Unfinished (Chapter-22)

ABBY’S POV

I couldn’t help the tears that broke through and that are currently flowing down my face as Arden’s strong arms are wrapped tightly around me. The last thing I want to do is bring up my past, but Arden deserves to know the truth. The hurt in his eyes when he found out about Cassy pained me enough to know I never want to keep anything from him again.

I reveled in his embrace, calming myself down to gently sniffles. Pulling back to face him, I took in a shuttering breath. “Conner, didn’t pay much attention to me... At least not at first. His parents adopted me when I was 12. So, the first four years that I lived with them, he stayed away from me. I was bummed, I always wanted the protective older brother.” I paused. Trying to find the right way to continue the story. Arden sat silently, gripping my hand and rubbing the back of it with his thumb to sooth me. It works.

“Anyways, it was the beginning of my senior year, this boy asked me out and I said yes. He took me to a party and everything was going great until I returned from the bathroom. I looked all over the house for him and eventually found him in a bedroom with another girl. I was hurt and humiliated, I started crying and that is when Conner showed up. He helped me out of the house and saved me from any more humiliation. He was finally being the protective brother I had always dreamed about.”

I sniffled to keep the snot from running down my face. “Conner was walking me home and didn’t take his arm from around my shoulder. I thought he was comforting me and not to mention the fact that I had drank that night, I was wobbly on my feet. I didn’t think anything of it. Not until we turned down the road to our house, it was the only house down the street. Then he uh- he kissed me.”

Images from that night flash though my mind and I sat numb, retelling the story as if it just happened yesterday. “I pushed him off of me. Told him he was my brother and nothing was going to happen between us. I went to walk to the house and he pushed me into the woods, and up against a tree. I tried to fight him off, I did. I tried. B-but he was stronger than me.” Arden squeezes my hand, bringing my attention back to him. I watched as he fought back the rage and continued to comfort me.

I continued, swiping at my tears. “That was only the first time, he didn’t stop after that. Conner made it his mission to repeat it every chance he could. I stopped struggling after the first few months, knowing I’d never be able to fight him off of me. He made me believe if I told his parents that they would kick me out, that they would never believe me over their own son.”

I pondered over telling him the next bit or not, but decided to go ahead and reveal it. No reason to hold it back now. “Conner had this best friend, Westley. One evening, he invited Westley over and I thought, he has

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his friend over- he won’t bother me tonight.” I let out a humorless laugh. “But I was wrong. So wrong. Conner’s parents were out of town, and no one was there to hear me scream and plead for them to stop. They were rough, and I had marks on me for weeks.”

Sighing, I bit into my bottom lip. “Finally, the last time Conner had his way with me, his mother walked in. All she saw was me laying on the bed with him on top holding my hands above my head and she assumed I was seducing her son. Conner played into it, telling them I was a tease and came onto him. She threw all of my stuff out the window and kicked me out... Now I’m here, just trying to make a better life and forget all that I left behind.”

Arden was sat, staring at me with tears swirling in his eyes. He pulled me into him, squeezing me tightly. He rests his face in the crook of my neck, breathing in deeply. I could feel the liquid that dripped from his eyes roll down my clavicle. When he spoke, his voice was ruff and low. “Damn it, Abby. I’m so sorry that happened to you. I promise, as long as I’m around, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I squeezed him the best I could with my one arm, and pulling back slowly, just so our faces was millimeters apart. Looking down, I mutter shyly. “You don’t find me repulsive?” A low growl came from Arden, as he moves his fingers under my chin to have my eyes meet his.

“Abby, I could never find anything you do or say repulsive. In fact, I think you are so strong. You went through all of that and are still here. You still push through every day and the best part of all of that is you do it with such positive energy. You amaze me, sweetheart.”

My gaze flutters down to his lips as my heart skips a beat at his words. This man in front of me is nothing short of incredible. It took all of one second for me to push myself forward and claim his lips in a needy kiss. Wrapping my hand around his neck and into his hair, I tangle my fingers through his silky locks and pull gently.

Arden lets out a groan before biting down on my bottom lip, and plunging his tongue into my mouth. We kiss eagerly for a few more moments before we pull away, both sucking in air. Arden places his forehead against mine with one of his famous half smirks gracing his lips. “Be mine, Abby.”

I pull away, shocked for a moment. Butterflies erupting in my stomach, and I try to keep my reaction from being anything but cool and collected. “Yours?” I question, breathily.

His smirk widens as he tucks my hair behind my ear. “Yes, be mine. My girl. We have extreme chemistry, I know you feel it too. Let me protect you from your past, and everything else that wants to harm you in this fucked up world.” I inhale deeply as he stares determinedly into my eyes. “Say you’re my girl, Abby.”

I smile softly up at him, nodding my head at him.

 “Okay. I’m yours, Arden.”