Mark looked at her as she erupted into tears and felt all his anger melt away. "Baby, I'm sorry, I'm not going to hurt you." He said. Laura looked up at him still standing near the door and just cried harder. Damn he thought, I've scared the hell out of her. He was afraid to touch her; he didn't want to scare her worse. "Laura calm down, I swear I would never hurt ya." "I know" she said as she cried even harder. "Then what ya crying for?" He asked. "You don't like me no more." She said with tears streaming down her face. He was confused. "Darlin, where you get that idea at? "You haven't spoke to me or touched me since we been to the doctors, he told you about the scars on me. You think I'm ugly now and worthless." She said gulping down sobs. Mark was stunned that she thought that. Mark went over and picked her up and took her to his room. He sat on his bed and held her in his lap. "Laura, look at me." He said. She looked up at him. He traced the tear drops with his finger. "The only reason I didn't say anything to you or touch you was because you looked upset when ya got through at the docs. I thought Id leave you alone until you got out of your mood, that's all." She started to say something but he put one finger to her lips. "As for you being worthless or ugly, that's bullshit. You are the most beautiful person I know inside or out. You're smart, funny and sweet. No amount of scars will ever make you ugly or worthless Baby. Your parents are the ones who are worthless, they did that to you." "Nobody will ever like me" she said. "Once they see how fucked up I am" Mark set her on the bed facing away from him. "Lift your arms up" he said. Laura did as he said and slowly lifted her arms. He pulled her shirt up over her head. Laura crossed her arms in front of her chest. Mark gazed down at the scars and small burn marks that covered her back. He ran his fingers over each one then bent down and kissed each one. His goatee tickled and raised Goosebumps on her skin. When he had kissed each one he bent close to her ear. "You are Beautiful." He said. His breath tickled her ear. She cried silently. He picked up her shirt and slid it over her head again then he turned her around and pulled her onto his lap. Laura couldn't believe he actually thought she was beautiful. He really did like her. Her heart sang with happiness. She wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his chest. Mark sat and rocked her till her tears had stopped. He laid her on the bed and went and got a cool washcloth and wiped off her face. "Ya want something to eat?" he asked. She nodded. "Come on" he took her hand and led her down stairs.
Mark and Laura sat next to each other while they ate. Mark kept up a steady conversation about his plans for her. He told her he was taking her to get her drivers permit after school Monday. "I want to get you driving as soon as possible." He said. "You can use the jeep Cherokee; I drive the truck all the time any way." "Do you know anything about driving?" he asked. "Yea I can drive." she said. "Okay, Kid I gotta know. How did you pick up driving?' he asked. Laura looked a little embarrassed. "I umm, well…I used to steal cars for this guy in the neighborhood. He broke them down for parts, or either sold them if they were nice. He ran a chop shop." "Look Mark I had to do a lot of crap like that to survive, I know you probably think I'm some kinda street thug." "Laura I know you're a good person, you did what you had to do." He said. He pulled her to him and kissed her on the cheek. "No more worries today, Baby." He said. Laura relaxed; she didn't want Mark thinking badly of her. "Well you shouldn't have a problem getting your license then. I'll call Monday and have you put on my insurance." Mark said. They got up and cleaned up the kitchen. "What ya say we go rent some movies, Laura?" He asked. "Okay, sounds good." She said. They went to the door and seen it was raining. Mark went to the closet and pulled out a hat and put it on her head. "Wouldn't want ya to melt." He said and grinned at her. She giggled at him. "You're silly." She said. He grabbed her hand and they ran out to the truck and left.
Laura was in the kitchen making popcorn. Mark was putting one of the movies on. They had got the new Friday the thirteenth Movie and The new Highlander movie. Laura had told him Highlander was her favorite show and she hadn't seen the newest movie. Laura took the popcorn and grabbed a beer for Mark and a Pepsi for herself. Mark had started a roaring fire. He had several pillow and blankets on the floor in front of the couch. He spread one of the blankets out. Laura handed him the beer and sat down beside him. They sat propped against the couch. "What Movie we watching first?" she asked. "Friday the thirteenth." He said. They sat watching the movie. It was getting to the first scary part. Mark grinned. He reached over and grabbed her. Laura screamed. Mark started laughing. "Did I scare ya baby?" he asked. "Ha Ha very funny." Laura started pelting him with popcorn. "Hey" He said, "That wasn't very nice." "Yea" she said. "Neither was scaring the shit out of me." "It was real funny from where I'm sitting." said Mark laughing. "Oh yeah, well lets see how funny you think this is." Laura dumped the whole bowl of popcorn over his head. She fell over laughing when she seen the shocked expression on his face. She was on her back laughing her ass off when he leaned over her. His face was right in hers. "You trying to start a war little girl?" He said. God he smells good she thought. He didn't have a shirt on and his chest was hovering over her, she wanted to reach up and run her hands over it. He thought there was something wrong because she was just staring at him. But she finally answered. "Hey were even, you scared me first remember?" Mark grinned. He took her hand and pulled her up. "Yea your right, you get off lucky this time little girl." He said. Mark sat back against the couch and they started watching the movie again. When a really bloody scene started Laura jumped over to Mark and buried her face against his chest. Mark put his arm around her and chuckled. "You didn't tell me you were scared of horror movies." He said "Well you didn't ask." she said with her face still buried against him. "Is the scary part over yet?" she asked. "Yea." He said. Laura turned her head back toward the TV but stayed against Mark. He kept his arm around her. Every time something scary happened Laura would put her face against Mark. When the movie was over mark said "you didn't get to see much of it with you hiding your face every five minutes." "Oh stop teasing me." She said. "Oh its all right, Ya looked kinda cute trying to dive under me every time you was scared." Mark said. Laura blushed. She punched him in the arm, "Stop it." She said. "I'm sorry Darlin." He said. "I won't tease you no more." He grinned at her. "Yea right." She said. "I promise, at least not tonight anyway." She looked up and she couldn't resist that smile of his. She smiled back. Mark got up to put in the next movie. "I'm going to get another beer, ya want something?" he asked. "Can I have a beer?" she asked. "I don't think the hell so, little girl." He said with a frown on his face. "Okay, Okay, chill I just asked." She said. "Ill take a Pepsi." Mark came back and handed her the Pepsi. She sat there and really got into the highlander movie. She finished her Pepsi and leaned her head on Mark's arm. "You look sleepy." He said. "I'm not sleepy." She said. Mark took a pillow and put it on his lap. "Here Baby, lay down." He pulled her over to him and she laid her head in his lap. Mark pulled the covers over her. Mark stroked her head with one hand and wrapped the other one around her waist. Laura pulled his large hand into her small one and held it next to her. "You're such a sweet little thing." Mark said. Mark looked down and she was sound asleep. He put her on the couch and covered her up. He bent over and brushed his lips across her cheek. "nite Baby girl."