Page 102 of Bound By Secrets

My vision blurs as tears begin to well in my eyes and I turn my head to the ceiling, attempting to blink them all away and hold myself together.

I don’t want to be upset every time I look at my body.

I don’t want to be reminded of him.

He orchestrated this, knowing that if I did survive, I’d be haunted by him and by what he did to me. He wanted me broken, and he knew that this burn, coupled with the video of him raping me, would be an effective way of finally smashing me into pieces.

I close my eyes, letting the tears leak out and trail down my cheeks. My bottom lip begins to tremble as images flash behind my closed lids.

Cameron pinning me to the floor as he pushed himself inside of me.

My limp and bruised body lay on the middle of my bedroom floor after being used and abused by two different men.

The sight of blood flowing out of my body whilst being shackled to a table.

My muffled cries fill the room around me as I drop to the floor and curl my aching legs into my body, hugging myself as the haunting memories fill my head.

After days of acting unaffected, pretending that I was okay, I can feel myself falling apart.

This is exactly what he wanted.

He knew that I wouldn’t be able to cope.

As my cries grow louder, I hear Nate call my name from the other side of the door. His soft, angelic voice breaks through the torturous memories that are invading my mind.

Moments later, I feel his smooth hands caress my arms as his body surrounds mine, lifting me from the floor and cradling me against his chest.

“It’s alright, Callie, I’ve got you. Let it all out.”

I clutch onto his t-shirt as sobs wrack my body.

“I hate it!” I shout, burying my face into him. “I can’t even look at myself.”

He soothingly rubs his hand along the length of my back, rocking our bodies back and forth.

“It’ll get better. I promise.” He brushes my hair away from my face and kisses my temple. “Personally, I think that your scars add to your beauty. They’re your battle wounds and they are proof that you’re strong, determined and will never stop fighting. They show that you’re a survivor.”

I peer up at him through tear-filled eyes and see his concerned gaze focused on my face.

“You’ll always be beautiful in my eyes, Callie. Inside and out.” He swipes his thumb across my cheek, wiping away my tears. “Nothing could ever change that. I know you won’t agree with me right now, but I’ll be here every single day, telling you how beautiful you are until you believe it.”

“Every time I look at them, I think of him. I c-can’t cope with it, Nate.”

His glistening green eyes are laced with sympathy as he stares down at me, and a crease forms between his blonde brows.

“I don’t know how to help you with that, Callie, but I promise I’ll try. We all will.”

He leans forward, a tear dripping onto his cheek as his lips firmly press against mine.

“Make me forget,” I hoarsely whisper against his lips.

He pulls back, cupping my jaw and shakes his head.

“Callie, I don’t think that’s a good idea, it might make you-”

“The video keeps replaying in my head,” I tell him, a shiver running through my body. “I’m starting to remember that night… I was feeling drowsy and cold, but I couldn’t move. It was like m-my body was stuck. I remember the relief I felt when Fraser left the room and then the fear that rose inside of me when I heard my door open again.”

He sniffles as he pulls my body tighter against his.

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