Less than Perfect, S. J. Evans [classic literature books txt] 📗

her eyes watering with regret. “Mom, it has nothing to do with Bryan. I have been doing it to myself, I have been hurting myself. It’s all very easy, almost natural; and when I heard about Dad, I—I couldn’t help but do it even more. Bryan was just trying to be of comfort, a helping hand to carry me through. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner, Mom, I—I meant to.” She sobbed, her muffled words echoing through Leah’s mind.
Leah gasped at her daughters painful words; she didn’t want to believe that her daughter would really be hurting herself. “What?” She said in astonishment. “You’ve been harming yourself

? Why—why would you do that?” Leah’s eyes darkened with worry.
“Because I can’t stand the pain, I figure that a little physical pain can’t do any more harm. I know that I shouldn’t let him bother me—Dad—but I can’t help but feel pain when I think about him. He left you because of me, even though you hadn’t even been ready for that

kind of relationship he had pushed you into it, and it’s horrible to think about. Everything I know about him is painful and I just want it to be over, but the next best thing for me would be causing more pain.” She said quietly, the words streaming out with no difficulty. It all was true, everything except the harming herself part. She really was angry at the father she never met, and she was lost in the pain.
Leah looked at her daughter utterly horrified. “I’m so sorry I ever told you,” said Leah, barely above a whisper, “I knew that it would only bring you pain.” Leah shook her head as tears welled up, threatening to gush out.
“Don’t be, Mom. I needed to know the truth, it is better that I know the truth. I’m just sorry that you had to go through something like that, the entire situation that brought me here.” She mumbled, her head suddenly aching despite the pain-killers. She swallowed hard on the lump in her throat. Skye was insanely tired of all the lies; but she knew that they would not only protect Leah, but that they would protect her too. Bryan’s wicked and cruel spirit wouldn’t ever change if she gives up on him, and she knows that. Skye’s his last resort.
Leah let out a sob and broke down, the tears and sobs filling the room. Skye scooted herself over to her mom and pulled her fragile body into her arms. Skye soothed her mom and listened to the cries in agony, she hated seeing Leah cry and she hated it even more when she knew that it was because of her. She had tried everything to keep Leah away from the pain, but nevertheless, it all came in a destructive force. The two sat on the bed, Leah and Skye hugging each other, and cried. Skye wasn’t shedding a tear, but inside she was sobbing her heart out.
Johnny walked past the room and stopped, turned around, and leaned on Skye’s bedroom door frame. He watched as two of the women in his life sat in sorrow, with little sorrow that he caused. He glared at Skye, thinking of how she was giving Leah reason to cry. Skye caught his harsh glare and she frowned at him. “Hello my lovely ladies, how’s everything going?” He said with manner. He no longer looked angry or fierce, for he looked emotionless, calm and careful. Skye could tell that hiding under the façade for Leah he was undeniably infuriated.
“Everything is going alright, nothing’s wrong.” Skye chirped in, trying to encourage Johnny, to keep him from getting any more upset than he already has taken on.
Leah scooted away from Skye and rubbed Skye’s arm. “Something is wrong, Johnny, Skye has been hurting herself.” She said between a sob.
Skye wanted to speak up, but she couldn’t, not with Johnny’s eyes burning into her soul. She knew that he would harm them both, and Skye was perfectly fine with taking the burdens as long as Leah was okay. She would die for her mom if the situation ever came.
Johnny smiled for a moment before wiping it off and rushing over to Skye, pretending to care and have sympathy for her. “Oh, no. Don’t do that, Skye, you’re mush too sweet of a girl to hurt yourself.” He said in a hushed tone, wrapping his arms around Skye carefully. Skye could practically feel

his smirk, only there was none; he had to keep up the façade.
“I know, but maybe life just isn’t so sweet right now.” She mumbled and gently pushed Johnny away, she was tired of him always getting so close to her, and she was utterly exhausted. “If you two wouldn’t mind, could you please leave? I need to think,” she told Leah and Johnny, causing Leah’s expression to drop into fear for her daughter.
“Okay, but don’t hurt yourself, okay sweetie?” Leah said quietly as Johnny helped her off the bed and put his arm around her.
I’m not, I can’t believe that you could ever think that I could

. Skye wished she could say, but instead she half-smiled at Leah and sat back against her bed-frame. “I won’t, Mom, I promise.” She whispered softly, glancing between Johnny and Leah. Johnny gave her a quick look of disgust but smiled when Leah looked up at him.
“Come on, Johnny, we should go.” Leah said as she pushed him out of the room, shutting the door behind them.
Skye took a deep breath of relief, but the moment she relaxed was the same moment that Bryan walked into her bedroom. She gasped and jolted upright, her body suddenly ice-cold.
Bryan looked at her and smiled, “You’re awake,” he commented as he shut the door and stepped halfway into her room. “How are you feeling?” He asked quietly, he was suddenly very different from how he had been earlier. He looked as if he actually cared for her, filled with sympathy and something similar to regret.
Skye settled herself down and tried to relax, he couldn’t hurt her with Leah and Johnny right inside the house, and especially not when everyone was awake. “I feel like I was hit by a truck, no thanks to you.” She muttered and winced as her chest went tight.
Bryan looked at her for a moment before rushing to her side with caring eyes. Skye only gave him a look of disgust and bit her tongue to refrain from saying something that would upset him. “Hey, look,” he tried to stroke her cheek but she smacked it and looked away. “Skye, I’m sorry, really sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you like that, I really didn’t.”
Skye couldn’t contain it any longer. “Then why did

you?” She shrieked, looking him directly in the eyes as rage steamed its way off of her. Hot tears of anger splashed down her face as she looked at the boy that supposedly loved her; the same boy that beat on her and yelled at her one moment, but the next he was soft and gentle. She couldn’t stand his retched behavior. “You could have killed me, Bryan.” She whispered, scared of the words she admitted. “And you know what else you did? I had to lie

to Leah—lie

to her—the very woman that gave birth to me! For once, Bryan, why can’t you just stay away from me? If you really love me, you would do that for me.” She was desperate, she needed him to understand her, and she needed him to leave her alone for a while. They need a break.
Bryan looked at Skye with a horrified stare. He was trying to figure out all of what she said, he couldn’t believe it all. “Skye, I’m really sorry, I hate

that you had to lie, I don’t want you to have to do things like that. I love you, Skye, I really do; but I don’t know if I can stay away from you, you

are what continues to keep me alive and running.” For once, Bryan was the desperate one; he was the one that wanted understanding from her

.
Skye fought the small side of her mind that screamed “kiss and make up” and she managed to choose what she knew actually was the right decision. “Bryan, I have had enough of this relationship for the time. We need a break, and I can’t promise you that I will still be here when you get everything figured out. You really need help, Bryan. I love you, Bryan, I really do; but you definitely need someone’s help for a little while, and I am not

that someone. Go get help and call me when you have things figured out.” She said bravely, exhaustion had taken a toll on her.
Bryan became angry for a moment but then it all settle. She wanted time away from him, she wasn’t saying good-bye forever but she was saying that things between them were not going to be the same for the time being. Suddenly, Bryan felt a hallow place in his heart, he finally saw what he had been doing wrong. Bryan had finally latched onto reality. He let go of his anger and actual tears of regret stirred within him. “Jules doesn’t have anything to do with this, does he?”
Skye sighed and relaxed herself back into the comfort of her bedding. “Bryan, you know the answer to that question. I have told you he has nothing to do with us.”
Bryan got up from the bed and stood the distance away from her, staring down at her week body. He knew that he had done everything to her, he had caused everything in their relationship to go wrong and he needed to come to terms with that. “I’m going to believe you, Skye. I love you,” he reached for her hand but she drew away and rolled onto the other side, her back facing him. “good-bye, my love.” Was the last thing he said before he left the room, blocking their worlds by the door.
Skye couldn’t believe that she had made it out of that conversation alive, but more than that, she couldn’t believe that they were on a break. She felt sick to her stomach; her heart was crumbling inside of her. She wasn’t heartbroken that Bryan was gone, she was heartbroken more for the reason that she knew that she had to avoid Jules as best as she could. Tears gushed out from her eyes as she sobbed into the sheet wrapped around her hand. Jules meant so much to her, everything about him made her feel secure, but after how close she saw they could get, she had to stay away from it. She didn’t know enough about him.
“Why does everything always have to go bad before you can even get a taste of the good?” She murmured thoughtfully. Every season has an end, and she wanted the season of fighting herself for Jules to end. Part of her never wanted to see him again while the other part wanted to never leave him. Skye drifted into a deep slumber, Jules fading into the background.
She never knew that life could get so complicated.


“Skye, hey Skye, are you awake?” A manly voice said, as a gentle hand shook Skye.
Skye moaned as an unknown pain crippled her