In Darkness and In Light

Lose him on the truth or keep him on a lie.

{Aaron POV <- Hold up? Aaron's POV!}

I stood at the work surface in the RV making a cup of tea, someone had told me once upon a time that tea made everything better... I was hoping they were right.

Taking out the teabag, I placed it on the side before looking over at Robyn who had fallen silent almost 20 minutes ago. Her expressionless make up stained face never gave me a single clue as to what she was feeling or thinking. But her thumb was digging into her bad hand viciously, I watched as she dug her fingers into the light bandages wondering why on earth she couldn't feel anything. I was wincing just watching.

Picking up the cup I took it over and held it out, giving her something to hold rather than have Robyn inflicting pain on herself. 

"Here.." I whispered passing the cup over carefully into her hands.

She took a few seconds before reaching out and accepting it, setting it on her lap she looked down at the cup. 

The split lip and reddening on cheek bone had questions filling my mind, but I had said for her to take her time...  It was only when I angled my head that I realised the reddening was actually a developing bruise. 

"How was the lockdown?" She asked in a raspy voice. I gave her a knowing look making her head lower.

"Not what you want to talk about... Right." She mumbled.

"Sweetie what happened?" I asked moving a piece of hair out of her face. A simple move from me had her flinching and whole body stiffening.

"I won't hurt you." I whispered.

"H- he said that too.." She crumbled as tears built in her eyes. Her fingers tips went a soft shade of pink from her tighening grip on the cup.

I had a thousand thoughts going through my mind, one of them being a thought I desperately wanted to ask so I could move on from it.

Has he done this before?

I didn't like to think so little of Zak, but he's unpredictable at times, the slightest thing could set him off and after being in a dark lockdown with him.. Sometimes he held a little aggression. There has been countless times where we've had a bust up in the car on the way home from the energy he consumed, only this time, it had spilled out and on the wrong person.

"What was over? Can I ask that?" I stepped carefully.

She nodded "Make up. I just looked tired and wanted myself to look better. It was only for his benefit as well." She shifted.

"I- I finished it. I can't go through another relationship being afraid to breathe. I won't do it." She spoke quietly.

I wanted to believe her, but I knew her attachment to Zak ran deep, more than what it would with most people. I knew she had done it before, walked away.. But I couldn't see her doing it again. I watched her take a small sip before placing it down.

"I'm not much good at tea." I admitted mainly to myself.

I also knew I wasn't much good at giving advice, in fact I was terrible.  Bacon would probably be a whole lot better at this.

"Do you think he will forgive me?" She asked looking at me for answers.

"You have nothing.. Nothing to be sorry for." I answered finding it hard to believe that even now she was blaming herself.

"But I knew he was getting controlling, he warned me and I kept messing up. I never meant for him to do this. I just--" She shook her head "Maybe I bring out the worst in him? I do that to people.."