Beneath The Bruises
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- Votes 2
- Parts 3
"He laughs with his friends. Flirts with girls. Wears his dreads like a crown. But no one sees the bruises Azai goes home to."
Azai Bennett is the quiet one in the funniest friend group at school. Everyone thinks he's just laid-back, mysterious, and maybe a little too nonchalant for his own good. What they don't know is that Azai is hiding the kind of pain that can't be joked away - the kind that waits for him behind a locked door and a father's angry fists.
He's mastered the art of pretending: fake laughs, quiet stares, always keeping it pushing. Until she shows up.
Haelynn Moore is the new girl with soft eyes, sharp comebacks, and zero tolerance for games. She's not impressed by Azai's silence or his attitude - and she lets him know it every time they argue. But somehow, she sees the cracks no one else notices.
They weren't supposed to fall for each other. Especially not when Azai swore no one would ever get close enough to see the truth.
But secrets don't stay buried forever... and neither does pain.
---
Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of physical abuse, depression, and emotional trauma.
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