Breaking Loose [Original]

28

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Twenty Eight
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HE HUSHED HER.

Her teary eyes flicked up to meet his eyes and a tear fell.

Oren's heart clenched for the right and wrong reasons and just when he wanted to, he quickly decided against leaning forward and pulling her trembling frame into his arms.

"It's okay" he cooed every two seconds, his gaze unwavering.

Asher sucked in a sob and pressed her eyes shut again, he held her shaky hands and prayed silently.
The air was its thickest that night.

He waited patiently, fought inwardly, broke slowly.

"Asher," her name rolled off his tongue like it was sacred "it's okay, I... I didn't mean to bring this up, I-"

She shook her head, eyes still pressed tightly and a chuckle tumbling out her lips.

She didn't say anything and he was patient.

He deeply truly understood the pain she was in right then and hated that he couldn't touch her more than he already could.

"Do you like...need a hug?" He finally asked, the feeling of sinking his teeth into his fist overwhelming him.

She opened her eyes and stared into his soul. Her pupils dilated slowly like she was adjusting to suck him in all at once.

"I mean...I'm sorry if,"

"Okay" she rushed out and he was stunned.

They stared at each other and he saw her face pale.

He bit back a smile and reached forward with arms wide until their bodies met and tension was released.

He sighed inwardly.

The hug lasted and when they pulled apart her eyes never left his "Thank you" she murmured

He nodded, genuinely honored to have been of help.

Hugs brought comfort. After prayers of course.

"I hate my life" she shrugged "I hate that I still have this stupid body, with stupid thoughts and a terrible past!"

"You are not stupid, okay? You are fearfully and wonderfully made by our God." he admitted.

Asher's eyes looked between his, a look he ascertained meant she had a lot going on in her head.

"Look," he took in a breath " I am a victim too"

Her eyes widened for a second and dulled again "Don't pity me"

" I'm not, I'm telling you, this is true"

She narrowed her eyes and he chuckled at her childishness.

"Growing up for me was...just as tough." He nodded "My father was an alcoholic and my mother, well...she was worse. My dad hit me with the belt at every slip. My mother...she left the most scars."

"I really never realized what happened to her because she was a sweet loving woman when I was still a toddler. She developed some kind of syndrome and she was violent to my brother and I. She drank, he died in her womb and I took the pain she felt physically,"

He watched her keenly, the fear of letting open that side of him was slowly fading "I had always thought it was just me, until I found other kids my age who suffered the same thing. I...ran away from home. Lived on the streets, ate off the streets and it was just terrible because I met some bad kids. You know villains are made... The torment we are made to suffer, they bring out the worst in us and you'd never know what you're capable of. " He stopped and frowned " Am I scaring you?"

She shook her head slowly, her eyes like black pools.

He took a slow breath before continuing "This side of the story isn't totally mine to tell. Everest has a dark past too..."

She inhaled sharply, a hand going to her mouth but he smiled. " Yeah, we go way back"

By then Asher looked different, she felt somewhat confounded. He was, for some reason opening a wound that started to heal...it was feeding her curiosity and breaking his resolve at the same time.

"Oren, you really didn't have to tell me this"

He flashed her a hopeful smile and patted her one hand "But I do, you know why?"

She shook her head, honestly not knowing.

"Because these scars make us beautiful,"

She frowned but he nodded

"Beauty is through the pain" he continued to mystify her mind with words "I feel like God puts us through certain things, not to break us, but to build us, to pick us up and fix us, to show us His loving kindness in the time set for it. I feel like it's all for His glory. Just like when the Bible says all things work together for our good "

Asher blinked, her head clouding with thoughts

" What do you have to say?" He grinned in amusement as he enjoyed her current mentally distorted state

She pursed her lips and there was a knock on the door.

In came Harry, he rushed to where she was and didn't delay his bear hug. "Oh yellow, I've gotten at least twenty speeding tickets today"

She chuckled when he pulled away "How are you?"

She replied

"I've seen the doctor, yellow, you'll be fine before this weekend " he assured and she smiled hopefully, a side of her still unsettled from him getting to know her childhood was far worse than she'd let on.

Out the corner of her eye, a tall figure was perched by the door, still and expressionless.

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