The Choice

24) Aurora

I turn off the water wrapping myself in a towel as I look myself in the mirror. I smile to myself as I apply my moisturizer then put on a short paired with a white t-shirt of his. I let my wet hair down and exit the bathroom to find him already sitting on the bed. We ordered food and ate then each had a shower.

He's lying on the bed wearing only a pair of black home pants propping his weight on his elbow as he looks up to me smiling lazily. He never stopped smiling since my confession. That too, I didn't expect. I've always had a problem with expressing my feelings especially saying this word. But I feel pride that I finally got to let it out.

I look him down as he sits up grabbing my hips leaning his forehead against my stomach. I lace my fingers through his wet locks combing them with my fingers. He inhales deeply before looking up at me.

"Will you braid my hair?" I ask sheepishly raising the brush, he smiles before shaking his head. I pout and he chuckles, "No, let it down today."

I smile nodding and he grabs my waist lifting me easily off of the ground laying me on my back softly on the bed with my hair around me. He leans in above me brushing it wit his fingers with a small smile playing on his lips.

No one will love you if you never change your attitude. The man who gets to marry you will suffer. I hear father's voice play inside my head as always, but today it's louder, clearer.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asks softly, I look back at him nodding.

Concern is still etched on his face as he looks me down, I take a deep breath, he deserves to know it all. To choose if he's going to be with a woman like me; haunted by her past and her own screams and thoughts.

"Dad- dad used to beat me." I say softly looking at his bicep refusing to look in his eyes. I feel him still as he listens.

"He and mom always did. Whenever I did something; big or small I get to be beaten then- then locked in my room. I had to be forced there alone. In the dark and on the floor."

I feel tears slide and he wipes at them rubbing circles on my stomach under the shirt.

"I never knew the time limit. Sometimes it was an hour. Sometimes two- I look up at him- and sometimes the whole day."

I smile softly, "I was so scared at first, I mean I was a literal baby. But I don't know, something changed and I became familiar with it all. The darkness. My spot on the ground. Till it became my comfort where I mend and caress my aching body after getting hit."

I refuse to look at him as I purse my lips then continue, I cannot bear a look of pity, "then the days became months and months became years. And years became my whole life. I just wanted them to stop, I attempted to harm myself so they can take pity on me."

I stare ahead before murmuring, "But they did not."

I feel his lips brush the side of my face then cheeks kissing away my tears as I go on, "I have a younger brother too, I had to protects, I had to raise him to be a bit healthier. But what I realized is that he never got to be raised like I did. I was always responsible 'the older one'" I sniff, "Then I turned to search for kindness outside. I searched for gentle words and someone to love me. Choose me."

I inhale breath shuddering, "in friends that didn't give a damn about me. Backstabbers. Bullies. Cheaters. In boys that only found interest in my body."

I let out a chocking gasp, "Wolves. They were wolves, Omer. The got close to take anything from me. Any piece of meat. And do you know what's more disgusting?" I look at him through my tears, "is that I was so desperate that I would've offered them that piece myself if they only took a look at my heart."