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Chapter: Fourteen

*Above is a picture of  Russel Crowe who I imagine playing the character of Bruce, Scarlett's step-father*

Scarlett

I push my hair out of my face as I wipe down the counter at the diner. Elvis Presley is softly humming through the speakers hanging from the four corners of the diner and I sing softly under my breath as I move silently through the diner, wiping down tables. It's 10:00 on Sunday night and there's no one here except for me and Brandon who's at the back manning the grill. Donna had to go home early to deal with a family issue and we were already short staffed to begin with so it's just the two of us but luckily, it's been a slow night.

The bell above the door chimes and I turn around as I cut off singing. Connor stands in the doorway with his hands shoved in his pockets. His eyes are rimmed with dark circles and his posture is slouched so much that he's only a couple inches taller than me instead of several. His eyes swivel around the room taking in his surroundings before finally landing on me. His gaze is heavy and filled with guilt. I lower my eyes before going to the counter and pouring him a cup of hot chocolate; he hates coffee. He slumps down into a chair at the counter and I slide the cup towards him. He smiles at me but it looks pained. I go around the counter and take a seat beside him and wait for him to talk. He stares at his cup of hot chocolate as he swirls it around with his blending stick.

"You know I never stopped loving you? Even after you hurt me I loved you. I tried so hard to forget you and move on but I couldn't. Eventually though I found a way to push any thoughts of you to the back of my mind and lock them away so that I could get on with my life, and I did. I dated other girls and was mostly happy, but then Alex brought you back and with you all of my feelings." He says as he shifts in his seat so that he's facing me directly. The bags under his eyes let me know that he hasn't slept since before the formal. I can tell that the guilt has been eating away at him and it makes me sick to know that he feels guilty even after everything I did to him.

"I tried to ignore it and tell myself it was just me remembering all of the old feelings I had for you, but I couldn't, not when Alex was acting like he was the only one who truly knew you. I hate that he got to dance with you and not me, I hate that you seem to trust him more than me, I hate the look in his eyes whenever he's with you and I hate seeing you two holding hands and hugging. I lost it and I lashed out at Alex and I was so out of control that I lashed out at you too. You don't know how sorry I am that I hit you. If I could take it all back, I would in a heartbeat. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness but please know I am so sorry. Every single fibre in my body is drenched with guilt at what I did to you and-" I cut him off by throwing my arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug.

"Please don't apologize to me. I'm fine." I whisper and he pulls away to glance at my cheek where he hit me, where a dark bruise is. He lifts his fingers up to touch it but I jerk my head away only as habit but his expression darkens with shame and guilt.

"Clearly not. Look at what I did to you. You're afraid of me." He chokes out. "I physically hurt you and I'll never be able to forgive myself for it." He says as he gazes at me and I shake my head vigorously.

"I am not afraid of you, I'm just not comfortable with people touching me." I say, the words rushing out faster than I meant them to. Truth is, I was slightly afraid of him but the fear only stemmed from what I have been put through with Bruce. "I have forgiven you. I'm not mad about what you did to me, you could've thought I was any of the guys. What I am mad about is what you did to Alex and what he did to you. What the actual hell is going on between you two?" I ask and he glances down at the floor. "Don't tell me nothing is wrong because I see the way you two interact with each other around me. It just seems like you're both angry with the other but I have no clue why."