She Told Me Not to Worry (SEQUEL to He Told Me Not to Tell) COMPLETE

49

Demi's POV

I followed Kenzie to her room, making sure to keep my distance. When I arrived at her open door, I saw her scrambling through her drawer.

"Looking for something?" I asked. She froze at the sound of my voice. She slowly looked over at me. I held out the four blades in my hand. She stared at them for a while, both of us silent.

"W-what are those?" She asked.

"You tell me," I told her.

"I don't know-"

"Kenzie don't do that," I begged while still trying to be strong. She slowly closed her drawer without saying a thing. "Where, Kenzie? Where are you cutting? And more importantly, why?"

"I'm not," she told me as calmly as she could. I could tell she was lying.

"Please don't lie to me, Kenzie." She didn't respond. She wouldn't look me in the eyes. I tried to stay calm, but it was difficult. "Now, I promise that I'm not mad. You aren't going to get yelled at, and you aren't going to get in trouble. This will go a lot easier if you tell me where you're cutting."

Tears sprung to her eyes. "I-" she started hesitantly. "I'm not."

"Show me."

"Mom, why don't you believe me?"

"Why don't you want help?" I threw back at her. "Kenzie, I'm here to help you, not get mad at you. Yes, I'm hurt, but I'm not mad." A tear spilt from her eye and she quickly wiped it away. "Now if you are telling the truth, prove to me that you aren't hurting yourself."

She held out her wrists and pulled up the sleeves to her sweater. "See? Nothing."

"You and I both know that's not the only possible place." I sat down on her bed and patted the spot next to me. She hesitantly sat down next to me. "I love you, Kenzie, and if you're hurting, I need to know so I can help."

"I'm fine, Mom, I really am." She put on a smile, I could tell it was fake.

Without thinking, I placed my hand on her thigh. She winced, even though my touch was soft. She froze and stared at me with horror in her eyes.

I lifted my hand off of her leg. "Why did you flinch?"

"I-I didnt."

I reached out to her leg again, making her gasp and flinch away.

"Kenzie, let me see your thigh."

"Mom," she said in a shaky voice before I cut her off.

"Kenzie, just let me look."

Her eyes filled up with tears again as her lip started to quiver.

She slowly stood up, and even more slowly pulled her pants to her knees.

I had to fight to hold back tears. Both of my baby's thighs were covered in red lines. There were only a few white ones.

Why? Why?

"Kenzie," I whispered, still keeping back tears.

"Don't hate me, Mom, please don't hate me," she cried out.

"Oh baby," I said as I reached out my arms. She walked into them and I wrapped them tightly around her shaking body. "Nothing you do could ever make me hate you."

She cried and cried. "I'm sorry, Mommy."