Warning: the following contains adult themes such as sex, drugs, alcohol, physical/sexual abuse, and explicit language. Do not proceed if sensitive to any of these subjects.
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Rain
Rain pounded on the dented, rusted metal exterior of Preston's old pickup truck on the shoulder of FM 1860. Preston sat inside the cab, screaming profanities as he kicked and swung his fists into the dash. The highway beside him was barely visible through the fog and streaming rain on his windows.
Fuck!
His mind was spiraling, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.
He sniffled and wiped at his face, hot tears dripping from his cheeks to his lap. He was an idiot. He was a moron and a jackass and he should've never opened his goddamn mouth. If only he hadn't befriended the beautiful brunette. Maybe then she would've been safe from him...
Tears stung his eyes as he sat at the foot of his bed. He should've known that he wasn't going to amount to anything. This was just like anything else he had tried to achieve - a failure. How could it not? The drugs, the alcohol, the sex... they were all the distractions, but distractions he needed to cope. To survive. Now, there was no hope of escaping his own personal hell.
With a grunt, Preston thrusted his fist into the wheel. A crash of thunder drowned out the blaring truck horn. "God dammit!"
There was a gentle knock on the door, and before Preston could utter a word of protest, his friend stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. "I heard the news," Bella muttered softly, her hazel eyes looking to Preston's in empathy, "I'm sorry."
Preston scoffed and turned so his back was to her, not wanting her to see his tears. "You warned me this would happen," he spat, "Admit it - you're glad to see me fail after all the messin' around I did."
Her hand was gentle as she placed it on his shoulder. "Preston, please," he voice softly pleading, faintly laced with hurt. "Just because I didn't like your choices, doesn't mean I wanted to see you fail." She sat beside him, taking his hand in both of hers. He reluctantly turned to look at her. "You know that I want nothing more than for you to be happy. You deserve that much."
Preston felt another tear fall down his cheek as his eyes met Bella's. "I don't deserve to be happy... I mess everythin' up. It's about time I learn that and-"
"And what? Give up?" Bella finished, reaching up to wipe his tear away, "You aren't a quitter, Preston. You've never taken no as an answer before. Why is this any different?"
"Because he was right," Preston spoke just above a whisper, "I'm nothin' but a failure."
The tears rose and fell as quickly as the untold story of his past spilled out of his lips. He spoke of his mother, and how she was the closest thing to an angel Preston had ever known. He spoke of her illness and how she passed away. He spoke of his three sisters and how he'll never see them again. And he shared the pain his father took joy in inflicting on him.
But even in his emotionally unstable state, he chose his words carefully. He had to leave most of the truth out of his story. He couldn't share how he actually ended up a long-term guest in her home, nor the truth as to why he could never see his sisters again. Even his mother's death and his father's resulting abuse, which were his fault, needed to be kept secret. Everything to do with his time with The Master and his hidden world of magic had to remain in the metaphorical bottle he was pouring out. Bella couldn't know about the world he lived in.
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Action***Very much still a work in progress*** Any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! After her father's disappearance, Bella spent years wondering where her father had gone. All she had left of him was the annual training videos she received...
