Broken Together

Chapter Eleven: Stay

~Aurora~

Waking up, I feel a sharp pain. I hold my neck with my hand and wince as my eyes open.

I slowly sit up and look around the room to find Xavier sitting in the corner with his hands in his hair, staring at the ground. The dim light is covering his features.

I try to think back to what happened. As my memory surfaces, images of Tom go through my head. What he said to me, what he did. My hand moves to my cheek as I can already feel it swollen. The pain I am feeling is not just from Tom. It was from...Xavier. He...Xavier bit me...he-

My feelings of confusion are soon taken over by sadness and anger. I have never felt that way toward Xavier before. Betrayed. Until now. He hurt me. He marked me...

I look down at the covers that lay over my body, trying to figure out what to say, what to do.

I try to move the sheets so that I can stand up.

I feel Xavier stand and begin to approach me.

"D-do not t-touch me." It is the most painful thing I have ever said. He is my-my mate. And he hurt me.

As I look up to meet his eyes, I can see the hurt displayed on his face. I feel his emotions. Hurt, shame, and fear.

"Aurora-please-"

I stand beside the bed and put my hand out, signaling for him to stop. I found myself doing this more often than I would like. I do not want to push my mate away, but right now I feel the need to.

"No." I manage to say.

With every move I make, pain courses through my body.

"You're in pain, your body is rejecting the mark, rejecting me."

It feels excruciating to hear him say the words.

"You f-forced your mark on me. I-I was not r-ready." I say

"I know-baby-Im so fucking sorry. I saw you lying there, and smelt his scent on you. he was masking it somehow before but, I smelt him all over you and I just couldn't-"

"You had a ch-choice. You took m-mine away. I trusted you. I-I need time." I say, walking into the bathroom shutting the door and locking it.

Through our bond, I can feel what he feels. Which is how I know he could feel mine.

I waited a while, just staring at myself in the mirror.

I look horrible. My hair is a mess, my skin is pale, my face is bruised and my neck is red and scarred with his mark.

Once I feel him leave the room, I look down at my arms, pulling my sleeves up to reveal my skin. My scars. I have no control over my life. Scanning over the sink with my eyes I can see Xavier's razor sitting right there. It will only take a minute to get the blade out and a second to cut. Only a second.

But I can not. If I do, Tom wins.

I close my eyes shut, trying to get the will to walk out of the bathroom.

Images of Xavier, his touch, our kiss, and our home, flash into my mind. As much as he hurt me, he is also the only one that can bring me comfort.

I have known him for barely a month, and he has already taken over my entire existence.

I can not forgive him now, but a part of me knows one day I can. One day, I can. Just not today.

~Xavier~