Page 19 of The Destruction You Desire

Just as I close the door behind me, something smashes against it right on the other side of my head. A scream of shock rips from my throat as my legs give out and I start sliding down the door.

"Whoa. I've got you." Strong arms wrap around me before I hit the floor and I'm lifted and carried inside another room.

"I need to leave, Leon," I say, dropping my head into my hands as I sit on the edge of his bed with the evidence of what his brother did to me only minutes ago leaking from my body.

Jumping up, I take a step toward the door.

"What's really going on here, Peyton?" he asks softly. The genuine concern in his voice forces me to look at him.

I wince at the darkening bruise on his cheek that only adds to the healing wounds from the last time they got into it over me.

"I shouldn't have come back here," I confess, my heart shattering with each word. "I knew it was going to be bad, but I never thought it would be like this."

Pushing from the wall where he was watching me, he drops down beside me.

"Why does he treat you like he hates you, Peyton?"

"Because he does," I state simply.

"Yeah, apart from he doesn't actually. He's loved you since before he even knew what it meant. That kind of love doesn't just die, Peyton. And don't even think about arguing with me because I know you feel it for him too.”

My lips part to respond but I soon find that I don't have any words to say back to that.

'D-do you have a bathroom that I can use?"

He studies me for a beat, his eyes begging me just to spill everything, to put an end to all the secrets and the lies.

"Yeah, sure." He points to the only other door in the room aside from the one he brought me in through and I push from the bed. "Use anything you want. I'll find you some sweats or something."

I look down at my bare legs in a daze.

Is this weekend really even happening?

"Thank you," I whisper, padding across the room with my shoulders lowered and my heart in my stomach.

Slipping inside, I make use of the toilet before standing in front of the sink with my head down, too scared to find out what's going to be staring back at me when I do look up.

I suck in a calming breath before counting to three.

The second I'm on three I force myself to lift my head to look at my reflection.

"Oh my God," I gasp. No wonder Luca sent me away, I look like a train wreck.

My makeup is literally everywhere, my hair is a matted mess around my head and my neck is red with his hickeys and light bruising from his fingers.

"Jesus, Peyton. You need to get your shit together," I tell myself, reaching for the toothpaste that’s sitting on the side and squirting a generous amount onto my finger.

Once my mouth is a little fresher, I feel a tad more alive. After washing my face, I run my fingers through my hair and call it a day. That's as good as it's going to get while I'm standing in a boy's bathroom.

A loud bang startles me, the floor shaking beneath me as the sound of footsteps thundering down the stairs sounds out. My stomach knots and disappointment floods me knowing that he's running away from all of this.

"Here," Leon says, holding out a pair of black sweats when I step back into his room. "I shrunk them, although they'll probably still be massive on you."

"Thank you," I whisper, my cheeks heating that he's once again seeing me in this state and attempting to pick up the pieces. "I shouldn't have gone last night," I say, unable to look at him as I make excuses for what happened.

"Bullshit, Peyton. You had every right to be there. He's the one who acted like a possessive jerk."

"I shouldn't have been dancing with you. I shouldn't have drank so much. I shouldn't—"