Fall To Flames

Chapter 21

Declan's POV

She wouldn't look at me, wouldn't talk to me, she sat as far away from me as she could on this ride. I watched her curled up under Jessie's arm sleeping. A scowl plastered on her face even though she was sleeping.

I shouldn't have pushed her, I shouldn't have done what I did. Something took over me with Gray's words ringing in my ears and I just wanted to know I had to know. She was hiding this huge thing from me and something in me snapped like she didn't trust me or didn't want to let me in and then in true Declan fashion I went too far.

I felt like a predator as she screamed under me and fought me off. I felt disgusting, it went against everything I believed.

When I got her dress down and she finally gave in and stopped screaming, the truth hit me like a sledgehammer. There looking back at me in an angry red scar was the word 'whore'  in shaky handwriting. Like a pumpkin carved for halloween. He had so much hatred for her that he did this and didn't think twice. He butchered her and now let her walk around with this sham and pain permanently branded in her skin.

The longer I looked at it among the other scars on her back, blinding white hot rage took over. I wanted to find him and rip him limb from limb. I wanted to carve him like he did her and make sure he knew the pain she caused him.

I got off of her so fast when the realization hit me I currently was no better than him. I stripped out of my shirt and threw it on her to give her something to get covered with and left, giving her the space she deserved.

As soon as I made it to the hall where Tommy and Jessie looked at me like I was crazy I fell apart. I slid down the wall, hot tears falling from my eyes. I don't cry often. I'm pretty sure the last time was when Jamey passed. But now I was sitting on the floor, my knees pulled to my chest sobbing. When I told Tommy and Jessie what happened they both were speechless.

"Hey man, she'll come around just to give her time." Tommy's voice pulled me back to my present situation.

"I don't know man I really fucked up. I'm no better than him." I took a long sip of my drink flagging the attendant down for another.

"Don't think like that. You would never hurt her just for the fun of it we all see that." Tommy tried really hard to soften the blow but I couldn't help but feel if that was truly the case then I would have never forced her to show me.

***Two Weeks Later***

Whitney's POV

My days consisted of going to the clinic, performing surgery, getting things done in my office and locking myself in my bedroom. I've been sneaking around very carefully to not run into Declan.

We ran into each other while I was trying to tiptoe out of the kitchen. He tried to talk to me but I slipped from his grasp and all but ran as he yelled after me. When I was safely locked in my room I quietly listened to him throwing things around like a large toddler who didn't get his way. 

I don't know why he was so mad, he was the one who caused this. I wasn't the one who got rough with him and stripped him against his will revealing one of the most shameful secrets he was guarding. No that was all him and I wasn't about to be the person who was going to be apologizing.

I was sitting cross legged on my bed working though the ordering for the month when hushed voices outside my door caught my attention. 

"Just try you jackass." Tommy's voice was unmistakably annoyed.

"She won't hear me out, she hates me now." Declan's voice sounded raw and defeated, definitely not the same strong and powerful demeanor he normally carries.