FicWad

I remember when some secrets were needed to be told...

I awoke the next morning to the phone ringing and a huge pain in my neck. I looked around disoriented and in pain. I was sitting up in my bed and Pete was no where to be found. I reached over to the annoying object on my bedside table that wouldn't shut up.

"Hello?" I answered not even sure what time it was.

"Isabelle?" the frantic voice asked.

"Uh huh," I said still not sure what was going on.

"Isabelle, it's Mrs. Wentz. Is he there?" she asked the panic was clear in her voice. I awoke at this. I wasn't sure if he was here. I looked around my room, but didn't see him anywhere.

"Yeah, he's here," I said quietly. No use in causing any more worry. Even if Pete had left, I was sure he was ok.

"Oh thank God, Isabelle. He got in an argument with his father and the next thing I knew he was flying out the door. We had no idea where he had gone. I tried all the boys and they hadn't seen or heard from him," she said blurting out all her thoughts into the ear piece of the phone.

"It's ok Mrs. Wentz. He is ok," I said trying to calm her.

"Will you please tell him to come home?" she asked. I could sense that she was on the brink of tears. Whether it be from sadness that Pete ran to me when he was upset or from relief that he was ok.

"Sure," I said trying to get off the phone as soon as possible. I really didn't want to hear her cry.

"Thank you," she said and hung up the phone.

I stared at the phone and took a deep breath. Was he still here?

"Hey," he said quietly in the doorway startling me from my thoughts. My head shot up and I looked at him standing there looking as though his puppy had just died.

"Your mom," I said quietly and pointing to the phone.

"I figured," he said nodding slightly, but not moving.

I looked down at the night stand and noticed it was only seven in the morning, so I laid down and pulled the covers over myself. I looked over at Pete. He just stood there.

"Come on," I said pulling the covers up for him. He nodded and got into bed with me. We laid there staring at each other. If this were any other situation, I probably would have been thinking about what it would be like kissing him.

"What did she want?" he asked quietly.

"To know where you were and for you to come home," I said matching his voice tone.

"I don't think I can," he said as a fresh new set of tears began to form in his eyes.

I was shocked that he had anymore tears left. He had cried himself to sleep on my lap the past night. I was close to calling for help, but each time I reached for the phone he grabbed my wrist. I just sat with him until his breathing became steady.

"Do you want to tell me anything?" I asked knowing he probably wouldn't. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head no. It was my turn to nod now.

He kept his eyes closed tightly. I know he was thinking back on something painful, for his features looked sad and almost angry.

"Can I tell you a secret?" I asked. I decided to take a different tactic. It was obvious that Pete trusted me enough to come to me when he was hurt the most. The least I could do was tell him the truth about myself.

His eyes opened slowly and he looked slightly shocked and confused.

"Yeah," he said sounding confused as though he wasn't sure what I was going to tell him.

"You don't know why we moved to Illinois, do you," I said to him knowing perfectly well that he didn't.

"I thought it was because your mom got a new job," he said now sounding very interested.

"We had to leave Minnesota because we were no longer safe there," I said quickly. I couldn't believe I had let it come out in such a smooth way. It seemed so easy.

"What?" he asked now sounding very concerned.

I took a deep breath. It was time for me to confide to someone about my past. It was time for me to relive the horrible memories I worked so hard to forget, but never really could.

"My mother was in an abusive relationship back in Minnesota," I said trying to hold back any tears that may fall.

"Oh my God. Izzy, I am so sorry," Pete said grabbing my hand that he noticed was shaking now.

"He abused my mother and he abused me. I woke up one night to my mother screaming my name for help. I ran up the stairs towards the screaming to find him beating the shit out of my mom. I was furious. I pushed him out the door as best as I could and locked it saying some choice words in his face. He threatened me that it wasn't the last I would see of him," I said taking a deep shaky breath.

It was so hard to bring it all back and into the open. Pete didn't say anything he just waited for me to continue.

"He was right. One night, while my mom was at her second job, he broke into the house. He raped me and beat me so badly that I had to be in the hospital for about a month. He disappeared after that, but mom felt in order for us to be safe we needed to move away. So here we are in Illinois," I said as a tear fell down my face.

Pete lifted his hand and dried the tear with his thumb, which only ensued in me breaking down in more tears.

"It is so hard for me to get close to anyone, especially guys. I see you guys look at me awkwardly when you try to give me hugs or to play around and tickle me and I can't let you because I get these horrible flashbacks of him on top of me. And I hate him for that. I HATE HIM!" I screamed. It was a scream that should have been let out years ago.

Pete engulfed me in a big hug and I just clung onto him tightly trying to control my tears and breathing.

"It's ok, Izzy. He won't hurt you ever again," he said and held on to me tightly. I felt so comfortable in his arms; more comfortable than I ever had before. It was as if telling Pete my secret broke some spell that allowed me to allow him to touch me.

We sat like that for what felt like the longest time. I broke away from him, smoothed out my hair and took a deep breath.

"Why did you tell me this now?" he asked leaning on his elbow looking down at me. I laid on my back and stared up at him.

"I realized that you must have an immense level of trust in me for you to come to my house in such a state as you were last night. It showed me that you see me as more than just a friend. I felt that I owed it to you that you know the truth about me. And to show you that everyone has secrets," I said whispering the last part.

Pete nodded and broke into tears again. I pulled him into a hug knowing he needed time with his secret. It took me two years to tell him my secret, who knows how long it would take for him to tell me his. Atlease he now knew that I was there for him unconditionally.