girl? Am I going to have to kick your ass?"
"Ethan! Stop. I'm not your 'girl' anymore. Alex is just a friend and it would be great if you would just leave. Okay? Thanks." I gave Ethan a dirty look and grabbed Alex's hand and started walking away, but before I could get to far, Ethan grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me back.
He looked me right in the eyes. "You upset me. You know what happens if you upset me." He slapped me so hard I fell to the ground and before I knew it he was kicking me in the stomach. Hard.
