Kay stared. A thick white bandage graced her right arm. The bandage hid an
injury that had been a gift from her mother. Some gift. Grace had squeezed
her arm so hard that her IV needle had gone through a vein and she'd had to
have surgery to patch it. She still couldn't believe she's suffered this
pain at the hand of her own mother.
Abuse, the word echoed through her mind. Child abuse, her mother could go to jail for that. But Kay was content to let her get away with just the punishment of divorce and the restraining order. She still couldn't comprehend that her mother had done this.
The look in her eyes as she squeezed Kay's arm harder and harder had been horrifying. Just the memory of it made Kay shiver. Anger, hate, disgust, and evil had been glowing in the eyes of the woman who was supposed to be so kind and sweet.
Also, Kay had the dream again. Only this time when she reached for her mother, Grace hit her and said she'd done it because she was so ugly. Kay had woken up, frightened to open her eyes, fearing that if she did her mom would be hovering over her, waiting to attack.
Kay's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone turning the doorknob.
"Go away, Reese," she said, already knowing who was coming through the door.
"Khaila, would you please stop acting that way." Reese sighed, exasperated.
Ever since the day Reese told her about her face, six days ago, Kay had been…well, a bitch. Every time someone came to see her she was rude and tacky. After a while, people stopped coming. Sam, Simone, Jessica, himself, and strangely enough, Ivy Winthrop were the only ones who came anymore.
"What way? I'm not acting any specific way." Kay said, knowing perfectly well she was being a brat.
"Fine, okay," Reese sighed again, "So, how do you feel?" he asked and immediately cringed. He shouldn't have said that.
" You want to know how I feel! I'll tell you how I feel. I feel like crap! I've been in this stupid, boring, and colorless room awake for eight days. Then today I find out my body's not healing fast enough so I have to be here for two more weeks. My head hurts, my arm hurts, my chest hurts, my whole freakin' body hurts! I want to leave this room and not feel this stupid pain!" Kay panted, tired from her outburst.
Reese looked liked he'd been slapped. Every time he had asked her how she felt she'd been sarcastic and mean. This was new. This spiteful anger was a new part of her attitude. Then he noticed the white bandage on her arm.
"That wasn't there before. What happened to your arm?"
"Nothing." Kay muttered and averted her eyes.
"That's not nothing. What happened? Come on, Khaila, tell me." Reese persisted.
"My mother abused me! Okay, now you know. You happy? I was being a brat and she squeezed my arm harder and harder. I got to have surgery to patch the hole an IV needle made in my vein, courtesy of Mummy!" Slowly, Kay's voice softened, "And he just stood there. I thought I loved him. Even if he didn't love me we were supposed to be friends. He just stood there." Kay whispered, tears ran down her cheeks.
Reese realized she was talking about Miguel and a flicker of happiness fluctuated in him when he heard her say she Ithought/I she loved him but seeing her cry in pain squelched any joy he felt. Gathering her in his arms he let her cry on his chest as her wall crumbled down.
"Shh, it's okay. She's not worth your tears. Neither is he. You're beautiful person. If they can't see that, it's their loss." Reese whispered.
"I'm not beautiful," Kay whimpered against his chest.
Reese pulled away from her, put his hands on her shoulders, and lightly shook her.
"Listen to me, Kay. You Iare/I beautiful. I don't care what's under these bandages. The things that make you beautiful are completely unharmed."
"What things?" she asked miserably.
"Your eyes, your smile, your hair, your sense of humor, your caring, your kindness. The list goes on and on. The point is, you are beautiful. You're beautiful in a way that no accident can ever take away." Reese insisted.
"I'm not caring or kind." Kay said.
"Yes, you are. I know you don't let anyone see it but I have. I've seen the fear you have when your dad goes on a dangerous assignment. I've seen the protectiveness when Jessica goes out with a guy you don't know. I've seen all of that and it makes me love you even more."
Kay's eyes filled with shock.
"You love me?"
Abuse, the word echoed through her mind. Child abuse, her mother could go to jail for that. But Kay was content to let her get away with just the punishment of divorce and the restraining order. She still couldn't comprehend that her mother had done this.
The look in her eyes as she squeezed Kay's arm harder and harder had been horrifying. Just the memory of it made Kay shiver. Anger, hate, disgust, and evil had been glowing in the eyes of the woman who was supposed to be so kind and sweet.
Also, Kay had the dream again. Only this time when she reached for her mother, Grace hit her and said she'd done it because she was so ugly. Kay had woken up, frightened to open her eyes, fearing that if she did her mom would be hovering over her, waiting to attack.
Kay's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone turning the doorknob.
"Go away, Reese," she said, already knowing who was coming through the door.
"Khaila, would you please stop acting that way." Reese sighed, exasperated.
Ever since the day Reese told her about her face, six days ago, Kay had been…well, a bitch. Every time someone came to see her she was rude and tacky. After a while, people stopped coming. Sam, Simone, Jessica, himself, and strangely enough, Ivy Winthrop were the only ones who came anymore.
"What way? I'm not acting any specific way." Kay said, knowing perfectly well she was being a brat.
"Fine, okay," Reese sighed again, "So, how do you feel?" he asked and immediately cringed. He shouldn't have said that.
" You want to know how I feel! I'll tell you how I feel. I feel like crap! I've been in this stupid, boring, and colorless room awake for eight days. Then today I find out my body's not healing fast enough so I have to be here for two more weeks. My head hurts, my arm hurts, my chest hurts, my whole freakin' body hurts! I want to leave this room and not feel this stupid pain!" Kay panted, tired from her outburst.
Reese looked liked he'd been slapped. Every time he had asked her how she felt she'd been sarcastic and mean. This was new. This spiteful anger was a new part of her attitude. Then he noticed the white bandage on her arm.
"That wasn't there before. What happened to your arm?"
"Nothing." Kay muttered and averted her eyes.
"That's not nothing. What happened? Come on, Khaila, tell me." Reese persisted.
"My mother abused me! Okay, now you know. You happy? I was being a brat and she squeezed my arm harder and harder. I got to have surgery to patch the hole an IV needle made in my vein, courtesy of Mummy!" Slowly, Kay's voice softened, "And he just stood there. I thought I loved him. Even if he didn't love me we were supposed to be friends. He just stood there." Kay whispered, tears ran down her cheeks.
Reese realized she was talking about Miguel and a flicker of happiness fluctuated in him when he heard her say she Ithought/I she loved him but seeing her cry in pain squelched any joy he felt. Gathering her in his arms he let her cry on his chest as her wall crumbled down.
"Shh, it's okay. She's not worth your tears. Neither is he. You're beautiful person. If they can't see that, it's their loss." Reese whispered.
"I'm not beautiful," Kay whimpered against his chest.
Reese pulled away from her, put his hands on her shoulders, and lightly shook her.
"Listen to me, Kay. You Iare/I beautiful. I don't care what's under these bandages. The things that make you beautiful are completely unharmed."
"What things?" she asked miserably.
"Your eyes, your smile, your hair, your sense of humor, your caring, your kindness. The list goes on and on. The point is, you are beautiful. You're beautiful in a way that no accident can ever take away." Reese insisted.
"I'm not caring or kind." Kay said.
"Yes, you are. I know you don't let anyone see it but I have. I've seen the fear you have when your dad goes on a dangerous assignment. I've seen the protectiveness when Jessica goes out with a guy you don't know. I've seen all of that and it makes me love you even more."
Kay's eyes filled with shock.
"You love me?"