Break Me

Her Truth

Emilia woke up in the morning to Carter shaking her. "Babe someone named Papa and Javier keep calling you." Emilia groaned and took the phone from him, seeing it being Javier right now she groaned again and answered, "Yeah?" Javier hummed, "Isn't it seven o clock over there? You should be up already." Emilia suppressed a growl, "I was up studying late."

Carter looked at her amused, "Yeah how to ride d**k and take it from the back." Emilia winked at him and sighed when Javier complimented her, "Oh well it's good you're still so determined in your studies." Emilia sighed, "Thanks. Is there a reason you and my father keep blowing me up?" Javier coughed awkwardly, "Oh well I thought he had talked to you already and had explained."

Emilia sighed, "Explained what?" Javier started to speak but when he couldn't get to a point she looked at her phone as her father called, "Hold up it's my father. Hopefully he can get to the point quicker than you." When Emilia switched over and greeted her father, he announced, "Your brothers and mother are here with me, you're on speaker. We're trying to talk some sense into you before it's too late."

Emilia groaned and got of bed. Carter looked at her concerned as she slid on his shirt and wave him off. When Emilia got down stairs in his art studio, she asked, "What is going on?" Ernesto looked to his wife and sons before saying. "Javier asked us to marry you. Like he wants to put a ring on your finger, now."

Nodding Emilia sighed, "Okay." Ernesto perked up, "You're going to say yes?!" Emilia shook her head, "Of course not I'm going to say no!" Ernesto felt cold dread feel his stomach, "What? No! You have to marry him!"

Emilia shook her head, "No I don't. It's 2019, I am old enough to vote and pay taxes, I highly doubt you can sell me off to someone purely because of their profession." Ernesto almost threw the phone but had to remember that was his line of communication with his daughter. "Girl, at first the proposal was a long shot. With you running off to Ireland and not wanting to spend time with him, we thought he'd choose someone else. But now he wants you to marry him and he wants to do it now before he picks up as an official ER doctor."

Emilia sighed, "No papa. I will not marry him,l I refuse, I'm sorry but I've made my decision. I'm calling to tell him that myself." Ten seconds went by in silence, and then, "You selfish, dumb w***e! You will leave that wretched place at once, you will marry Javier, or I will no longer be your father!" Emilia sniffled tearfully as Riccardo looked at his father. He had just gambled away the only thing he had left. If he disclaimed her, did she really have any reason to come back?

"Well then, goodbye papa." Just like that the line went dead. And that was the moment that sealed the deal.

Emilia sobbed feeling overwhelmed and tired. She had been stressed out for two days straight now, with Carter's family drama and now her's. She couldn't catch a break. Looking up when strong arms wrapped around her, Emilia looked up at Carter who wiped her cheeks gently. "Sounds like we need to talk little lady." Emilia sighed and so they went upstairs, called the attendance line for school, and had breakfast.

Emilia nervously sat down her cup of coffee and whispered, "I am my father's only daughter. I have three older brothers, Ricardo, Roberto, and Julian. I was never allowed to go out, go places. I didn't have friends or meet anyone until I left for college." Carter looked at her shocked, "Whoa." Emilia nodded understanding his shock, "I was depressed and emotionally manipulated to feel...empty. Like I was less than what I was so I would never aim for higher. After spending my entire high school under house arrest with my mother, I couldn't stomach doing the same for college."

Carter nodded, "Much to the disapproval of your father from what I heard. So what about this guy he wants you to marry?"

Carter watched Emilia wince, "Like how I knew from the jump I would never want to be with someone like Marcel, I knew I didn't want to be with Javier. He was like my father in every way, old school. He'd expect a 50's wife that'll look the other way when he cheats. Have little babies and spend the rest of our days silently resenting each other. I refuse to live my life that way, trapped in a place I was to consider home. Especially now that I...have you."

Carter looked at her and saw her nervously fidgeting with her bracelets. "You okay?" Emilia nodded, "Yeah my nerves are terrible right now. Coffee, stress, everything I missed in class." Carter put a hand on top of hers, "I texted Blair she's going to get all your assignments and no more coffee." He pushed a glass of orange juice in her hand and Emilia happily gulped it down.

When her chunky layered bracelet moved Carter almost screamed. He knew the little white lines on her wrist. He hated the sight, but he knew. He had seen the maneuver of wearing jewelry to hide marks of cutting thousands of times. But he had never suspected Emilia had been nothing but happy her entire life.

Emilia looked at him confused, when he grabbed her wrist and began untying her leather bracelet and then pushing the beaded ones off. Emilia looked as he turned over her wrist and examined the cuts she had made there. "Jesus baby."

Emilia looked down ashamed, and Carter fought tears, "You did this to yourself?" Emilia nodded, "I haven't...I haven't done it in a while. They've been far away so I haven't been as stressed around them. Today... a few minutes ago. I wanted to."

Carter shook his head, "No baby. You talk to me when you feel overwhelmed." Carter pressed a kiss to her delicate wrist and whispered, "Did they know you did this to yourself?" Emilia shook her head, "No, they...they'd rather pretend I was good and sane from all the smothering they did."

The couple fell into silence for a moment and Emilia awkwardly pushed her food around her plate. "Are you going to leave me?" Carter looked at Emilia horrified, "What?" Emilia rolled her eyes, "You think I'm broken now. I"m not the Emilia you thought I was." Carter nodded in agreement, "You're not. But that doesn't make me care about you any less," Carter grabbed her hand put it against his face. "We've all felt down and did bad s**t to feel better about ourselves. But you know what? We have each other, and that's better than before baby."

Emilia nodded and looked at Carter, her heart sang it then. Loud and clear. Happy and proud.

I love you, Carter O' Miley.