Reluctant Lovers ( COMPLETE)

Rainbows and Sunshine

"Knock, knock, little bitch, I brought you your favorite, tuna on toast. Eat up little whore." I have no idea how long I've been up here, days? A week? I know my arm is broken and I'm pretty sure my shoulder is dislocated. The smell of tuna makes my stomach wretch, but I know if I don't eat it, I'll have nothing for another two days. Like a starving animal, that's basically what I am, I scarf it down in no time. "Good little bitch, now drink this, we can't have you getting dehydrated." He coos to me. He starts brushing my hair and puts it up into a ponytail.

"Please Brian, my arm is broken, please can we go to the hospital?" I ask carefully, I know the chances are slim but I have to try, "I won't tell them it's you, we can say it was a car accident, please, it hurts so bad."

"I'm sorry, but you've been up here too long, no one would believe we waited two weeks, to see a doctor for a car accident." My eyes fill with tears, two weeks? I've been up here that long? What about school, does anyone even know I'm missing? Of course they don't, I'm invisible. "Oh little bitch, don't cry, I've been taking good care of you haven't I?"

I'm broken, every part of my body hurts, I haven't eaten anything in days except that disgusting toast. I want to die, I hope he kills me. Brian walks back over to me with what I now see is a knife in his hand. "I asked you a question whore, am I taking good care of you?" The knife is new, what will he do with it, is he just trying to scare me? He's never cut me before.

"Yes, Brian, you take care of me." I rush out

"You're not a very good liar Aleena, do you think you're not getting what you deserve for being late?"

"I have the receipt Brian, I told you the line was long! Why don't you believe me?!" Shit, why can't I keep my mouth shut. He punches me in the face two times, I'm then lifted off the floor and spun around where he rips open my shirt, "I told you, you fucking bitch, not to ever speak to me like that! You will respect me! I've done everything for you you whore, this is how you repay me, by disrespecting me?! " I feel the first slice deep in my right shoulder all the way to the middle of my back, the searing pain is almost too much to bare. I scream, with the force of it my voice is cut off from lack of air. Again, he cuts me again, this time the other ...

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I wake up screaming, covered in sweat, my breath ragged, and tears streaming down my face. I quickly jump from the bed and run full force to the bathroom where I spend the next several minutes puking. As I finish I sit down with my back to the tub, I lean over to turn on the water, I'm exhausted, I feel like I was back in that attic trying to just survive. I really wish he would have killed me. Liam is still out, he's either having the time of his life or, he must have spent the night at Taylor's. I slowly peel myself off the floor and climb into the shower, the water is heaven on my tired muscles. It's Sunday and I have to work tonight, maybe I can get a couple more hours a sleep before I have to get to work. I know it's my turn to clean the apartment, but if I get that done now it will leave me some time to nap. I finish my shower, dry off and slip into my tee shirt and shorts. I strip my bed, it's soaked through with the aftermath of my nightmare. I look at my phone and notice it's only 6:30 in the morning, there is a message from Liam saying he did stay at Taylor's and that Megan will be at our house by ten with some dresses for the date with Marc.

Oh fuck, the date, can I even do this? I have to think of a game plan to get this guy off my back, or on my back. Oye! Get a grip woman! Really though, he's awfully persistent, Taylor keeps saying I deserve to be happy, would it hurt to give him a chance? Could he really be interested in something more than a fuck, he said he isn't interested in women like that, he's too busy building an empire, but the way he said he hadn't been interested in a long time, did that mean he was interested in me? I'm mean, I know he is, but could it go somewhere? Should I let it? Ugh I can't deal, I'm going to clean this house and talk to Megan. She'll know what to do.

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"This is the one, elegant, but understated and comfortable!" Megan claps her hands, she's found me a black dress, one shoulder is completely exposed while the other is long sleeve. It's beautiful for sure but I can't wear it, I won't even try it on, Megan knows about Brian but she has never seen the scars.

"I can't wear this Megan, what else do you have. Nothing backless and nothing too revealing."

"Oh please Leen, try it on. It isn't backless and it's just your shoulder. Please, Please!! If it shows anything we can take it off or hide it with your hair," She's begging, I can't help but give in.

"This isn't the dress Megan, but for you I'll do it. I'm warning you now, so you don't get your hopes up." I am mentally preparing myself for her reaction to the scars, everyone is the same, they gasp, or cry, or get angry, then the firestorm of questions happen. She already knows what happened, but nothing prepares you for actually seeing it. I trust her, Megan and Liam are the closest thing to family I'll ever have, it's now or never. I put the dress on in the bathroom, it's actually beautiful, and really comfortable, it hugs my breasts perfectly, squeezes my hips and stops just before the floor. The right shoulder is the worst of my scars, and it's completely covered but the sleeve, the other side is exposed but not as low as I thought. I turn in the mirror and realize you can only see the very top of the second scar. It's deep and red, but it's only an inch off the line of the dress, I might be able to hide it, or maybe Megan can alter it so it's completely hidden.

"Ok, maybe I was wrong, this could be the dress, do you think we can hide this?" I turn around expecting to hear the inevitable gasp, nothing. I turn around to see a smile on her face, a real genuine smile. Well, that's unexpected.

"Aleena Jordan, you are gorgeous!" She jumps off the bed and crashes into me with a bone crushing hug! "Oh gosh I'm so glad you like this dress! We can put some makeup on your back, we'll leave your hair down in some loose curls, I'll do your makeup. He will be so busy looking at your front, he won't even notice! I'm so excited! I knew this was the dress, I have these great shoes to go with, EEEKKKKKK!!! Ok, take it off let's look for a bra." She starts unzipping my dress and I turn around to move away. I don't want her seeing all of me.

"Hey wait, I can do it! Please stop." I'm rushing out. I'm getting nervous, she can tell and she stops abruptly.

"Aleena, you don't have to be nervous around me, I don't care what you look like. You're beautiful scars and all. That's your past, its physical, not who you are in the inside, anyone who knows you like we know you isn't going to care. You're not going to scare me away." She says softly, my eyes well up. Nobody, has shown me the kind of kindness Liam and Megan has shown me, I want to believe her.

She slowly unzips her dress, and I let her, as she slips the dress off my hidden shoulder, she says nothing, she sighs and wraps me up in my robe. I turn to look at her expecting to see pity, it isn't there, just a small smile and she says "It hasn't been rainbows and sunshine for any of us my friend, you've just had it worse than most."

I hug her, deeply thankful for the lack of judgment and pity, "Thank you Megan, thank you so much." I whisper.

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Megan's POV-

Thank Heavens Liam prepared me, well he tried to, I have never seen anything like that in my life. How someone could do those things to a person, I'll never understand. Her back is so mangled, 3 deep cuts in her back, like he wanted to gut her. How she even survived that is a miracle, she should have died that day. It took all of me not to cry for her, to just hug her pain away. I call Liam as soon as I'm in the car, I can't stop the tears from falling.

"I know sister, I tried to prepare you," Liam starts, he must have heard me crying

"Liam, do you think this guy can handle this? Are we doing the right thing, I feel like we are sending her to the wolves. I don't know if I can go through with not telling her." I'm full out sobbing now.

"Megan don't you dare tell her, this is the right guy, I knew it the day he came to the apartment. He's different, what guy calls her roommate for advice?" Liam starts, "And besides, she will never try if she doesn't get a push, you know I'm right."

"I know that, but she can't handle another disappointment, it will finish her," I sigh deeply.

"He's the one sister, I know it." Liam finishes

"I hope you're right little brother, I hope you're right."