~"Bella!" "Get your ass with my beer!" He screamed. "Yes sir" she said loud enough for him to hear but making sure it sounded respectful. As she brought the mug of beer to her father, she accidentally tripped, and spilled the tiniest bit of it on the tile. She gasped, for she knew what was about to happen. "Ass. Here. Now" he growled as he glared at her. When she reached his arm chair, Bella's father grabbed the mug and set it down on the side table next to him. Bella mentally tried to prepare herself for what was about to happen, but it was too late. Suddenly, a sharp pain was all over her cheek. "That was for being a fucking lazy ass." Another slap to the other side of her face. "That was for being late. Now turn ninety degrees. She did as she was told but all she wanted to do was cry. The pain she was about to feel felt like fire. She heard the crack, but she felt it before she heard it. The whip hit her side five times before it ceased. She knew she would have to tend to them as soon as possible. But she also knew that the left side of the shirt she was wearing, would be covered in blood. Mad tee a moment of silence, she began to walk away. Her mistake. Suddenly, she felt the pain across her back. It was the whip, a newer one that cut deeper than normal. "You're such a fucking stupid ass Bella. I mean why the hell can't you follow directions?! How hard can it be Bella?! It's not that difficult!"...~
She sat on Michael's couch as all the memories came flooding back to her. She started to cry when she came back to reality. "Bella, I'm so sorry for whatever I did". Michael said. He almost sounded as if he was going to cry himself. But Bella was determined to explain. She gathered herself together and removed her hoodie. Two scars on each arm, that wrapped all the way around her forearms, because visible. Michael became even more upset, but didn't interrupt. Bella took a deep breath and rolled up her shirt. Slowly, dozens of thin, but long scars came into view. But it wasn't until Bella turned from Michael, did he see the scars on her back. Michael felt a tear slide down his face. "Bella. Why? Why do you do these awful things to yourself?" He asked her. "You don't understand". She replied but she got cut off before she could finish. "But you see," Michael said as he moved his bracelets, showing Bella his scars. Bella gasped and felt like someone has just soccer punched her a dozen times. "Michael" she said in what could only be described as a whimper. "I didn't do those". He realized who did. Her father. Michael was in tears. Bella felt like crap but had practiced keeping back her tears much longer than Michael had. He just laid his head in her lap and cried. He wasn't embarrassed, he knew Bella was here for a reason, and this was one of them. Bella just rubbed his back and whispered to him,"it's ok. You're going to be ok. I'm right here ready to stand by you in whatever you go through. You will never be alone." She reassured him. When she got no response from him, she grabbed his, shoulders and pushed him up so he could see her face. She took her hand, and gracefully wiped a tear from his face. He closed his eyes at her touch it was so gentle. "Michael. Michael look at me" Bella said. The moment he did that, their eyes locked together and they couldn't look away no matter how hard they tried. Suddenly, Michael felt Bella's lips gently press against his. He felt like God himself was in front of him. And to Michael, she was. She was unexplainably perfect. Michael had just felt the weight of the world, roll off his shoulders. Almost as if he somehow managed to get an excuse from this burden he had his entire life. Bella pulled away and said, "you are amazing. The way you think of me? Yeah. That's the way I think of you. If you haven't noticed, I need you in my life. You are the most important person in the world to me. I can't have you leave."
