Borrowed Time Part 2

Chapter 247

Getting Esme to leave the house while she was staying home alone to take care of her wounds and possible head injury was like pulling teeth, but she would be damned if they missed school because of her.  They took extra time putting their clothing on, looking at her with worry - a show that she did not mind getting - before letting out a sigh, giving her one last attempt.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay home with you? Because it will take zero convincing for me not to leave your side until you're back at school." Esme said, looking at Juliette with a worried little frown, their eyebrows scrunched up. She winced as she sat up, shaking her head even though it hurt to do that today - the bruising was more substantial than she'd thought, she'd woken up black and blue on her neck too, which she hadn't even remembered him getting his hands on.  Maybe he hadn't, bruises could migrate, it was hard to know.

Either way, that was neither here nor there - she wasn't going to let Ethan's dumbass keep Esme from getting their education. They were finally hitting a stride, and she didn't want them fucking that up for her. Gianna would be home at lunch to check on her and give her more medications, Shelby and Micheal would be by after school, the doors and windows were like Fort fucking Knox now... No one was getting in. She could be safe here alone.

"No, I want you to go to school and focus on learning.  I won't move from here, don't worry... Hell, I'd go with you-." Esme gave her a stern look, shaking their head before she could even finish her sentence, making their stance very clear.

"The hell you would." Juliette rolled her eyes, grimacing at the pain that caused before she looked back at Esme... The least that they could do was let her finish a sentence before they leapt all the way down her damn throat.

That was just common courtesy.

"I would go with you if my teeth weren't busted... I can't even look at myself in the mirror for very long, I don't want to be a walking horror movie in the hallway." She said, seeing Esme frown as they looked down at her, shaking their head.

There was nothing for them to deny, that was just factually accurate.  She looked like she'd gotten into someone's SFX makeup bag and gone hog wild, not like a beautiful girl who would enjoy being perceived all day.

Not someone that she herself would want to perceive... She'd probably piss her pants out of fear if someone hobbled up to her that looked how she looked right now, it was horrifying.

"Mmm... I still think you're the most beautiful girl I've seen in my entire life." Esme said, giving her a warm smile, which was sweet... Very sweet.

For a dirty rotten liar, she knew that her lips were inflamed from the stitches, her teeth smelled like death from the breakage, her breath constantly smelled like blood because the teeth kept cutting her tongue, and that the bruises had turned her skin a variety of colors, not one of them flattering.

"You don't have to flatter me-." Esme cut her off, sighing as they sat down on the edge of the bed to put their boots on... Well, at least they weren't fighting her to stay home anymore. She'd never forgive herself if they fell behind because of her, that just wouldn't be fair. That wasn't a compromise that they had signed up to make.

That statement would be argued if she said it out loud, that much she knew... So, she pushed it down. Don't speak of it.

"We've been over this.  I'm not trying to flatter you; I'm telling you the truth." They insisted, which... Ridiculous.  She found it very hard to believe that anyone could look at her right now and see anything but innate ugliness, horror even.