Page 143 of Under Your Scars

Because I hesitated when I put that gun under Elliot’s chin, when Ialwayspromised myself that if I found the man who killed my parents, they wouldn’t live to see another second.

I didn’t kill him, but only out of my love for Elena. I knew it would tear us apart.

Loving her is more important than revenge.

While I wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone that harmed her, I’ve shown mercy to the man who ruined my life. I think that’s a testament to just how tight of a grip Elena has on my soul.

I never want to come between the two of them. He’s a good, loving father. At the end of the day, I’m the outsider, and if she had to choose a side, I can’t say with certainty that she’d choose mine, even though I’ve threatened otherwise.

I take a long drag of my cigarette and I hear the venue doors open behind me. I glance over my shoulder to find Elliot stalking towards me. I open my mouth to say his name, and I’m met with a fist in my jaw that knocks the cigarette out of my mouth. I stumble backwards a few steps, and Elliot raises his fist again, aiming for my nose this time. I let him hit me, blood dripping down my face and onto the concrete.

The third punch he winds up, I catch his fist in my hand and twist his arm behind his back. I drag him around a corner behind a wall, slamming his face into the pristine white stone of the wedding venue far away from the doors.

“What the hell is your problem?” Elliot tries to fight my grasp, and he’s a strong man, but I’m stronger, younger, and a fuck ton angrier. I could flip a damn semi-truck if I wanted to. “Huh? What’s your fucking problem, Elliot?”

Elliot begins fighting against me and we begin struggling and growling like two wild animals.

“Whatever’s got your panties in a twist, you need to get over it. The only reason I don’t knock your lights out and make you eat concrete is because of your daughter.”

“Weak.” Elliot smiles against the wall. “You’re weak. You can’t even handle her being a little mad at you for giving me what I deserve after all that disrespect.”

“Is that what this is about? You were trying to provoke me so I’d give you a pavement facial? I thought we were at a ceasefire?”

“Ceasefire,” he chuckles, and then his face falls into a hard scowl. “I can’t figure out what kind of fucked up psychological hold you have on her, but I can see the devil when I look in your eyes, boy. Something is seriously wrong with you, and I’m going to figure out what it is before you get her killed.”

“You killed my parents. You tried to kill me. I was a fucking kid! The only devil here is you,” I seethe, practically breathing fire. “You know absolutely nothing about Elena’s relationship with me. You have no idea what we’ve been through together or the lengths I would go to keep her safe. She’smine, Elliot. My relationship is none of your damn business. Swing at me again and I’ll give you permanent brain damage.”

Elliot spits on the ground and grabs me by the front of my jacket to pull me close. “You listen to me, Thomas, stay thefuckaway from my family.”

Both of us freeze, staring at each other as we both come to the exact same conclusion. Elliot has dissociated from reality, and he thinks I’mThomasReeves.

“Elliot…”

He lets me go and pushes me away from him, staring at me, but staring through me, too.

Then he simply walks away.

I lean my back against the stone wall of the venue and sink down to the floor, taking deep breaths to try and calm myself down.Goddamnit. Elliot is clearly exhibiting symptoms of extreme PTSD for what my father did to his family. My relationship with his daughter triggered it. It’s so bad that he can’t even tell us apart.

Elena is fortunate that she has two men that love her with all their hearts,

It’s also incredibly unfortunate that we’re both delusional bastards.

“Fuck,” I whisper to myself. I stand up and sneak back into the venue and then into the private bathroom in the groom’s suite to wash off my face and rinse out my mouth. I thoroughly inspect myself in the mirror to make sure I don’t miss any blood.

I rejoin the party and find Elena nowthoroughlydrunk and handsy, and just a little too out of it to notice my shift in mood. I settle her into the same chair she sat in at dinner, and Bethany joins us, plopping down in the empty seat next to me after proclaiming she’s danced-out for the night.

They both slump into my arms, sweaty and tired from the full day of festivities. I rub my hands against their shoulders and arms, until they’re both yawning and succumbing to their exhaustion.

Elliot walks into the room, and the world goes quiet as he stares me down with his wife and daughter snuggled up in my arms.

Just to get back at him for nailing me in the face, I wink at him, and subtly give him two middle fingers.

The second we get back from California, I’m stopped by one of Edwin’s nurses, who tells me that he’s lucid and asking for me.

Perfect, because I’ve got some shit to say to him.

I’ve got fury coursing through my veins as I stomp to his room, thankful Elena has made herself busy with unpacking. When I get to his room, I tell his nurses to get out. Seething, I approach his bed and point an accusatory finger at him.