Falling For A Thug

Chapter 14- Falling For A Thug

When something bad happens, you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.

**Flashback**

"Aye, I'm bout to go- wait, why are you crying?" Blaze asked as he stuck his head in my room. As soon as he noticed I was crying he walked in next to me as I was curled up in a ball on my bed. "What's the matter?"

"It hurts," I mumbled and he gave me a concerned look.

"What does?"

"Everything," I squeezed my eyes shut and wished for all the pain to go away. Blaze left the room but returned shortly after with an ice pack. He rolled me on my back and gently lifted my shirt up to reveal my cause of pain. He had a pained look on his face as he stared at my bruised, beat up body.

"I hate this, I hate everything. I hate having all these bruises on my body, they're so ugly. I'm so ugly-"

"Hey, I don't ever want to hear you say that again. Monique, you're beautiful to me and always will be, fuck anyone that tells you different. Don't let what happened to you define who you are because you're so much more than that," he said looking into my eyes so I could know how serious she was.

After a small moment of silence he got up and sighed before pulling out his phone.

"Aye Jermaine, I won't be able to make it, handle everything for me," he spoke before hanging up the phone and removing his shoes and jacket. He surprised me by crawling into the bed and laying next to me.

"Come here," he ordered quietly and I scooted over to him before he wrapped his arms around me while I laid my head on his chest.

He canceled his plans just to lay with me and  make sure I'm okay...

"I mean it when I say that I'm never going to let any one hurt you again. I hate what they did to you, I really do. I hate the way you're scared to leave the house, or leave my side because you think someone is going to hurt you," he mumbled into my hair.

"Thank you Blaze, for everything."

"What's that movie you like? About the um, deer and rabbits or whatever," I looked up at him confused.

"Bambi?"

"Yeah that, put that on," he told me I chuckled and put the movie on.

Laying next to him made me feel like I had nothing to worry about. If only it can stay that way.

**

The next morning when I woke up, I had to go to school, even though I didn't want to. I dressed myself in tights and a sweatshirt before brushing my hair. I didn't even bother putting on makeup because I wasn't in the mood to look good for anyone.

I grabbed my things and headed downstairs to feed the dog but was surprised when I walked down there and saw Jermaine in the kitchen.

"Hey, I came to drop you off to school. Blaze would kill me if I didn't," he explained to me as he bit into an apple.

"Oh, okay. Thank you."

"How are you? I don't exactly know what's going on between you and Blaze, but he's going to be okay. My nigga's tough, he'll make it through, just watch," he assured me. I gave him a small smile and thanked him for his words of encouragement.

He dropped me off in the front and I headed inside the school with my head down, not paying attention to anyone until someone grabbed my arm and I looked up.