SEEKING 7 | boys of tommen

b r u i s e

I had been up since 4 a.m., staring at my reflection, trying desperately to cover the bruises that mottled my face, neck and chest. No matter how much concealer I applied, nothing worked. I looked horrible—fucked up, really. After a while, I just gave up, letting the makeup brush slip from my hand in defeat. There was no hiding this mess.

I canceled my ride with Gibsie. There was no way I was letting him see me like this. Not today. I felt a sharp pang of guilt as I sent him the message, but I couldn't bear the thought of him looking at me, trying to act like it wasn't as bad as it clearly was.

Darren ended up driving us to school. He tried to talk to us the whole way, but I couldn't focus. His words washed over me, muffled by the roar of my own anxiety. My hands trembled as I stared out the window, my mind racing with how bad today was going to be. I couldn't let anyone see me like this—not like this.

As soon as we arrived, I made a beeline for the girls' toilets, walking quickly, wincing with each step as Shan trailed close behind.

"Aurora, you look fine!" Shannon's voice was soft but urgent, as though trying to reassure me before I spiraled. I ignored her, pushing into one of the bathroom stalls and slamming the door behind me.

"No, I don't!" My voice cracked, raw and shaky. "I don't! I really don't, Shan."

A tear slipped down my cheek, hot and unwelcome. I rarely cried, and certainly not over something as superficial as my appearance. But here I was, sitting on the cold, tiled floor of a school bathroom, crying over a few bruises. Except it wasn't just a few. It felt like 97% of my body was a patchwork of pain, a constant reminder of the violence I tried to hide.

I should've been stronger than this. I should've been setting an example for Shannon, showing her how to be brave. Instead, I was curled up on the floor, my back pressed against the stall wall, trying to disappear.

The stall door creaked open, and Shan slipped inside, crouching down in front of me. Her expression was soft, her eyes full of concern. She gently lifted my chin, forcing me to meet her gaze.

"You look perfect, Aurora. I mean it," she whispered. Her words were earnest, but I could barely believe them.

I sniffed, shaking my head. "Yeah, but I should be setting an example for you," I mumbled, my voice weak and small.

She frowned, standing back up, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. "You are setting an example. You're perfect the way you are, Rory. I mean it." Her voice wavered slightly, but her conviction held strong. She looked torn, as though she wanted to stay with me but had something weighing on her mind.

"I'm sorry," she said suddenly, glancing toward the door. "I need to go talk to Johnny. Is that okay?"

I forced a smile, nodding even though I felt like I was barely holding myself together. "Yeah, go on. Love you."

"Love you too," she replied softly before slipping out of the stall, closing the door gently behind her.

I let out a shaky breath as soon as she left, the silence of the bathroom pressing down on me. It felt like the walls were closing in, the weight of everything I was trying to hold in threatening to crush me.

A few minutes passed in silence, the cold tiles beneath me becoming less of a focus as I fought to calm my racing thoughts. Then, a gentle knock sounded on the cubicle door. I looked up, startled, only to see Gibsie slipping inside. He shut the door behind him, his expression soft and understanding. Without a word, he sat down beside me, pulling me into his side. His arm wrapped around my shoulders, and he pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my head.

We sat like that, wordless, as the school bell rang in the distance. His warmth next to me was enough to keep me grounded for the moment.

"Shan got you, didn't she?" I finally muttered, breaking the silence.

"Something like that..." Gibsie said, looking down at me with those familiar, kind eyes. "She knew you'd need me." His voice was quiet but firm. He shifted slightly, turning to face me more directly. "You don't need to cover anything, Aurora. You look beautiful just the way you are."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "I look hideous, Gibsie. People were already talking the second I walked in here. They stare at me like I'm some kind of weirdo."

He sighed, his fingers brushing a stray tear from my cheek. "I don't care what you say, you'll always look beautiful. Hell, you could smear shit on your face, and I'd still think you're beautiful."

I couldn't help but laugh through the tears, the absurdity of his comment breaking through my wall of self-pity. "You've got a real way with words, Gerard Gibson," I chuckled, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

He grinned, using his sleeve to dry the rest of my tears. "That's what I'm here for."

For a moment, the weight lifted, just enough for me to catch my breath. Gibsie always had a way of making things feel a little less overwhelming, even when I felt like I was drowning.

"We don't have to go to class yet," he offered gently. "I know Mr. Twomey wants to talk to you, but we can go whenever you're ready."

I nodded, grateful for his patience. "Thanks."

He stood up first, extending a hand to help me to my feet. "You wanna come 'round later?" he asked, pulling me up.

I shook my head with a small smile. "No can do. Katie's invited me over for a movie night—bit of pampering, you know."

Gibsie's eyes widened in exaggerated betrayal. "And where's my invite? I love a good face mask. Especially when they put those cucumbers on your eyes, but, y'know, they always accidentally fall into my mouth." He grinned mischievously, his eyes lighting up as we both laughed.

"I'll save you a slice of cucumber, don't worry," I teased.

"Ah, you're too good to me," he chuckled, his arm still loosely wrapped around me as we made our way out of the bathroom.

It was moments like these that reminded me, no matter how bad things seemed, Gibsie was always there to make me laugh, to help me forget for just a little while.