Hold on and Hope

glass

i highly recommend listening to the song through this chapter- the song always makes me cry.

Maisie

My shaky hand holds my head as I face Harrison. Gosh, this headache hurts.

As slowly as possible, I turn around, delaying the inevitable. I can't remember the last time I cried in front of someone, and I didn't want to start now. I wouldn't start now.

I refuse to look up at Harrison. He'll see the cut. The blood. The vulnerability.

"Maisie..." Harrison begins, sounding like he's unsure as what to do.

He's probably wondering what happened in the short amount of time that wreaked this much havoc within me.

I shiver again, the icy weather hitting directly into my heart.

"Come on, let's get you inside." He gently takes my hand and drags me to his car, opening the door for me and turning the heat all the way up.

I don't know why I trust Harrison. I mean, trust may be a far stretch but the feeling is somewhere along those lines. I refuse to think about the fact that every male figure I've known has hurt me.

Harrison's not like them.

Or more specifically him.

I wrap my arms tightly around my body and scratch my arms harshly. Yikes, that's definitely going to leave a mark but it's whatever.

I feel Harrison watching me. Every movement he makes is filled with caution.

"Oh my god." He whispers.

I face him, looking at his face but not making eye contact. He doesn't say anything but I know exactly what he's looking at.

I feel a small drizzle of blood trickle down the side of my face and Harrison leans forward, inspecting the damage.

"Who did this?" His voice turns dark. I can tell he's trying to stay calm but there's so much danger in his voice it almost scares me.

I look away from him, tightening my arms around myself and closing my eyes tightly.

My head hurts. It's not from the cut but all my thoughts. I feel like I'm going to explode. I can't, not here, not in front of Harrison.

I feel a hand on my chin and I open my eyes. Harrison turns my head to face him before dropping his hands into his lap.

A sharp pain pangs in my head and I wince, the sickening feeling rising within me.

"Mais... who did this?" His voice is calmer this time, and for a moment I contemplate telling him the truth or not.

I don't want to be a burden for him but I also don't know how much longer I can go on carrying this all on my shoulders.

No, it'd be selfish to put this on him. No one deserves to feel like I do.

Expect you of course.

More tears fall down my cheeks and my shoulders shake in an uncontrollable amount of pain.

I push myself back into the leather seat, hitting my head harshly against the headrest.

Harrison lurches to me, holding my head in one hand and my shoulder closest to him in the other.

"I'm sorry Harrison." I begin to mumble, feeling an unbearable amount of guilt for him having to see me like this.

Before I can say anything else he leans even closer to me.