The Calm

*ABUSE WARNING*
-Austin’s POV-
It’s been one month since I met Scarlett.
She went back with her boyfriend Parker.
Though she texted me two days after the party and thanked me for listening to her drunk ass.
We texted everyday getting to know each other more.
Today we were currently arguing over how much off an asshole her boyfriend was.
S: I cant just leave him
A: He treats you like shit Scar you deserve better
S: Like what
A: Like someone who actually comes home when they say they will for starters.
S: He’s just late
A: Scar, its the third night in a row this week
S: You think he’s cheating don’t you?
A: Apparently you do
S: I know
A: You need to leave him.
S: And go where Austin?
A: Erin’s Jes’s hell anyone of us would want to take you in
S: Even you?
A: I have a spare bed room, I’m rarely here so yeah.
S: Okay
A: So?
S: If i’m at your doorstep tonight then youll know
I understood why she couldn’t leave him but I hated seeing her this upset.
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Later that night there was a knock on my door, but not how I wanted it to be.
I opened it to reveal a bloody bruised Scarlett. Who had just been dropped off by the taxi that pulled off in a distance.
"Scar? What happened?" I asked allowing her in.
"He, he…beat…me…" she stuttered out.
I needed to clean her up.
"Come here, follow me and I’ll clean you up okay?" I said to her.
She looked terrified.
"Y-yeah" she stuttered out, again.
I lead her down the hall to my smaller bathroom. I had kept more of my first aid supplies here anyway. I made her sit on the closed toilet seat. Then gathered all that I would need to clean her up. Before I started I asked if she wanted me to call the police and she said no. So I started cleaning the blood from her.
She had yoga pants, a t-shirt, and a hoodie on as well as some Toms.
The only thing that wasn’t blood stained were her shoes.
"My clothes…Aus what am I gonna do?" she asked.
"I have an old shirt that you can sleep in it’s tight on me but it will probably be perfect for you. It’s long. I can give you a clean never worn pair of boxers…we can get your clothes tomorrow okay?"
"Thank you" she said.
Her gorgeous eyes looked so sad and it hurt me to see her like this.
I cleaned all the blood off of her, but she was bruised pretty badly.
"That’s the best I can do, I wish I could get rid of the rest of it too." I said.
She stood up and looked in the mirror at herself, I stayed close since she was pretty shaken up. She started crying.
"Shhh…he’s not going to hurt you again." I said.
"I should’ve listened to you and everyone else. I’m so stupid." she said.
"No Scar, you’re not. Come on let’s get you upstairs, changed, and into bed."
She nodded her head and I helped her upstairs.
I told her that she could go sit in the spare room and that I would bring her clothes.
I came back with sweat pants that I think were Alan’s, boxers that I had bought and shrunk when I washed them, two different shirts one that was long sleeve and one that wasn’t.
"I hope this is alright" I said as I sat the clothes in front of her.
"Yeah, thanks…"
"You’re welcome, you can shower or whatever you need in the bathroom there. I can make you something to eat for when you get out?"
"Can I just have coffee, please, I mean that’s if you don’t mind…I’m sorry." she rambled off.
"Of course. You’re my guest, don’t apologize. I’ll be back take your time"
"Thanks again." she said and I smiled back at her.
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I was half asleep and heard Scar mumbling stuff in her sleep. I wanted to leave her sleep alone but it took so much for me to do that.
I started to hear her scream and that’s when I got up and went to check on her.
"NOO! PARKER!" she screamed.
"Scar, Scarlett, wake up!" I said but she was still lost in the nightmare.
I gently shook her shoulder, that woke her up.
"Austin! Oh gosh I’m so sorry!"
"Stop. Are you okay?" I asked.
"I had a dream…"
"Want to talk about it?"
"No, I just want to go back to sleep." she whispered.
"Okay goodnight Scar."
I walked out of the room quietly, and decided I should sleep outside of the door incase she needed me to pull her from her nightmares.
____________________________
I awoke to someone giggling. I opened my eyes to see Scarlett taking a picture of me with her phone.
"Ugh really Scar? What are you going to do with that?" I asked.
"Blackmail Carlile."
I got up off of the floor and started walking to my room with the blanket and pillow I had, Scar followed me.
"I talked to Erin and she said that she’s bring me clothes and I can stay with her…if I want. Tony and her are coming here if that’s okay?" she asked looking at me with her swollen face.
"Yeah they can come that’s fine"
"Aus?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you" she said and lightly hugged me.
I gently put my arms around her, “You’re welcome”
There was a knock at my door. I went to open it to reveal Tony and Erin.
"Come on in" I said.
"How is she?" Erin asked.
"Well enough to take pictures of me sleeping on the floor outside of her door." I said with a chuckle.
"Hey guys" Scar said and apprehensively came over.
"I’m going to murder him!" Tony said.
"Sweetie, I brought your makeup, toiletries, and clothes…he wasn’t there when we went over." Erin said.
"He’s working…" Scar said.
"Let’s go fix you up okay?" Erin said.
They both went upstairs to the bedroom.
"You like her don’t you?" Tony asked.
"What" I said, not expecting him to say that.
"Austin, why else would you take her in?"
"She’s become a good friend of mine" I said and went to make coffee.
"But you like her?"
"I don’t know…"
"Liar…come on I know what you said when you saw her in Seattle."
"Trying to make me sound like a creep?" I asked and laughed.
"No…just Phil never saw you like that. Take this as an opportunity, go for it."
"Not when she’s like this, she was with the guy for ten years!"
"And?"
And we were interrupted by Erin and Scarlett coming downstairs.
"Coffee!" they both yelled.
"This was for me" I said laughing.
"Austin." Scarlett said.
"Relax I made enough for all of us."
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Scarlett wanted to stay with me which I thought was weird, but hey I wasn’t complaining. I gave her a spare key and said she was free to come and go as she pleased. Tony, Erin, and her went to get her car now since only Scar and Parker knew the access code to the garage. Tony said he would kill Parker if he saw him, so I knew Scar was in safe hands. I liked her, I had all along, but I wasn’t going to pressure her into liking me. I also never mentioned that I saw her in Seattle, because I don’t want to seem creepy. She travels a lot for her clients and I respect that. If she stays and we get together then great, but I am not counting on that happening.

Notes