ELI POV

I can't believe that I just walked in on Clare changing… What the FUCK! Is my problem? She had scars along her whole body, battling scars, self inflicted, and other wards, defensive scars. I can't imagine how she felt. She has been in her room for about 20 minutes, and I'm sure it's because of me. Great job, Eli.

"Sorry, I was trying to find a shirt." She was a pretty bad liar, but I wasn't going to push it, I knew it was because of what just happened.

"So, what are we doing to day?" she looked down.

"Actually, I don't feel too good, you should probably go home, or something," I sighed.

"Clare," she cut me off.

"Maybe Adam needs you for something, I'm just going to go lay down, I'm not feeling well." she mumbled, again, I knew she was lying.

"Clare, are you okay?"

"Yea, just a stomach bug or something, I'll see you tomorrow Eli!" she was trying really hard to seem enthusiastic, yet failing miserably.

"Alright, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, just remember, if you ever need to talk, I'm here." she smiled, an actual smile.

"Thanks Eli that means a lot to me." She started to run upstairs, I slowly but surely made my way to the door. I shouldn't be leaving her here like this.

I walked back into the house, and started up the stairs. Clare was sitting in the hallway, with her hands in fists, with her hair in-between each fist, out of frustration. And tears silently flowing down her face.

"Clare…" I sighed out. She jumped up, and faced her back to me, walking into her bedroom, trying to hide the fact that she's whipping her tears away.

"Did you, um forget something Eli?" she put on the most miserable smile I have ever seen.

"Clare, it's going to be okay, you don't have to lie to me, ever. I am here to talk to you, anytime. Please remember that."

I went to grab her arm, and she winced and pulled away, trying to walk away, but I grabbed her wrists, and pulled up her sleeve, to see three new fresh, angry marks, thrashed across her arms.

"Clare, why did you do this?" she pulled away, but I pulled her into a hug, she kept on trying to tell me everything was okay.

"It's just my stomach, I'm fine, just my stomach. Everything will be okay, it's just my god damned stomach." She kept mumbling this, while crying, but I felt like she was talking more to herself than to me.

She kept repeating this so much that it hurt to hear it, I put my fingers to her lips.

"Clare, everything will be okay, you trust me right?"

CLARE POV

"Stop, please! Get off of me!"

One clawing to the stomach later.

"OW! It hurts!"

"You trust me right?"

"NO!"

"BITCH!"

*end of flashback*

"Yes…" I cried into his shoulder again, I hated myself. Over and over again.

ELI POV

"Eli, why don't I get a chance?"?

"What are you talking about?"

"I didn't get my chance to be beautiful…" it was barely a whisper, but it broke my heart.

"Clare, your too beautiful for your own good." She pushed herself off of my, and ripped her shirt up, barely covering her chest.

"Then what is this Eli! and this! And this!" she kept showing me more scars. And it broke my heart seeing it because no matter how battered or bruised she is, she will always be beautiful.

She still was crying. Put pulling her clothes back on.

"Clare, you are beautiful, and a great person and a lot of people love you!" she looked down.

"I don't feel to thrilled about myself. I wish I could be someone else, someone that goes on dates, and can be with a guy without thinking about their father. I wish-"I cut her off, she didn't need to say anything more, I just looked at her, as we laid on her bed.

"Clare, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen." She smiled and put her arm around me, and closed her eyes. I smiled, knowing she was feeling better.

"Eli, is it… never mind." She rolled over, away from me, and wrapped herself into a ball."

"Clare, what is it?" she sighed,

"Trust me, you don't want to hear it," I looked at her.

"Clare, try me. You can tell me anything."

"Okay, I warned you…" she was silent for a minute.

"Is it bad, that all I want to do right now is, is kiss you?" I blinked a few times, making sure I heard her right. She took that as my answer and rolled back over, into her ball, away from my grasp.

"Eli, just go." I really didn't know what to do, did she really want me to leave?

"Nope, I'm gunna just sit here, and when your ready to kiss me, I'll be right here." she scoffed.

"You really don't have to do that. I get you wanna be here for me, or whatever, but that has nothing to do with it." She thought I didn't want to kiss her?

So I kissed her, she didn't hesitate, or pull away, she just kissed back, making me kiss her even deeper, and she went with it.

"Eli, I don't know why you did that,"

"Because is it so bad that I wanted to kiss you too?"

She smiled, and leaned in to kiss me, it was pure bliss, her lips coexisting in mine, felt like a lair of silk forming.

It was amazing until she suddenly pulled back, her eyes wide.

"I have to go, to the uh bathroom." She jumped up and ran to the bathroom. What was wrong? Did I do something?

CLARE POV

Ugh! What is wrong with me? Why couldn't I just sit there and kiss him. I started feeling this excitement building inside me, and then right when I realized what it was, I freaked. I never felt like this before, so into anyone before. She never felt the need to be around someone the way she did around Eli. She was with KC, but it didn't control her like this, and that was what was scaring her the most.

I walked into the bedroom, to see Eli deep in thought.

"Sorry about that." He snapped out of it.

"Are you okay?" I nodded, and swallowed the lump in my throat.