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.”Hope blossoms in my heart like a dying rose petal given new life by a few drops of water.I cling to his shoulders and search his eyes for the one thing that will make me happy.“Can I come home?” I ask.His smile widens and his eyes dance with joy.“Your home is in my heart and to me you never left.”Liam carries me to the bedroom and strips the rest of my clothes off while his eyes roam hungrily over my body.He scoops me up, carries me to the bed, and lies me in the middle before joining me moments later.We lie there just staring into each other’s eyes, letting the reality of being like this again sink in.His fingers are softly combing through my hair and my hand is against his pounding heart.I know this is the moment.My heart rate speeds up to match his, but I push the fear of not being accepted aside.“Damon was my best friend until he raped me.”The abrupt confession causes his hand to freeze in my hair, his relaxed body stiffening with tension underneath my fingertips.His eyes don’t waver from mine and I know he’s waiting for me to continue.“I was fourteen when I met him.He was nice to me and really paid attention to what I said.I never had that so I cherished it.He was older than me and I’ll admit that I liked the attention from a good looking older guy.Maybe if I hadn’t flirted with him the way I did…”“Don’t do that,” Liam finally says, breaking his silence.“Don’t blame yourself for what he did.He was older than you and he knew what he was doing.”“It never even mattered to me that he was older because we were both lonely with our own set of issues.My mother hated me and his mother died during childbirth.His father loved him through his bank account, and he didn’t seem to have any real friends.It didn’t take long for me to realize why.He had these crazy mood swings.One moment he was sweetest guy and then something would trigger him and he would fly off the handle.The first time it happened…” Emotions get clogged in my throat as I try to get the words out but I continue anyway.“The first time I just wanted to die, not from the physical pain, which went away quickly.From the pain in my heart and the dirty feeling that overwhelmed me.The kind of dirty that makes you want to scrub off your skin, but then you realize that the filthy feeling is skin deep and it stays with you forever.”Liam’s hands continue to caress my hair and I can see the anger building in his eyes.I’ll take anger over pity or disgust, those two emotions I can’t handle to see in his eyes.“How many times did this happen?” he asks.“I don’t know.At first I stopped sleeping in my room or I would wake up early before he would show, but I never knew what day he was coming, and it didn’t matter because he would always find me.It was worst when he had to look for me or I fought him so after a while I stopped trying to get away.”“How is this even possible? Where were your parents?”“My dad took a lot of business trips and my mom hated me.Damon always coincidently showed up when my dad was gone so I figured out she was letting him in.”“Why would she do that? My god, Ella, this is a lot to take in.”“Why wouldn’t she? Damon supplied her with her next hit, and all she had to do is let him fuck the daughter she hated.”I’m pretty sure she wasn’t always an addict.Before I turned six, she was just indifferent to me, ignored me most of the time.Then overnight everything changed, she was mean, cold, and never let a chance to insult me pass her by.I don’t know when Damon became her supplier because he never spoke to her when we were friends.My guess is that he got desperate when I wouldn’t talk to him and turned to Elaina for help.Liam jumps out of the bed and stomps out of the room.I follow him cautiously, and find him screaming into his phone.“You need to find him now! You’re supposed to be the best, do your fucking job and find the bastard.While you’re at it find Elaina Moss too.” He throws his phone across the room and I’m surprised when it doesn’t break from the force.His head is down and his hand is rubbing his forehead.I walk up behind him and wrap my arm around his body, caressing his abs and kissing his back.I’m thankful that he has the urge to protect me, but I didn’t want to make him this angry.“I’m okay now baby, I have you and I can finally see a future where everything used to be a blur.” He turns around and pulls me against his body, and rests his chin on top of my head.He holds my naked body closely and I’m ready to let him in, ready to lay my soul bare.I tell him about the day Damon took everything from me.Isabella10 years earlierI’m done.Done with Damon, done with my mother, done with this fucked up excuse of a life I’ve been given.I’m weeks away from leaving for college, and I need to rid my life of them.I could never understand Damon’s obsession with me.If you ignore the cold evil glare in his eyes, he’s a handsome twenty-four year old man.I often saw women swooning over him, and prayed he would lose interest in me, but he always came back to torment me.I knew he was coming today so when the door opens I brace myself for Damon’s reaction to my rejection.My heart pounds in my chest and my hands tremble in fear.It’s been years since I fought him and I’m not sure what he’ll do when I say no.He reaches out for me and I take a step back.Confusion clouds his eyes before he attempts to touch me again.“I’m done Damon, I won’t do this with you anymore,” I say, shaking my head at him.His eyebrows lift and he chuckles at the absurdity of my words.“I’ll never be done with you, Isabella.I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you.You were twelve the first time your father brought you to my house.I knew your beauty would only increase with age.I kept my distance until you were old enough.Even at fourteen, that body of yours had more curves than women twice your age.You were ready for me, and once you stopped fighting it, you enjoyed it.Your body loves the things I do to you.You love me.”His fingers run down my face and I flinch from the contact.“I hate you,” I say through gritted teeth.“I’m leaving for college and you’ll never see me again.”“Is that what you think? You think you’re going to run off to college and hide from me.You think you can find another man to make you feel the way I do?”I don’t know why I decide to get bold, but I know I have to make a daring move.“Plenty of men can do what you do but better.Plenty men already have.”He takes a step back, totally taken aback by my statement.He had no idea I’d ever been with anyone but him.His next move is so swift I’m shocked by the sudden pressure in my throat as his hands wrap around my neck.“You fucking whore,” he seethes.His eyes bulge out of their sockets and his face is red with rage.“You gave someone else my shit?!”My hands clutch his arm in an attempt to loosen his grip on my neck
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