“No man will ever want you like this. You bury yourself in food, and it's disgusting.”
I stood from the table, my hands balling into fists as anger glared deep in my chest. Tears welled in my eyes as I stepped forward, a smirk spreading across her lips.
“Go ahead and cry about it,” she laughed. “That’s what you do best. Eat and cry like a fucking baby.”
She faced the sink and turned on the water, food falling into the garbage disposal. The sound of metal crunching filled the silence as she flipped it on and pushed more food into it.
“I’m tired of looking at you. Get out of here,” she said, not even bothering to look at me.
Without a word, I turned and walked to my room, slamming the door closed. I sank to the floor and pressed both my hands over my mouth, letting out a scream I’d been holding in far too long. My hands trembled as I crawled to my dresser and opened the bottom drawer, moving some clothes off to the side. The box I’d been searching for finally appeared, and my heart began to pound with anticipation.
I opened itup, seeing the silver blade reflecting faintly in the dim light of my bedroom. Carefully, I removed it from the box, and adrenaline welled in my stomach as I held it.
I glanced at the door and then at my hand before pulling my pants down to my knees. Jagged, silvery lines were scattered across my legs, the old scars clearly visible against my pale skin. I gently pressed the blade against the softness of my inner thigh, feeling the muscles in my back relax. Pushing it deeper, the sharp edge pierced my skin, and my head tilted back as I dragged it across. Blood bloomed immediately, droplets falling to the dark blue carpet beneath me, creating a small saturated spot. I pressed it against my skin again and again until my anger had dissipated, leaving behind only emptiness.
I dropped the blade to the floor, long gashes lining my inner thigh in neat rows. I sobbed softly as I fell back against the floor and closed my eyes, wishing I had the courage to end my own suffering.
Tears slipped down my cheeks at the memory, my heart aching as I pushed it back into the depths of my mind. I ran my fingers along the jagged, raised lines across my legs, and a pang of sadness flitted through my chest.
The door in the other room opened, and heavy footsteps filled the silence. A shadow crossed the doorway as Jason entered, and instinctively, my hands shot up to cover my chest as my legs pressed firmly together.
“What the fuck! Get out!” I screamed, panic lacing my voice.
He tilted his head to the side, his eyes lighting up as he looked at me. I held his gaze, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. He turned away and went into the bedroom, and I listened to him shuffling around before he came back into the room. In his hands, he was holding my body wash and shampoo, a wild look gleaming in his eyes.
He walked forward and placed them on the edge of the bathtub before turning to leave again.
“Thanks,” I murmured just as he stepped through the doorway.
I peered out of the door, making sure he was actually gone. He sat on the bed, a book placed between his hands, and I let out a sigh of relief.
Twenty minutes later, I was out of the bathtub and dried off, realizing I had forgotten to grab clothes from my suitcase. Cursing under my breath, I swallowed my pride and wrapped the towel around myself, stumbling back into the bedroom.
Jason lay on the bed, his legs spread and his arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. He was shirtless, his bare chest on display, and the sweatpants he wore hugged his hips. I could see the outline of his cock, and I forced my thighs together as arousal flooded my core. Tattoos decorated his chest and arms, some in color but most of them in black. One on his chest looked fresh, and I squinted, trying to make it out.
It was a bleeding heart with the letters LGT. It took me a second to realize they were my initials. My breath caught in my throat as I kept moving forward, my eyes darting between him and the open suitcase at the foot of the bed.
Jason’s head turned to me, his eyes dancing with something I definitely recognized—desire. Heat pooled in my core, and I swallowed down the lump forming in my throat as I reached the bed, searching through my suitcase for my pajamas.
“Have a nice bath?” he asked with a smirk.
“It was fine,” I said, clearing my throat.
I finally found my pajamas and stood there, staring at Jason, waiting for him to leave. When he made no move to do so, I turned to head back to the bathroom. His hand reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me back toward him.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, his voice husky.
I turned to him with my brows raised, and scoffed.
“To the bathroom?”
“Why?”
“You think I’m going to get undressed in front of you?”
He released my wrist and sat back with a shrug.
“I’ve already seen you naked. What’s the harm?”
