Forsaken

Needing him.

I walked to Aaron's front door, my bag hanging on my arm and my camera in my hands.

I had avoided it all day, in fact I had tried to forget about it completely but when Alec dropped me off at the gate to Aaron's community and I had walked slowly up the community, it all came back. Dipping into my bag I held my camera that had been my secret escape for the past 4 years and cried. Like a baby.

Aaron opened the door looking confused as hell passing him my camera, I continued to cry as I put myself in his arms.

It took nearly an hour to give up the tears as I cried myself to exhaustion. He took my hand and guided me to the bedroom.

"Undress." He ordered.

I took a shaky breath and removed my clothes only to be guided into his bathroom.

Seeing a bubble bath, I looked up at him. "Get in for me." He whispered kissing the side of my head.

I got in and sank into the bubbles hugging my knees. Aaron settled down on the floor and began washing my back with a wash cloth gently. I sighed deeply at the feeling of hot water relaxing my muscles.

"Speak to me baby. Please.." He whispered looking worried.

"M-my camera."

"How? How did it happen?"

My face scrunched and I was crying again. Aaron ditched the cloth and pulled me into a hug.

"I can't make it go away if I don't know what to do.." He whispered into my ear. "Why were you wearing some guys shirt?"

"It was A-Alec's." I hiccuped.

"Okay, why were you wearing his shirt?"

"Because Mark poured hot soup over me. I can't put up with it anymore Aaron. I don't want to!"

His arms tightened around my frame as he brushed my hair back gently. "Let it all out."

"He's a psycho, he- I didn't do anything! I don't do anything! But he just keeps lashing out at me! Says he owns me! I haven't got any proof to get him! He's too clever!" I sobbed.

"No, no he isn't! He's a fucking coward! You're not going back tomorrow. I don't care, we can argue about it until the morning and I'll tie you to my fucking bed but you're staying here... With me."

I nodded "Okay."

"Jesus Christ..." He whispered.

Any other time I would have put up a fight, the word stubborn was created from me. I was the definition, yet now I was a different word.

It had started over my camera but now I was admitting to myself that I was scared of Mark, he was unpredictable and he was getting confident. Alec wasn't even 30 feet away, he was simply behind a closed door.

Andy was already moving our shifts so we wouldn't see each other but the small overlap of an hour was enough for him to inflict pain.

Aaron pulled away to see my face, his large hands holding my head up as his thumbs swiped away the tears.

"Did he break your camera too?"