my dear ↷ the selection series

Chapter 17

Maxon's pov

I hated to see America like this. I should have chosen her at the the end of the Selection itself.
I walked down the corridors until I bumped into Daphne.
I looked down a faint blush rising in my cheeks.
"You could atleast say a 'hi'"She said smiling sadly.
"Yeah....i mean...hi Daphne." I said embarrased by my actions.
"You will never change will you" She said pushing back my hair from my forehead.
"Daphne....its over.....between us....you understand that i am married." I said softly. I didnt want to hurt her more than I already did.
"What do mean Maxon. I didnt mention anything." She said pouting.
"You can't touch me so intimately." I said. Suddenly there were tears streaming down her face.
"Daphne I didnt mean to hurt you. You are my friend and one of the closest I have ever had." I said badly wanting to wipe those tears away.
"Well i am sorry Maxon....but i still love you....." She said putting her arms around herself.
I sighed." I am sorry" I breathed.
"Actually I am sorry that I was just too stupid. I am not as pretty or smart and a perfectionist to fit the Maxon Schreave'. I am just a idiotic lovestruck girl who just can't seem to get over the boy she fell for." She said sobbing harder.
"No....no...Daphne you are smart and confident. Things which I am not." I said tears welling up in my eyes too. This isn't fair for her. She was one the most sensible person I have ever met. She always knew the right thing to say. She knows me better that anyone else. She knew what my father did to me even before than America.
"You know me better than I know myself. Please dont say all that.I know you the way you know me Daphne. " I said crying now looking at her.
"You think you know me Maxon Schreave. You dont even know the half of me." She said angrily.
"Then tell me." I replied wanting to know the reason behind all this. She took my hand taking me inside a room and locking the door.
She began to unbutton her shirt. I closed my eyes.
"Woah woah Daphne.....what the he'll are you doing!" I exclaimed.
"Open your eyes. I have no bad intentions." She said her voice raspy.
I opened them looking at her bare back.
There were purple bruises and burn marks in shape of circles. There were cuts and scratches. It was painful to watch it.
"Daphne....what...." i asked shocked.
"Frederick. .....Papa told me to marry him. Faithful I did marry him. He began to force me into submission and if I said no....he used to beat me up and sometimes torture me with the burnt cigarettes. I told papa and we divorced. That's why I came here hoping that you would understand me or atleast remember me but.....it was the exact opposite." She said her shoulders shuddering as she cried. I let this happen to her. I let her marry some stranger who....who abused her. She still waited for me. I was such a unsympathetic person. Tears of sadness fell from my eyes as she pit her shirt back on. Her eyes were cold...distant. her usually radiant and happy face was gone.
"My mind hates you Maxon Schreave but my heart....my heart loves you." She said tears falling across her cheeks. She walked away from me as i went back to my room. America was crying too. We sat next to each other.
"So Daphne loves you." She said her eyes filled with understanding. She must have heard us.
"We ruined so many lives America. I don't know what to do." I said crying harder. Daphne and Aspen deserved so much more than us. They are more stronger than any of us. They have experienced so much heartbreak. There lives were all into pieces and i barely know what they are holding onto. I was atleast lucky to have America.
We cried on each others shoulder. She rubbed her hands across my cheeks as i fell asleep.