Author's Note: Love The Way You Lie by Eminem and Rihanna inspired this chapter. And in the song in BC's second POV, I know the song didn't mean the lyrics in literal terms, but it suited the story to do so.
Buttercup's Point of View—
I woke up in Mitch's arms and slowly turned my head to the side. He was still sleep, his lips slightly parted, his innocent expression unwavering in the moonlight as his stomach rose up and down in unison with his steady breathing. I glanced at the clock. It was 9:05 a.m. I quietly slipped out of his loose grip and sauntered into the kitchen when I stumbled over Mitch's suitcase. I looked down and saw my iPhone on top of a pile of clothes and grabbed it, scanning the screen for missed text messages and calls. I was so busy reading Butch's latest message to me that I didn't even notice Mitch behind me, watching my every move.
"What are you doing?"
I turned around quickly in astonishment, my eyes wide.
"I was just-"
"Being fucking nosy and going through shit!"
I looked down at my hands. I already knew better than to try and argue with him. He snatched my phone out of my hands effortlessly and slammed it on the counter. I could feel his frigid glare boring into my back. I didn't look at him.
"What the fuck is your problem?" he snarled, grabbing me by my shoulders and turning me around to face him.
I stayed silent, not daring to make eye contact with him. He scoffed at me one last time before slipping away into the kitchen. Just as a sigh of relief escaped my lips, Mitch sat down in front of me, a sharp butcher knife between his fingers. I stared at his hand intently, fearfully, ready to escape if need be. He slipped the knife through his fingers, twirling it, toying with it as his piercing blue eyes stared into mine.
"You know, something tragic happened to my dad."
I stared at him curiously, my eyebrows furrowed. He smirked before continuing.
"My dad, you see, didn't give a damn about his family. He abused me and my mother. He raped my sisters."
He twiddled the knife between his fingers before bringing it to his wrist.
"And, I had enough of it. So I took my daddy into the woods for a little 'father-son bonding.' Took him into this same apartment that my granddad built back in 1978."
"Where are you going with this, Mitch?" I asked, my voice quivering. He ignored my question and fingered the blade of the knife gently, never taking his eyes off of me.
"So, when he got into the house, I asked for him to leave his cell phone in the car. Just so he wouldn't…you know…try anything."
A feeling of dread built up in the pit of my stomach and made me feel as if I were nauseous.
"And when we got into the apartment, I locked the doors behind us. I grabbed this same knife…this same very knife…"
"Mitch, please, you're scaring me," I said. He dismissed my comment with a twirl of the blade and continued, his voice rising, his eyes reflecting the pent-up anger and pain.
"And I wanted to try a little experiment. You see, I took the knife and walked over to him. I pinned him against the wall and put the knife up against his neck, just like this."
He took the knife and pressed it against my throat lightly, fingering my cheek, stroking it. My breathing grew ragged and unsteady as his eyes transfixed themselves into mine. Slowly, he removed the blade from my skin and a low sigh escaped my lips.
"So, anyway, my dad was begging for me to spare him, pleading with me. Why should I spare him when he destroyed my family? Am I right?"
I nodded fearfully.
"So, I slit his throat. Watched as the blood gushed out of his veins and poured onto the floor. I stabbed him in his heart, and-"
"Mitch, please!"
"And I welcomed the feeling. It was wonderful. I felt so alive, Buttercup—"
"Mitch! Stop it!"
"I killed my father, Buttercup! I murdered the bastard! He was worthless and didn't give a damn! His life meant nothing to me! I fed off of vengeance!" he cried, shaking my shoulders furiously, his nails sinking into the skin.
"Mitch, stop it, stop it, stop it!" I pleaded.
"Do you know how triumphant I felt, Buttercup? Victory was mine! And I had the blood on my shirt to show for it! Mitch was no longer worthless, no one looked down at him anymore! Mitch was somebody!"
"MITCH!" I yelled, covering my ears to block out the horrifying tales of insanity.
He gazed at me curiously, pressing the blade to his wrist. He slit it in one swift motion before turning to me again, a sinister smirk on his face that was once so innocent. He raised his sleeve and displayed a bunch of scars and cut marks as my eyes widened in astonishment.
"One hundred fifty-two scars and counting, Buttercup. I've cut myself for every time something went wrong."
I glanced at the fresh cut he had just slit.
"Well, what does that one mean? The new one?"
"Our relationship, Buttercup. Can't you see it?"
I tilted my head to the side.
"W-what are you saying Mitch? What do you mean our relationship is wrong?" I asked, tears forming into my eyes.
He chuckled.
"Oh, Buttercup. You're so oblivious. We aren't meant to be. We just happened. We're living a lie."
"Mitch, stop…you're lying…you're fucking lying! We are meant to be!" I cried defensively, tears streaming down my cheeks steadily.
"It's okay, Buttercup, that we're not meant to be. I knew this from the jump. Which is why I've taken you here, took up your phone, blocked you from the outside world. I'm not losing you. I'm not letting you go. Ever. I love you too much to walk away now. And the first time I laid hands on you was like a release for me. Buttercup, everyone else doesn't understand me. They deserve to feel pain. Butch does, too. He's not right for you. And I knew that if I couldn't have you, no one else could."
It all made sense now. Mitch hit me so he could see someone else go through, see the same pain in someone else's eyes. It all made sense now, and I loved him more for it. It still wasn't right. And I knew that. But like Mitch said, I'm not letting go.
"Mitch, I understand you. I love you. I'll go through anything you put me through. I don't care if you slit my throat or bruise and scar my neck. I only want to see you relieved of your past emotions, I want you to move on. I know it hurts. I feel the pain. I see the pain. And I'm not leaving."
And with that, he seized my shoulders with his strong grip and pulled me closer, pulled me into a rough kiss. His tongue probed my mouth hungrily, his nails sinking into the flesh of my shoulders. And I loved it. This was all a form of relief from him. Only I could help him move on from his childhood. He pulled away from me and slammed my back against the counter, his face barely an inch away from mine, his forehead pressed onto mine. He nipped my lower lip before gazing up into my eyes.
"Maybe…this relationship…isn't so…crazy after all," he whispered between deep breaths.
"Maybe it's…not so crazy…"
"I'm tired of the mindless games, Buttercup. I'm sorry…even though it's all lies. My life is a lie…."
"But if you ever leave me, Buttercup…"
"I'll kill myself after murdering you."
I listened to him unleashing his feelings in silence, comprehending every word. Nearly two hours had passed, but I didn't mind. I never wanted to leave now. And I was sure of it. With one last squeeze, he released me from his hold and walked into the bathroom. He returned with two more scars.
Butch's Point of View—
Buttercup, come home! Please!
It seems like I'm the only one who hasn't forgotten Buttercup. Everyone else just went on with their lives as if nothing happened. She could be dead for all we know! Brick says I'm overreacting and I need to get myself together. How could I possibly get myself together when a piece of me is missing? Brick had no damn clue how much she meant to me. Boomer had Bubbles already. Brick will soon have Blossom. I have a fucking broken heart.
This isn't fair. Brick knew it, too. I miss her so much. And it hurt to talk about her. I stayed silent most of the time. I wonder if it was something I did to make her leave. I'll do anything for her to come back, honestly! The only girl—no, wait, scratch that—person to ever make me cry! Ever! No one else but Buttercup. The only person who was so damn tough but has the softest eyes you'll ever see. The only person that was needed and wanted at the same time. No one could get in the way of my feelings for her. No one. Mitch had to come along and steal her heart. It was wrong to divide something so…real. I knew everything about her. He couldn't give a damn.
But deep in my soul, I knew that she saw something in Mitch that made her feel differently.
Buttercup's Point of View (9:48 p.m.)—
I sat on my bed, my iPod in my hand. I turned it on shuffle and listened to whatever song came on.
[…Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis…]
Closed off from love, I didn't need the pain
Once or twice was enough, and it was all in vain
Time starts to pass
Before you know it you're frozen
But something happened for the very first time with you
My heart melted to the ground found something true
And everyone's looking 'round
Thinking I'm going crazy
But I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love [x3]
You cut me open and I
Trying hard not to hear but they talk so loud
Their piercing sounds fill my ears try to fill me with doubt
Yet I know that the goal is to keep me from falling
But nothing's greater than the rush that comes with your embrace
And in this world of loneliness I see your face
Yet everyone around me thinks that I'm going crazy
Maybe, maybe
But I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love [x3]
You cut me open
And it's draining all of me
Oh they find it hard to believe
I'll be wearing the scars for
Everyone to see
I turned off my iPod and placed it on the nightstand before falling asleep.