"Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't" 

- Shakespeare - 

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"Relax, Nellie, what's wrong?" Sweet Pea demanded, grabbing Nellie firmly by the shoulders.

Passerby's were starting to look at them, but Sweet Pea didn't care. He tried to hold Nellie together as she was falling apart.

"I stabbed a man." she repeated over and over. 

Sweet Pea frowned at her revelation, wondering what had gotten into her, not believing she would be capable of hurting anyone. 

A man came thundering down the stairways, calling Nellie's name over and over again. He was getting closer and as soon as his calling reached her hearing, Nellie turned around. She unconsciously got closer to the Serpent standing next to her.

"Shit," the profanity slipped of her lips. Her eyes desperately looked up to the clear blue sky. 

"Miss Hearst, what is going on?" Mr. Harrington insisted once he caught up with the two. Although he was somewhere in his fifties, he showed no sign of exhaustion. He threw a curious look at Sweet Pea who still held onto Nellie. The man's eyes lingered over the Serpent tattoo curling on his neck. Sweat Pea pulled Nellie closer to his chest, feeling her trembling form against him. He threw the man a dangerous glare.

"Mr. Harrington," Nellie stuttered, eyes glazing with tears. "It was defense, I swear..."

Something changed in the way Harrington posed himself. He straightened his back and looked back at the hotel. 

"Kowalski?" He asked, certainty dripping of his voice. Nellie weakly nodded.

"Go, I'll take care of it." Mr. Harrington said resolutely. Without looking back at her, he turned around and dashed into the hotel lobby. The man was far more knowing than Nellie had given him credit for. He would never tell her, but from that day on he'd feel guilty for letting her return to Kowalski's room. He knew of the man's reputation but didn't prevent his hunger to settle on Nellie. 

Nellie swallowed. She was still shivering against Sweet Pea although the afternoon sun shone brightly. Without saying a word, he guided her towards his motorcycle. She just stood there, her arms crossed in front of her chest, looking defeated. Helpless.

Sweet Pea frowned, worry clearly displayed on his face like an open book of emotions. He gently placed his helmet on her head but Nellie didn't as much as blink at him as he waited for her to sit down on the motorcycle. 

As soon as he felt her familiar touch through the thin fabric of his polo, he accelerated, leaving Riverdale center behind. They fled to the outskirts of town, straight to the trailer park that had become her safe haven. 

Nellie didn't say a word, her actions tumbling like photographs in her mind. She felt Kowalski's finger dragging against her skin, goosebumps rising at his touch. She felt his breath fanning over her neck, his lips touching a tender spot that wasn't meant for him to find. She shut her eyes closed, holding onto Sweet Pea.

Her thoughts replayed the moment where she had pinned Kowalski to the table. She had viciously stabbed his hand, connecting it with the wooden surface. By now, the wood would be drenched in his blood. His hand would wear a scar that would forever remind him of her. Involuntarily, she held on tighter, gripping Sweet Pea tighter and pressing her head against his shoulder blade trying to get the image out of her head. 

Her mother would've been so disappointed. Violence was never the answer, it only started a war. Fear crawled up her throat. What had she done? She'd have Kowalski's wrath upon her before she'd got the chance to defend herself, she knew. If he truly was some maffiosi, she would be hunted down by his men and killed on sight, if the police didn't come after her first. 

She didn't realize Sweet Pea had long stopped driving. He didn't want to force her to let go, worry rushing through him as he observed her frozen form. Through the tinted glass of his helmet, he couldn't her face, but her body was pressed against his, seeking comfort.

Nellie stood up, stretching her sore limbs. She hadn't realized how tight she had been holding onto Sweet Pea. She wouldn't be surprised if she'd left any bruises on his skin. He stood next to her, towering over her. Nellie interrupted the thought. Sweet Pea was so large, her tiny form would never be able to bruise him. The boy was invincible.

She took off the helmet, relishing in the soft breeze from the woods that surrounded the trailer park. It played with the strands of her hair, cooled down the beads of sweat that were pearling down her temples. 

Without hesitation, Sweet Pea gently took Nellie's hand, guiding her up the stairs and inside the trailer. He didn't let go of her entirely, skimming over her appearance. 

Her skirt and apron were wrinkled, tiny bloodstains at the hem of the white fabric. She looked away from him, shame and fear fighting for dominance. He gently took her chin between his fingers. His worried eyes skimmed over her face. The pale spots on flushed cheeks. The tears threatening to spill out of her dark brown eyes, already sticking some of her lashes together. 

Nellie let out a shaky breath.

"Please," Sweet Pea whispered, hoping that for her own good, she'd trust him this one time, "tell me what happened."

His plea was met with silence. Nellie bit her trembling lip, averting her eyes to the side, shaking of Sweet Pea's hold on her chin. She turned away from him. Sweet Pea was afraid she locked herself up again, high and safe behind those walls she'd built around her.

"It wasn't the first time he approached me. He tried to get his hands on me before," her voice cracked as she spoke towards the window, crossing her arms in front of her chest. 

Sweet Pea frowned and his jaw clenched. Anger was blossoming inside his chest at the thought of some man touching Nellie. The thought of her being alone with a creep made him ball his fist. He should've been there, he thought. As Nellie's form slightly slumped, something hit him. No matter how hard he wanted to plant his fist in the man's face, he wouldn't go anywhere as long as Nellie wasn't alright. 

He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, guiding her to the bench and letting her sit down. He returned to the kitchen taking the kettle and boiling some water.

"I should've run away when I could but when he came too close I ... just froze," Nellie spoke, her voice filled with disbelief. She didn't even notice Sweet Pea slamming the kettle on the stove.

She scoffed. "I stabbed him with your knife," it came out restrained. As if she desperately wanted it to be a joke. Sweet Pea sat down in front of her, shoving a steaming cup of tea in her direction.

She absentmindedly draped her fingers around it. Sweet Pea bit his bottom lip, wanting to reach out for her, letting her know he was there. He would try to understand. He had never been good with words, preferred actions over them in any case.

Another trembling sigh escaped her pale lips. Sad, tired eyes looked up to him. When their eyes connected, Sweet Pea was electrified by the intensity of the rich brown color of her eyes. They looked like giant black holes, shimmering with tears like stars surrounding it. 

"You know what scares me the most?" Nellie whispered, letting her eyes fall back on her cup of tea. Sweet Pea didn't answer, just looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"I'm not even sorry..." it was so soft, he wondered if Nellie had said anything at all. "I would do it again," she continued, rising her eyes to met his. The sadness was gone and instead certainty glistened where tears had been.

Sweet Pea swallowed. The girl in front of him was anything but weak. He thought back at the first time he saw her, wide-eyed surrounded by bikers and gang members in a sketchy bar. How wrong had he been to compare her to a doe when it was clear she might've been the hunter.

"Doesn't that scare you?" Nellie's voice broke as she addressed him. Her eyes looked at him. For a second Sweet Pea had mistaken her tone challenging but when her dark brown eyes locked with his, he was met by nothing but fear. 

He shook his head, a comforting smile pulling at one corner of his lips. He reached for her hand. It seemed so small in his, he never paid attention to it before. His thumb, black ink running over his skin and calloused from working at Andrew's and on his motorcycle , contrasted starkly with her small dainty fingers. He rubbed a circle on her skin, relishing for a second in the sparks that shot through his system. 

"I'm not too scared of getting stabbed by you," he replied finally, raising his eyes to meet hers again. 

"You don't know that," she admitted, "I might hurt you," 

Sweet Pea shook his head, strands of dark hair now brushing against his forehead. 

"Listen, Nellie... I hate to break it to you but you're not a bad girl. You stabbed someone because you defended yourself. He was going to hurt you. God," Sweet Pea grunted, thinking about the terror she escaped. How could she blame herself for defending herself?

"You did nothing wrong, nothing at all." He looked back at her. She was staring at their intertwined hands, biting her bottom lip in thought. 

"If it helps, I've done worse," Sweet Pea admitted. He didn't like to talk about the things he'd done. He wasn't necessarily proud of them. But they were a part of him, whether he liked it or not. 

Nellie merely nodded. "That does make me feel a little better," She remained silent after that. 

"Don't worry, your first is always the worst," Sweet Pea broke the silence, earning a sad smile from her. 

"Thanks, Sweets," she said, the nickname slipping of her tongue. Sweet Pea stiffened upon hearing it, forcing his muscles to relax as Nellie's eyes turned curious. 

He coughed, pulling his hand away from hers. "Take a hot shower, it will help. And then, just get in bed," he said, standing up and bringing his cup of tea with him. 

"Tomorrow, everything will be better," 

A/N

Thank you all for your comments on my previous author's note! I really appreciate it! 

I'm currently looking for someone who could help me out with the graphics for this story. I'm looking for a new cover and a banner to add on top of each chapter, so if you're interested or you know a fellow wattpadder who could be interested, let me know!