Esme's fear of human touch was long gone. The more time she spent around Scorp, the more she got used to his displays of physical affection. The feeling of his touch no longer felt foreign and scary but safe. And so was Mara's. She mentally thanked herself for taking her scar hiding potion earlier, enabling her to hide them for the rest of the day. As much as she wanted to bring up the topic of her scars to Mara, she couldn't muster up the courage to say the words. Her fingers would start trembling, lips quivering and then she would abandon her plan feeling weak. She knew Mara would never judge her for it, but still. They were personal. The carvings on her skin reminded her of who she was. She was Nothing. They reminded her that she didn't deserve to be saved. No matter how much they began to fade, she knew they would always mock her in a way. A permanent attachment to show all she went through.