Beautiful Scars [1] ✔

Chapter Twenty One

I laid on my bed, thoughts spiraling around in my head like a turning Ferris Wheel. I still couldn't believe Aston had acted like that. He just didn't seem like that type of person. Suddenly, something he said echoed in the back of my brain.

Yeah, well, there's lots of things that you don't know about me.

I shook my head, the jumbled thought now somewhere far away. That didn't mean anything.

Suddenly, my phone was ringing and I looked at the caller i.d. and answered it.

"Hey, Aston. What's up?"

"Nothing. Just talking to a beautiful girl."

I laughed. "Flirting won't get you anywhere, you know."

"Aw, man. I thought I was gonna get boyfriend points!"

"Boyfriend points are earned, not given."

"Someone's a little sassy today."

I didn't reply and I heard static on the other end of the line. "Sophia ... I am so so sorry for yesterday. I was out of line. And I want you to know that I'd never hurt you like that."

I took a shaky breath. "I've just- I've never seen you like that before."

"Sophia. Don't you dare think that I'd even touch you like that."

"But what if I talked bad about your parents? What if it came out wrong, you know? Would you like-" I couldn't continue because I was sobbing so hard.

"Shh. Shh. Don't even say that. Sophia- I- wait. I'm coming over."

The line clicked and I threw the phone on my bed, and then rubbed my face with my hands. I took a deep breath, but I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Mom! Dad!" I cried as their bodies melted into the fire.
"Aston! Stop!" He ignored me and kept on punching him so much his face looked unrecognizable.
"Aston! STOP!" I hollered.

I couldn't stop sobbing. It was too much to handle right now. I looked over at the bedside table. There rested the scissors I had used to end my suffering for a short time, and it looked like it was time for that right about now. I took a deep breath, then walked forward, grabbing the pair of scissors. I raised my shirt, then positioned the blade over my midsection. I let the blade slide over my stomach once, blood dripping onto my pants and making a huge blotch on the remaining lower portion of my shirt. I stripped off of my pants, sliding the blade down my thigh, wincing as the pain set in, more blood dripping onto the floor. I looked down at the floor, noticing that red stain on the floor, where I once cut myself before. I raised the blade again, and that was when the door opened.

"Sophia? What are you doing?!"

I blinked, tears falling down my face, mixing with the blood that was dripping. Aston was hovering over me, his expression worried and angered. He took in the scene of my bloodied state and yanked the scissors out of my hand, grabbing my pants. He helped me put them on, then he dragged me to his truck. He slammed the door behind him and drove away, silence forming into the space between us.

I sat next to him in the park, all signs of other human interaction not anywhere to be found. It was just us two, and I didn't know how to feel about that. He stared at me, his expression blank, then he started talking.

"Why, Sophia?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you cut? Why?"

I chose my words carefully. "I have a lot to deal with right now, and this helps me."

"How?'

"I'm able to release my stress."

Suddenly he had tears in his eyes. "I'm the reason why, aren't I?"

"What?" My voice came out strangled.

"I'm the reason why you hurt yourself repeatedly. How many places have you cut Sophia?"

"Three places. Just three."

"Have I hurt you that much? Have I really caused you that much pain?"

I took a deep breath. "It's not you. It's mostly other things."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

My body trembled. "No, Aston, I don't."

He put his hand on my shoulder, and I flinched back. "I won't hurt you Sophia. I promise you, I won't. It kills me to see you this way." He grabbed my hand and kissed it softly, then brought it to his side, rubbing it in little circular motions. "Promise me, you won't cut anymore."

"Aston-"

"No, Sophia. You promise me."

"Why should I?"

He took a deep breath. "Because it doesn't help."

"How would you know?"

He dropped my hand and stood up, then took off his shirt. He had tons of little slashes, all different lengths, into his skin. They were on his back, on his stomach, and on his chest.

"Aston." I said, my eyes watering.

"I used to cut a lot, especially before I met you. But when I started talking to you, I stopped."

I was crying, and he came to sit by me. "Don't cry Sofa." He wiped away the tears that fell down my cheeks. "You have to promise me you'll stop. I went through it, and I won't let you. You don't have any reason to harm yourself. I can't have you lose yourself, I can't. Sophia, you're my remedy, and I can't -" He started crying and I hugged him to me.

He grabbed me by my waist and yanked me to him, and we kissed through our salt-tasting tears.

"I promise you I won't, Aston. I promise."

He kissed my cheek and grinned. "I want to make it up to you Sophia. For what happened yesterday."

"What exactly do you have in mind?"

"Sophia, would you do me the honor in going on a date with me?"

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