Her Rock

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Ella's POV:

The hours pass as Declan and I lay in the sunflower field, waiting for the sun to descend. He said he wanted to stay till sunset because he wanted me to see it, so that's what we did. If it was spending time with him, then it didn't matter what we did.

His big hand is still interlaced with my smaller one, his thumb rubbing tender circles on my skin.

I've missed him these last few days. Does that make me crazy? Three days without seeing him seemed like a long time. I want to know the reason why— the real reason— as to why he hasn't been attending school, but I'm too chicken to ask. If he wanted me to know, he would've told me.

As I think about him, my thoughts wander to when he first arrived at my house. Oh-my-gosh, how did I forget about that bruise under his left eye?

"Declan, what happened to your eye?" I suddenly blurt out.

He slowly turns to face me. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice." He mutters, sucking in some air.

I glance over at him, and his whole demeanor has changed. He sits up, his shoulders now slumped, and his eyes stare straight ahead. His forest eyes glaze with simmered anger, a miserable look from what I can tell.

Confusion settles on my face.

"My father and I had a disagreement."

Immediately I sit up as the words process in my brain. Did I hear him right? Was he telling me his father hit him? What kind of parent would leave a mark like that on their child? Am I interpreting this right?

Lifting my hand, I gently touch the blue bruise under his eye, careful not to hurt him.

"W-what?" I quiver, tears pricking my eyes.

No wonder Declan doesn't talk about his father. Nobody deserves to be hit hard enough to leave a mark on them from their parents or anyone. What about the scars on his chest? Are those an accident, or were they there on purpose?

"Don't cry, Ellie," He murmurs. "It's not your fault."

I shake my head, and he pulls me to his side. I take my arms and hold him in a tight embrace.

"How long?" I whisper. I need to know how long this has been going on. Is this why he lives alone? Does anybody else know about this?

Declan doesn't look at me; his eyes stay straight on the field ahead, his jaw tight with tension. That's enough for me to know that this hasn't just been recent; it's been happening his whole life. My heart breaks at this new information, the ache prominent in my chest. He must have gotten hit in these last few days, and I didn't even know.

Under that pent up anger on his face, I see the vulnerability, I see the hurt, and I can't help but squeeze him tighter. He's always confident, happy even, but this is a whole new side of him, one that I'm discovering for the first time.

He's always the one comforting me, not the other way around.

A slight fury blisters in my blood, boiling like hot water on a stove. The thought of someone laying a hand on Declan makes me livid.

"Nobody knows," He says. "Only Wes and now you."

"I won't tell anyone, I promise."

He looks down at me, and I don't know what it is, but something is different in his green orbs. His thumbs reach up and wipe the moisture away from under my eyes.

As I hug Declan tightly, not wanting to let him go, I can feel the strain of his rigid muscles.

I put my hand along his face and trace the sharp line of his jaw, my heart hurting terribly for him. I don't even know what to say, so I stay quiet; there really is nothing to say.