LOREN'S POV

He cups my face and pulls me closer to his face.

Eddie (whispering): I love you Loren Tate.

Loren (whispering): I love you too Eddie Duran.

The tears I've been holding back the whole day escape and Eddie looks at me worried.

Eddie (concerned): What's wrong?

Loren (sobbing): ...

Eddie (worried): Babe?

I hate lying to him but I have to make up an excuse.

Loren (sobbing): I'm just really sorry for snapping at you.

He starts stroking my tears away but I stop him because one, he'll wipe my make-up away and two, it hurts like hell.

Eddie: Hey, don't worry about that anymore okay? I'm not mad, I know you didn't mean it.

I nod and force my tears away. I fake a smile and put my head on his chest. He puts an arm on the right of my waist and lifts my chin with one of the fingers on his left hand. He slowly moves his head closer to mine and presses his lips against mine. He starts slowly moving them and I move mine along with them. I put one of my hands on his chest and the other one in his hair. We keep kissing like this for a few minutes and it feels so safe. Now Eddie's speeding up and he moves his hand that's on my waist underneath my shirt and rubs it up and down my bare waist. He starts getting me out of my shirt so I slowly pull back.

Eddie (panting): You can't leave me hanging like this.

Loren (ignoring his comment): Do you want something to eat?

Eddie: Loren...is something wrong?

Loren (fake smiling): No, why would it be.

Eddie: It just feels like it.

Loren (fake smiling): There's nothing wrong, Eddie. So what do you want to eat?

Eddie (sighs): Take out is fine.

I make the call and sit back down next to Eddie. Him being here makes everything a little bit better but I'm still feeling like crap. Every move I make hurts and I can't stop thinking about how he beat me up. I'm so afraid of him. He can just come to me and do it again. I'm afraid every second of every day. Eddie makes me feel a little bit safer but still. It feels like I have to look behind me at least once every minute.

Eddie: There's this premiere I have to go to tomorrow. I was wondering if you would like to be my date?

Loren (fake smiling): Yeah, sure.

Eddie grabs his wallet and gives me a few hundred dollar.

Loren (confused): What's this for?

Eddie (smiling): You should go buy yourself a new dress.

Loren: You sure?

Eddie (pecking Loren's lips): Of course, you're my girl.

I fake a smile and go open the door to get our order. I sit down next to Eddie again and we start eating. Eddie's talking to me and I'm just staring in front of me while thinking and eating.

Eddie: Loren, are you listening?

Loren (fake smiling): Yeah...

He goes back to talking and I go back to completely zoning out. I really do want to listen to what he's saying but I can't stop thinking about what will happen tomorrow or the day after or the day after that. I'm afraid and I don't like it. I don't want to be weak. Being afraid is a sign of weakness.

Eddie: Loren?

Loren: Yeah?

Eddie: Do you want me to go?

Loren: No, why would I?

Eddie: I don't really get the feeling that you want me here?

Loren: Of course I want you here. I just have a lot on my mind.

Eddie: Do you want to tell me about it?

Loren: Neh, not really.

Eddie: You know you can tell me everything, right?

Loren: I know...

He stayed for a few more hours before going home. He gave me a very passionate goodbye kiss making me miss making love to him even more. I walk into my room and get ready for bed. I turn of the lights and go to sleep.

The next day I wake up and see that it's extremely hot outside. Great, thank you LA for making me look stupid in my sweater and jeans. I get out of bed and grab a white top. I put it on and then a grey sweater with "I love LA", I know ironic right? Then I pull myself in some white skinny jeans. White jeans are less hot than black so I guess that's a plus. I walk into the kitchen, after covering the bruises on my face and putting on some make-up, and like expected immediately get all kind of comments on my clothes.

Nora: Honey, isn't that way too warm for today?

Melissa: LO! WHY THAT SWEATER?! WE HAVE A REPUTATION TO UPHOLD!

Loren: Oh really?

Melissa: Yes! I would like us to stay the hottest girls in school.

Loren: Don't worry, you'll stay that.

Melissa: The fact that EDDIE DURAN is your boyfriend doesn't mean that you don't have to dress sexy anymore. Don't you want to look sexy for him?

Loren: Mel, you don't understand.

Melissa: You're right, I don't!

Nora: Melissa, you should let her wear what she's comfortable in.

Melissa: Do you want him to dump you?!

Loren (getting angry): You really think Eddie is that shallow? You really think he only cares about my body?

Melissa: All boys are like that.

Loren (angry): Well not my Eddie!

I walk out of the house, slamming the door, and get into my car. Eddie loves me for me and he doesn't care what I'm wearing. Well, I guess he likes it when I dress sexy but it's not the most important thing in our relationship, right? I really want to dress sexy for Eddie but I have bruises all over my body so I can't. I drive to school and, after parking my car, sit down at our usual table. After about 5 minutes I get a call from Eddie.

Loren: Hey babe

Eddie: Hey, where are you?

Loren: At school, I was a little early. Where are you?

Someone wrapping his arms around me is my answer. I turn around, hanging up the phone, and immediately feel his lips onto mine. We start making out and after about ten minutes we pull back.

Eddie (confused): Isn't it a little bit too hot for those clothes?

Loren (sighs): No, just let it go.

Eddie (lifting her chin): Hey, you okay?

Loren (smiling): I'm fine...just tired.

Eddie (smirking): Well, maybe you should sleep with me tonight then.

Loren (shaking her head): Not going to happen, I'm already going to the premiere with you remember?

Eddie (putting his hands on her waist): Well, I can get a treat for buying you a new dress right?

Loren (shaking her head): Nope, you will just have to do that because you love me.

Eddie (pouting): Can I at least go dress shopping with you?

Loren (laughing): Only because you look really cute. (pecking his lips) I have to go to my locker.

Eddie: I'll just stay here, I can see Ian arriving so I'll just talk to him.

Loren: Okay, bye, love you.

I walk into the school and there are already a few people in school. Suddenly someone pulls me into a closet. For a second I thought that it was Eddie but then I feel a hand grabbing my throat.

Trent (hissing): Hello daughter.

I can't see much because it's really dark in here. I try to speak but I can't because he's grabbing my throat tighter and tighter.

Trent: You know I never wanted a daughter. I wanted Nora to have an abortion when she told me she was pregnant but no, she just had to have you.

Saying all of this he squeezes his hand tighter and tighter around my neck.

Trent: You're an ungrateful child, you repaid me by slapping me as soon as I come back in your life?

He now throws me on the ground with a lot of force. I scrape my knee open but I'm happy he finally let go of me.

Trent: You can go now but I promise you this is not the last time you saw me. (walking away) Have fun at the premiere.

I refuse to cry because I don't have my foundation with me. From tomorrow on I will take my make-up with me to school though because now I'm not even safe at school. I stand up and feel my knee burning. How does Trent know I'm going to the premiere with Eddie?! Is he stalking me or something?! I rush up to my locker and grab a scarf that was luckily laying there. I put it on and then look down at my knee. There's a gap in my jeans on the place of my knee but I can just keep these pants and call it fashion. I walk into the girls bathroom and wait until there's no one in here. I clean my knee but you can still see that I fell. I remove the scarf a little so I can see the damage on my neck. It's really bad. It's blue and at some places even black. I quickly put my scarf back on it's place and then the bell rings so I walk to my first class. I sit down next to Eddie and Melissa is already sitting in the place behind us next to Ian.

Melissa: Really Lo?! A scarf?! Are you sick or something?!

Loren: Just shut up.

Truth is, I'm really warm. I'm sweating like crazy but I can't let it show. The first three classes past and then it's break. We walk outside with Eddie's arm wrapped around my waist. It hurts a little and makes me even warmer. We sit down and start talking about random things. Suddenly the subject changes to my clothes.

Eddie: Babe, are you wearing anything underneath this?

He lifts my sweater a little to reveal my white top.

Eddie: Just take off the sweater. You're wearing that top anyway. And that scarf is way too hot, just take it off.

Loren: I don't want to. Just let it go you guys.

They keep nagging me a little but then, after me acting a little sassy, they stop. I get through the rest of the classes and then Eddie and I take off to go shopping. It's silent for a few minutes until Eddie speaks up.

Eddie: I'm sorry Lo, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable during the break. I just thought maybe you were having it way too warm.

Loren (smiling a little): It's okay Eddie.

Eddie: You know I love you no matter what you wear right?

Loren (smiling): I know.

We talk about Melissa and Ian for a while before arriving at the mall. We get out and pass a victoria's secret shop. Eddie immediately tries to pull me inside but I stop him while laughing.

Loren (laughing): Eddie, stop it. We're here for a dress remember?

We continue walking but as soon as we walk by a store for suits I pull him in.

Eddie (begging): No, babe, please, I was just thinking about (hopeful) jeans and a shirt?

Loren (folding her arms for her shirt): No way, I'm not going to get all dressed up if you're going to walk around there like a high school boy.

Eddie: I AM a high school boy!

Loren (whining): Eddiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee, (pouting) for me?

Eddie (sighs while totally stealing Loren's phrase): Only because you look really cute.

I smile and after buying him a suit we continue walking. We walk into a shop with a lot of dresses and we start looking through them. Eddie grabs a really short and tight black dress and gives me a hopeful look. I laugh and shake my head. My smile then changes into a frown when I remember I have to wear a very long dress. My legs can't be visible. My arms can't be visible either so I have to wear a jacket. I grab a long red dress without a split and a black leather jacket. I walk into the dressing room and get out of my clothes. The moment I'm standing there in my underwear, Eddie walks in. I quickly put my dress in front of my body but he has already seen the bruises. His face looks really really shocked.

OH MY, HE SAW THEM! What do you guys think is going to happen? Please let me know, I'm curious about what you guys think.