Guts || TWD

23. The Handcuffs Between Life & Death.

Elizabeth Greene's bedroom, morning...

"Here, patricia made them fresh." Tucker breathed out as he stepped into Beth's room, Maggie looked up at the boy with a side eye. "Sorry, should've knocked." He mumbled but the older sister just stood up quickly and left the room.

Tucker sensed Maggie never loved he and his sister's company but now? She really held a true distaste for it.

"She'll come around," Beth promised, a sad look on her face.

"She hates me." Tucker sighed and set down the plate of warm muffins on the nightstand. Neither he or Beth really had wanted them but he brought them to appease Patricia.

"I don't know how she could, you saved my life."

"I think she saw me with Elle last night. She saw my scars, probably thinks it's my fault you even thought to do that." Tucker blurted, hardly halting his words in front of the blonde sitting cross legged on the bed.

He didn't want to tell her that he tried to do the very same thing as her. To justify her actions in some sick and twisted way.

The girl just tucked her hair behind her ear before reaching forward and grabbing Tucker's arm. Urging him to sit down across from her, he complied and settled onto the bed. Resting his hands in his lap and looking down. The quilted bedspread suddenly overtook his entire focus.

Beth sighed softly, reaching in front of her and grabbing his hands. Holding both of his hands in hers before flipping them over and setting them palm up on her knees. She gently held his wrists while running her thumb across the lateral scar on each forearm.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Didn't want to give you any ideas. Which is what Maggie probably thinks I did." Tucker mumbled, he was so embarrassed to talk about himself like this.

"I'd had that idea long before I met you." Beth promised, looking down at the angry, red tracks up and down Tucker's arms. He evaded her eye contact when she saw what she was looking at.

Tucker Adams wasn't an unhappy boy or an anxious one, but he was angry. He held so much distaste for the world in his tall frame that no matter what emotion he was feeling they all came out portrayed by anger.

When Elle pulled him down on the couch and held him in her arms all he could think about was how stupid he had been. The scars on his body angered him and nothing more than the very ones that almost took his life. He sobbed into his sister's chest as his own hands clawed over the scar tissue begging them to go away.

"I'm sorry," He mumbled.

"What for?"

"I'm sorry you feel like that, sorry I didn't tell you, sorry for a lot of things."

"Are you sorry for saving me?" Beth asked, her hands still held his.

"Yes..." Tucker spoke honestly, "but I don't regret it. I'm glad you're still here."