Chapter Twenty-Six: Scars
Alaina had barely just gotten her shirt buttoned up when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she said, sitting back down on the bed, glad to sit down again.
The door opened up and she saw Carrick standing there. "I just came to see if you were all right," he told her, still standing at the door.
"I'm okay." She sighed, leaning back on the bed, tired again.
"You're not a good liar," Carrick told her, leaning on the doorframe.
"I know, I feel horrible," Alaina admitted with a groan.
"I imagine," Carrick sympathized. "Where exactly does it hurt?" he asked.
"Everywhere. My wrists, my stomach, my head, my—" She stopped short, not wanting to continue.
Carrick smiled. "Your head probably still hurts from the lack of air you had yesterday, your wrists from the shackles, obviously, and your stomach from the water you swallowed and the food you threw up last night."
Alaina looked up at him. "How did you know about that?" she asked. "James told me this morning," Carrick admitted.
"Oh," was all she said.
"Have you eaten anything since last night?" he asked her after a few seconds of awkward silence.
"No," Alaina told him with a sigh. "Even the thought of food makes me sick."
Carrick shook his head. "If you don't even try to eat now your body will start to reject any kind of food. Now," he said crossing his arms, "what sounds the least revolting?"
***
Alaina sat quietly on her bed, taking small bites of the carrots Carrick had brought her, staring up at him. He watched her carefully, making sure she was swallowing it and not spitting it out.
"I'm done," she told him, pushing the plate away from her.
Carrick nodded and came up to take her plate. He wasn't going to make her eat anymore than she could handle. "You can sit down and talk to me, you know," Alaina told him with a grin. "I don't have any diseases, only my stupidity. Which isn't contagious, as of yet." Carrick smiled and gladly sat on the other cot. "Can I ask you something?" Alaina wondered, scooting closer to him. Carrick nodded. "Where did you get that?" She motioned at the scar on his jaw.
Carrick sighed. "My father."
Alaina raised an eyebrow and leaned towards him, resting her hands on her knees. "I'm sorry," she apologized.
Carrick gave her an odd look. It sounded as if she had been responsible for what happened his entire life. "You don't need to be," he assured, shaking his head.
"So," she said, sighing after a minute.
"So," he said, mimicking her. Alaina looked up at him and smiled, making Carrick look down at his hands. He'd never seen her smile and it make him feel odd that she would at him.
"Are you all right?" Alaina asked, concerned, moving over so she was sitting next to him.
"Huh?" he asked, looking over at her. Seeing how close she was, he looked away again.
"What's wrong?" Alaina asked, placing a hand on his arm, trying to get him to look at her.
"Nothing, I'm fine," he told her, looking over at her and giving her a grin.
'He thinks I can't see right through him,' Alaina thought sadly. She wondered what other kind of scars he had from his life, not just physical ones but emotional as well. "Carrick," she said after a minute as he began to inch away from her. "What happened to you?" Carrick looked at her, puzzled. "Why do you back away from me like I'm going to hurt you?"
"I'm sorry," Carrick mumbled, lowering his head, embarrassed as well as
speechless that she had asked that question.
"There's nothing to be sorry for, I shouldn't have asked you something personal like that," Alaina disagreed, feeling awkward.
"No, its okay. It's just a habit I guess."
Alaina's heart softened at that. He had been hurt so many times. Could he trust anyone? His life had been so hard and rough that he didn't even trust her, a not-so-strong, stubborn girl. They were silent a few moments before Alaina leaned in and gently kissed his scar. "Please don't be scared of me," she asked, looking into his eyes and skimming her fingers across the damaged flesh.
Carrick took in a deep breath as she brushed back some of the hair from his forehead. She was incredible. He had never known someone who was so bold and so gentle, and he never expected it to come from her. How could she try to help him and heal the damage when she herself was a broken mess? "I'm not," he lied, leaning back away from her touch, it was so comforting, but that comfort scared him.
"Yes, you are," she argued softly. "I won't hurt you, I promise." Carrick looked at her suspiciously. 'How many times have you heard that one?' his subconscious reminded cruelly. But he wanted to trust her; she understood him more than anyone else had.
"Carrick?" Alaina asked, lightly tapping his arm. He had been zoned out for a few minutes, probably debating whether to trust her or not. He blinked, looked at her and grinned, and she smiled back at him. She knew she had been entrusted with his hope, and she wasn't going to break his faith.
"Good. Now," she said, leaning back with him, glad he was loosening up, "would you be so kind as to help me get up on deck without falling over?"
***
A/N: Well now I am OUT of ideas. So if you want to see something happen let me know and I will gladly type it out! That includes you, ERIN!! Anyhow, thanks for reading and reviewing! You all are making my day!!!
Alaina had barely just gotten her shirt buttoned up when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she said, sitting back down on the bed, glad to sit down again.
The door opened up and she saw Carrick standing there. "I just came to see if you were all right," he told her, still standing at the door.
"I'm okay." She sighed, leaning back on the bed, tired again.
"You're not a good liar," Carrick told her, leaning on the doorframe.
"I know, I feel horrible," Alaina admitted with a groan.
"I imagine," Carrick sympathized. "Where exactly does it hurt?" he asked.
"Everywhere. My wrists, my stomach, my head, my—" She stopped short, not wanting to continue.
Carrick smiled. "Your head probably still hurts from the lack of air you had yesterday, your wrists from the shackles, obviously, and your stomach from the water you swallowed and the food you threw up last night."
Alaina looked up at him. "How did you know about that?" she asked. "James told me this morning," Carrick admitted.
"Oh," was all she said.
"Have you eaten anything since last night?" he asked her after a few seconds of awkward silence.
"No," Alaina told him with a sigh. "Even the thought of food makes me sick."
Carrick shook his head. "If you don't even try to eat now your body will start to reject any kind of food. Now," he said crossing his arms, "what sounds the least revolting?"
***
Alaina sat quietly on her bed, taking small bites of the carrots Carrick had brought her, staring up at him. He watched her carefully, making sure she was swallowing it and not spitting it out.
"I'm done," she told him, pushing the plate away from her.
Carrick nodded and came up to take her plate. He wasn't going to make her eat anymore than she could handle. "You can sit down and talk to me, you know," Alaina told him with a grin. "I don't have any diseases, only my stupidity. Which isn't contagious, as of yet." Carrick smiled and gladly sat on the other cot. "Can I ask you something?" Alaina wondered, scooting closer to him. Carrick nodded. "Where did you get that?" She motioned at the scar on his jaw.
Carrick sighed. "My father."
Alaina raised an eyebrow and leaned towards him, resting her hands on her knees. "I'm sorry," she apologized.
Carrick gave her an odd look. It sounded as if she had been responsible for what happened his entire life. "You don't need to be," he assured, shaking his head.
"So," she said, sighing after a minute.
"So," he said, mimicking her. Alaina looked up at him and smiled, making Carrick look down at his hands. He'd never seen her smile and it make him feel odd that she would at him.
"Are you all right?" Alaina asked, concerned, moving over so she was sitting next to him.
"Huh?" he asked, looking over at her. Seeing how close she was, he looked away again.
"What's wrong?" Alaina asked, placing a hand on his arm, trying to get him to look at her.
"Nothing, I'm fine," he told her, looking over at her and giving her a grin.
'He thinks I can't see right through him,' Alaina thought sadly. She wondered what other kind of scars he had from his life, not just physical ones but emotional as well. "Carrick," she said after a minute as he began to inch away from her. "What happened to you?" Carrick looked at her, puzzled. "Why do you back away from me like I'm going to hurt you?"
"I'm sorry," Carrick mumbled, lowering his head, embarrassed as well as
speechless that she had asked that question.
"There's nothing to be sorry for, I shouldn't have asked you something personal like that," Alaina disagreed, feeling awkward.
"No, its okay. It's just a habit I guess."
Alaina's heart softened at that. He had been hurt so many times. Could he trust anyone? His life had been so hard and rough that he didn't even trust her, a not-so-strong, stubborn girl. They were silent a few moments before Alaina leaned in and gently kissed his scar. "Please don't be scared of me," she asked, looking into his eyes and skimming her fingers across the damaged flesh.
Carrick took in a deep breath as she brushed back some of the hair from his forehead. She was incredible. He had never known someone who was so bold and so gentle, and he never expected it to come from her. How could she try to help him and heal the damage when she herself was a broken mess? "I'm not," he lied, leaning back away from her touch, it was so comforting, but that comfort scared him.
"Yes, you are," she argued softly. "I won't hurt you, I promise." Carrick looked at her suspiciously. 'How many times have you heard that one?' his subconscious reminded cruelly. But he wanted to trust her; she understood him more than anyone else had.
"Carrick?" Alaina asked, lightly tapping his arm. He had been zoned out for a few minutes, probably debating whether to trust her or not. He blinked, looked at her and grinned, and she smiled back at him. She knew she had been entrusted with his hope, and she wasn't going to break his faith.
"Good. Now," she said, leaning back with him, glad he was loosening up, "would you be so kind as to help me get up on deck without falling over?"
***
A/N: Well now I am OUT of ideas. So if you want to see something happen let me know and I will gladly type it out! That includes you, ERIN!! Anyhow, thanks for reading and reviewing! You all are making my day!!!
