Committed ✦ Wilk

Fifteen

"Thanks," I said as Alex pulled out my chair for me. He pushed me in and I couldn't help but feel awkward. He sat down across from me and I looked around to take in the atmosphere. The restaurant wasn't too crowded--it was only Wednesday night and the music played softly through the speakers and the lights weren't as dim as they were on weekends.

"Do you remember this place?" He asked regaining my attention.

"Hm?" I asked and then finally realized what he had said. "This is where you brought me for our first date," I bit the inside of my cheek and ran my hand through my hair nervously. He smiled causing his piercing blue eyes to twinkle. I used to love everything about his eyes, but they're just a distraction from the real monster that he is. His whole appearance hid who he was--dusty brown hair, toned muscles, and a facial structure that could carve granite. I had always had the biggest crush on him all throughout high school, and when he finally asked me out for the first time word got around school and I was gaining more and more friends by the minute. He seemed so great and wonderful at first, and then after the first couple months it all went terribly wrong. It started with him always picking arguments, and tricking me into believing that he was sorry. I gave him everything that he wanted and it got to the point where the only time I left the house was to go to school and work. When I went anywhere else he was convinced I was seeing other people, and he would even spy on me at work to make sure I wasn't talking to another guy. He started calling me names, making me feel like I was worthless and then he started to take his anger out on me. I was so blinded by all of it because I swore that I loved him, and he promised he loved me too. I hid the bruises, the marks, everything because I didn't want him to get in trouble. There were days when everything was okay, and those were the days when I thought I could help him and change him into a better person. He told me he wanted to change and he was sorry for everything he did, so of course I stuck around. After awhile everything started to numb be, and I thought I would surprise him for our one year anniversary by telling him that I was pregnant with his child. It was a horrible idea--he flipped out and accused me of cheating and swore that it couldn't be his child. He left after that, everyone found out, my stepdad convinced mom to kick me out, and there I was: freshly eighteen, two months pregnant in my own apartment completely scared and alone.

"Yeah," he nodded. We stayed quite for a minute and I fiddled with my fingers counting down the minutes until it was all over. "Listen," he said causing me to look up at him. "I'm sorry for everything that happened. You didn't deserve any of that, I was so stupid."

"Yeah," I frowned. "You really hurt me."

"I know, and I know just by saying sorry it won't fix what was already done," he sighed. "Baylor, if you just give me one more chance I swear I'll do anything to make it right." The old me would have came crawling back to him, but I didn't want him--I wanted Sam.

"I'll need some time," I said finally.

"I understand," he nodded with a small frown on his lips. We ordered our food and he made a million attempts at a conversation. None of them lasted though due to the fact that we had nothing in common and I didn't even want to be there. "I can't believe how big she's getting," he said referring to Raina.

"I know, she grows so much every day," I said with a small smile. The mention of her name always brought a smile to my face even when I wasn't in the best of moods. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, anything," he said before taking a sip of his drink.

"Why did you really text me after running into me at the restaurant?" I asked and he paused in the middle of his sip.

"W-what do you mean?" He stuttered.

"You had never tried to make any contact with me beforehand, and then you see me at a restaurant with another guy and all of a sudden you want to come back around..." I said biting my lip. "We live in the same town and you've seen me around before but you never said anything. Why then?"