The Broken Badboy

Chapter 9

I opened the door to find him sat on the side of the bed looking down at the floor. He didn't look up at me. "Nate?"

He continued to look down and I slowly made my way into the room. I walked over to him and he turned away from me. "Nate, look at me." I said as I pulled his shoulder to turn him around. He wouldn't so I walked around and bent down in front of him. I saw his black eye and his jaw was bruised. I immediately felt worried and scared for him. I placed my hand gently over his bruises and used my other hand to lift his chin up.

He looked up and his eyes met mine. He looked broke, scared and angry all at once. "Who did this?" I asked.

"My dad." He whispered.

"Why?"

"He got angry..." He trailed off.

I couldn't help feeling like its my fault, I let him leave when I shouldn't have.

I examined his bruises, his eye had gone down since I last saw it but his jaw was a fresh bruise, probably from this morning. I reached up to touch it and he winced and my hand shot down. "Is this it?" I asked to see if there was any more. He shook his head and I asked where. He lifted his shirt and his stomach had a range of small and large bruises all around him. I counted five and felt a tear in my eye which I quickly wiped away.

I wasn't sure why I was upset, he had been torturing me all week but I couldn't help wanting to make him feel better. I sat on the bed next to him and put my arm around his shoulder. He sort of leaned into me a little and I rested my head on his shoulder. "It's going to be okay."

"How do you know?" He asked and I couldn't help but notice he sounded like a child again, vulnerable and alone.

"Because you are going to heal and never go back there. You are going to stay here and you are not going to be hit or bruised or hurt again." I replied.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Being nice to me. I've been awful to you all week. I put you under the shower, poured paint over your head, stole your money and more. Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because I know that wasn't you. I know you were just confused and scared and I don't care what you did to me, I can see past that." I explained. "Oh and i'm not bothered about the money, I know they weren't giving you any money for dinner and I didn't want you to starve. I care about you." I added.

He looked up at me and turned his body a little. "You care about me?" He asked as he looked a little surprised. I nodded and smiled a little. He looked straight at me for a minute or two before he turned away.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"It's okay." I replied.

"No, it's not. I hurt you and I made a fool out of you and ruined your week." He replied.

"Don't worry about it."

"But I will."

"Well don't." I told him. He looked up at me again and I smiled. "I'm over it."

I got a few packs of ice out of the freezer, took them to him and he placed them where it hurt him the most. I made him lie down on the bed so they would stay balanced over his stomach. I was about to leave for bed when he called my name. "Maya?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you stay with me?"

"Stay with you?" I asked. He nodded and I stopped for a minute. I hovered at the door for a minute and eventually nodded. I went to sit on the sofa in the corner of the room but he shook his head and patted the bed next to him. I slowly made my way over to the bed and lay down next to him.