You Got Me by Mercy Amare Page B

Aiden going with me. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.
    “So what are the plans for this weekend?” Aiden asked as we merged onto the interstate.
    “ Well, we could swim.” Once it was out of my mouth, I cringed. Sure, I had shown him my scar, but being in front of him in a bathing suit all day was a bad idea. I would be self conscience the whole time.
    He laughed. “You're delusional if you think I'm going to swim. It's October, and it's kind of freezing outside.”
    I rolled my eyes. Being from Chicago, I loved the warm winters in Alabama. “You're being a bit dramatic, Aiden. It's not freezing. The high today was 60. And it's not like I would suggest swimming outside. We have a indoor pool.”
    His eyes got big. “Are you serious?”
    “Yep.” I paused before adding, “We also have a hot tub.”
    He cleared his throat, but didn't reply. I hoped he was thinking of all the things he was going to do to me in the hot tub. My mind once again went to my scar, but if we were in the water, he wouldn't see it.
    “Hey, Roxy?”
    “ Yeah?”
    “ You're kind of perfect.”
    I looked at him, stunned. “Now you're the one who is delusional.”
    His voice was so soft when he spoke to me. “It's just that... I never thought I would meet somebody that could make me feel like this. I know we haven't known each other that long, but I think I might be in love with you.”
    How did we go from talking to hot tubs to love?
    “You don't want to love somebody like me, Aiden.” My words came out in a whisper because I was so scared. “I am absolutely the worst girl for you.”
    “ I know that you are the absolute right girl for me.”
    “ How do you know?” I asked. I wanted to hear that he loved me, but now that he said it, it scared me. Every part of me knew that he deserved so much better than this scared, fucked up girl that I was.
    “ I feel it, Roxy. I feel it so strong. When I'm with you, I can't touch you enough. I can't spend enough time with you. When we're apart, I feel like a part of me is missing. You are the part of me that I've been missing my whole life.”
    “ Do you have any idea how screwed up I am?” I felt a tear run down my cheek. His words broke my heart, because I felt it too. I felt selfish, though. If I truly loved him, I should run. I should save him from ever becoming involved with me. But I knew I couldn't. It was too late, and I was much too selfish. “You don't know the real me.”
    “ Then let me get to know the real you.”
    I didn't hesitate before responding. I knew if I did, I would lose my nerve. “My name hasn't always been Roxy Gibson. I used to go by the name Emma Bradford,” I confessed. “People kept recognizing my name. They would Google me, and see what happened, but they wouldn't feel sorry for me. They were scared of me.” I wiped the tears away with the back of my hand. “What happens if I'm like her ?”
    He looked over at me, stunned. “You are nothing like your mom. And you are not Emma Bradford anymore. You are Roxy Gibson. You're strong. After everything you've been through, you still wake up in the morning with a smile on your face. That's better than most people could do, even me. When my dad died, I had to stay drunk in order to function, but not you. You push through your pain. If anything, you should run away from me. I'm the weak one.”
    Was he right? Was the strength inside me all this time?
    You're weak, I heard my mom's voice. As always, she would never leave me alone.
    “ SHUT UP!” I yelled at her, and began sobbing. “I'm not weak!”
    I lifted the center console and grabbed my pen. I began writing I'm strong over and over again. After writing it about 20 times, I began to feel my heart drop to a steady pace, and I felt better. When I looked up, I realized that Aiden had pulled over the car.
    “ Do you hear her? Is that why you write on your arms?”
    I was afraid to look in his eyes. I nodded my head. “It's the only way I can get her voice