Fading Red...

Chapter 6

Several hours later we left Niall's flat, completely exhausted. I was sitting in the passenger seat of Liam's car, with my head resting on the cold glass of the window. Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran came on and I swear when there was a stoplight, I felt his warm lips on my cheek. But how on earth would I know? I was asleep.

Liam's POV

Ingrid was asleep on the couch of my apartment. She looked kind of cute when she slept; the way her eyelashes fluttered every few seconds, the soft snores that escaped her lips, how she was curled up in a tight ball yet her left arm hung off the couch. I walked over, sat next to her, and began stroking her soft brown hair.

My eyes trailed from her hair to her arm, and the massive scar that started at her shoulder and ended at her wrist. It was met by a series of short thin scars and scabs on her wrist. These were no ordinary scars they looked like someone had sliced her with a knife. I had to know what had happened.

"Ingrid?" I pleaded as I shook her shoulder and woke her up. Her green eyes looked at me sleepily.

"Hey Li. Why so urgent to wa-" her eyes followed my gaze and she quickly pulled her arm away. "That's nothing.." she told me, but I could tell she was lying, by the way she was biting her lip like it was bubble gum, and staring down at the floor.

"No.. It's something. What happened there Ingrid?" I asked, hoping to get a straight answer.

"I.... Uh..." she stumbled to find words, although she never settled on anything.

"Ingrid, look at me and tell me the truth." She looked up from the floor and into my eyes.

"I was cut by a knife when I was 10." She whispered.

"Who cut you?" I asked, anger boiling in my veins although not towards her, towards whoever had cut her.

"It was an acci-"

"No it wasn't, now tell me" She breathed a deep breath and I rubbed her knee, as if to tell her that I knew she could do it.

"My dad." the words cut like a dagger through my heart. Her own father. He had hurt her like that. I was disgusted, he had cut his own daughter.

"Did he do anything else to you?" I whispered, sitting next to her and rubbing her back.

"Him and his friends raped me, so I started cutting myself." she choked. And with that she broke. She began sobbing into my chest, I lifted her into my lap. I officially hated her father.

"Ingrid?" I asked.

"Yes?" she whispered shakily.

" I won't ever let anyone hurt you again. I promise." She fell into my arms again.

"Sing to me?" she asked between sobs.

"Of course."

I breathed in deeply an sang the only song that described my feelings for her.

"There is a house built out of stone There is a house built out of stone

Wooden floors, walls and window sills...

Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust...

This is a place where I don't feel alone

This is a place where I feel at home...

And I built a home

For you

For me

Until you disappeared

From me

From you

And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust...

Out in the garden where we planted the seeds

There is a tree as old as me

Branches were sewn by the color of green

Ground had arose and passed it's knees

By the cracks of his skin I climbed to the top

I climbed the tree to see the world

When the gusts came around to blow me down

Held on as tightly as you held onto me

Held on as tightly as you held onto me...

And, I built a home

For you

For me

Until you disappeared

From me

From you

And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust..."

I finished the song and she drifted off. I whispered two words in her ear that I vowed to never break.

"I promise."