Heart Beating Love

Chapter 9

Alex watches as adrians face contorts with pain." Adrian what does he do to you?" He pulls his shirt up and turns around." Take the bandages off " Adrian says." Won't it hurt?"
"I can handle it" Alex hesitates then takes a bandage off slowly. When she gets one off she sees a long gash going down his back." He beat me with a belt for a while then the pain free to much... I began to laugh in the hysterical kind of way." His eyes fill with tears." So he grabs a whip and started to lash my back." His voice broke as tears began to stream down his face. "Even though it hurts I don't regret saving you from those men, or missing a fight. I definitely don't regret getting kissed by you when I walked you back here." Her eyes are full of tears." I don't regret letting you stand up for me. Tonight when he beats me I will not regret taking you to the ring. I also won't regret telling you all of this. Or kissing you." Adrian stops talking and turns around and shows her his chest. His chest had burn marks here and there like someone was protecting him from it when it happened. "He set the house on fire with me and my mother inside because she told him I wasn't going to become a ring fighter, my mother got me out before the house collapsed on top of her. Immediately
My dad regretted it and missed her. So from that day he blamed me for her death." Alex can't believe how much he has been through and has no words to comfort him. She grabs him in a tight hug and sits there forca minute. "Come on, my mom is making dinner. Join us tonight, so your dad can blow off some steam." Alex knows how this will end. He told her not to tell anyone but soon she would tell someone so he could get help but for now she would keep his secret. Alex walks into the kitchen and her mother looks up from the crock pot. "Hey honey where have you been its almost six?" Adrian walks in after he puts his shirt on. Her mom stops stirring the beef stew. "Mom met Adrian, Adrian this is my mom."
"Hello miss its very nice to meet you. You have a lovely home." Her mother smiles and shakes his hand. "Alex honey why didn't you say we were having company?"
"I didn't know until a little while ago when I asked... I texted you." Alex lied knowing her mom was going to believe her. "Well I must not have gotten it will you set the table your father is upstairs in the office once your done, go get him." Alex nods and grabs napkins and silverware and heads for the table." Is there anything I can do?" Adrian askes as hecstands by the counter." Umm you could help set the table." Adrian walks over and takes the silverware from Alex and starts setting it out on the table. Alex finishes with napkins and goes up to get her father.