Blind Pass

“I had a crush on you, you know.”
I pull my head back, looking up at him. “What? You did not.” “I did. That first time I saw you, under the arena lights, I thought you were gorgeous, and I had a crush on you. I mean, I didn’t realize it then, but I do now. I think a big reason I was always extra grumpy to you was because you intimidated me.” “I intimidated you? I’m sorry, but have you seen your scowl?” He laughs. “I’m being serious.” “I am too! You’re scary when you’re all…growly.” “Growly?”“Yeah. You know…beastly.”

“Sometimes I think it’s all I’ll ever be. I’m going to carry this…ugliness around with me forever. Who the fuck wants to love a beast like me?” Ryan sets her camera aside, then crosses the small room. She doesn’t stop until she’s standing between my legs. She takes my face in her hands, running her thumb gently over my scar and the tears that are dripping down my cheeks. I didn’t even realize I was crying. Why the fuck am I crying? She leans forward and presses her lips to the jagged, marred skin. She’s kissing it. She’s fucking kissing my scar. She’s kissing my scar, and she’s kissing my soul.
“Adrian…” She whispers my name, trailing her lips across the part of me I hate the most and somehow making me hate it less. “You’re beautiful. Not despite your scar, but because of it.”

“I like your scar,” she says, the smell of tequila hitting my nose. “It makes you look distinguished.” “I think you mean disfigured!” I shout over the loud music of the club. We’ve each had about four shots in the last hour, and I feel looser than I have in a long damn time. She grabs my chin and pulls my face to hers, her green eyes that I’m really starting to like boring into me. “You’re beautiful, Rhodes. Not despite your scar, but because of it.” It was the first time someone had ever called me beautiful.