A Little Story About Love

Part 21

Max

As soon as Chance's finger touched my inner arm my mind went on full alert. I had to use all my willpower not to pull my arm away. At first Chance didn't notice the scars, but then his finger stopped moving. I felt him move slightly and raise my arm with both hands. He caught his breath but didn't say anything.

Letting out the breath, he said in a small voice, "Max...?"

I tried to stay calm, breathing deeply and letting out a soft, "Hmmm?" to let him know I was listening.

"Are these...?" He trailed off, and my heart nearly stopped.

The silence was overwhelming, crushing in on me. My mind was spinning, flooding with dark memories. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "They're mistakes. They're my past." I could hide my scars and my past from my peers, but not from Chance. The only thing I couldn't bring myself to tell him yet, was about my stepfather's abuse.

Chance didn't move, he stayed silent. My heart pounded in my chest and I'm sure he could hear it. After what felt like hours, Chance slowly lowered my arm, and ever so softly pressed his lips to the mess of scars on it.

"Please," he whispered, "don't ever do this to yourself again."

I smiled painfully, "I wasn't planning on it."

Chance chuckled, "I mean it. I'll have to kill you if you do, and I could go without the murder charges." A wide smile spread across his face.

The thought made my heart warm, but something was still nagging at the back of my mind. "What about when you're not around to kill me anymore?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Chance intwined his fingers in mine, "I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon." He rolled over and his chocolate eyes met mine. I smiled weakly, feeling vulnerable. Chance cupped my cheek in his hand and kissed me slowly, communicating what couldn't be put into words.

Chance pulled me in close, wrapping his arms around me protectively. I melted into his embrace, staring into his emotion-filled eyes. I felt the walls I had spent my entire life building begin to tumble down, leaving me vulnerable and balanced precariously on the trust of another. My whole being was terrified and I felt goosebumps raise across my skin. As wall after wall crashed down, I clung to Chance, trying desperately to preserve at least a few of my well constructed emotional barriers. Scared and unsure, I fell into the comforting darkness of Chance's body, pressed against mine.