a few missed texts and a missed call from Kimber.
"Who was it?" Jase asks as he sits back down and starts opening the box of crackers.
"Kimber," I say, fiddling with my phone.
"You should call her, she's probably freaking out and wondering where you are," he says, as he eats a cracker.
"Maybe later." I set the phone down, lay my head back, and stare at the ceiling. I just want to hide here for a while longer. Maybe forever.
"She probably knows you're with me. She sent me a text earlier asking if I knew where you were. I figured you didn't want her to know just yet, so I didn't respond."
I let out a sigh, roll my head to the side, and look at Jase. I don't want Kimber to ask me any questions, but I know there is no way around that. One look at my face and she's going to flip. I can't hide all the cuts and bruises. I look like hell.
Jase holds a cracker up to my mouth and when I open it, he shoves the cracker in and gives me a smirk. Chewing it up, I turn my body and lie on my back with my head in his lap. I stare up at him and say, "I don't want anyone to know."
He looks down at me, starts brushing through my hair with his fingers, and says, "I know, but she's going to know that something happened. She's going to want to know how you got all these bruises."
"I don't know what to say."
"Why can't you tell her? You know she wouldn't say a word to anyone."
"I just can't. Even the way you look at me now is different." I sit up and turn to look at him. "It makes me feel weird. It just reminds me that it happened, when all I want to do is forget." I pull my knees up to my chest and lay my head on the back of the couch again.
Jase puts his hand on my knee and says, "You know you can't do that. It did happen."
The tears roll down my temples. "But why?" My voice is shaky as I speak. "I don't understand what I did that was so wrong."
Wiping away my tears with his thumb, he says, "You didn't do anything wrong."
"Then why did this happen to me?" I turn my head and look into his eyes, desperate for answers I know he doesn't have.
He shakes his head, and his eyes start to rim with tears. "I don't know, sweetie. But I do know that you didn't do shit to deserve this. This isn't your fault."
"But maybe it is. I mean, I really led him on when I had no intentions of..."
Jase cuts me off me off and snaps, "You mean Jack did this?!"
My whole body turns cold. Oh shit! What is he going to do? I quickly sit up and turn towards him. "Jase, you can't say anything," I plead in a stern voice.
"Christ, Candace. I thought it was just some random asshole. Why didn't you tell the police? Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because I can't. Everyone would know. Everyone, including my parents."
Jase rakes his hand through his hair, and I can tell he is pissed, which upsets me. I don't want him to be mad at me.
"Fuck," he spits out. Looking at me, I can see the rage in his eyes, and I start to panic. "I'm gonna kill that fucker."
"Jase!"
"What the hell happened?" he demands.
"Don't."
"Candace, you have to tell me."
"Please, don't." Slowly shaking my head, I begin to cry. I'm scared. Scared to talk. Scared of what Jase might do. Scared that people will find out.
Jase stands up and walks out to the balcony, slamming the door shut behind him. I sit in his living room, alone in the silence. The sun is starting to rise and Jase is leaning on his arms against the railing. I know he is pissed at me, which kills me inside. I can't stand to see him so mad and upset. I get up and make my way to his bedroom, leaving my phone on the couch.
I must have fallen asleep because when I open my eyes the room is bright. I sit up and look down at Jase who is sleeping next to me. I slip out of bed and make my way to the kitchen to get some water. I look at the clock and see that it's almost nine in the morning. I'm not too worried about the classes I missed yesterday or the ones I will most likely miss today. It's only the first week, so I know that classes
"Who was it?" Jase asks as he sits back down and starts opening the box of crackers.
"Kimber," I say, fiddling with my phone.
"You should call her, she's probably freaking out and wondering where you are," he says, as he eats a cracker.
"Maybe later." I set the phone down, lay my head back, and stare at the ceiling. I just want to hide here for a while longer. Maybe forever.
"She probably knows you're with me. She sent me a text earlier asking if I knew where you were. I figured you didn't want her to know just yet, so I didn't respond."
I let out a sigh, roll my head to the side, and look at Jase. I don't want Kimber to ask me any questions, but I know there is no way around that. One look at my face and she's going to flip. I can't hide all the cuts and bruises. I look like hell.
Jase holds a cracker up to my mouth and when I open it, he shoves the cracker in and gives me a smirk. Chewing it up, I turn my body and lie on my back with my head in his lap. I stare up at him and say, "I don't want anyone to know."
He looks down at me, starts brushing through my hair with his fingers, and says, "I know, but she's going to know that something happened. She's going to want to know how you got all these bruises."
"I don't know what to say."
"Why can't you tell her? You know she wouldn't say a word to anyone."
"I just can't. Even the way you look at me now is different." I sit up and turn to look at him. "It makes me feel weird. It just reminds me that it happened, when all I want to do is forget." I pull my knees up to my chest and lay my head on the back of the couch again.
Jase puts his hand on my knee and says, "You know you can't do that. It did happen."
The tears roll down my temples. "But why?" My voice is shaky as I speak. "I don't understand what I did that was so wrong."
Wiping away my tears with his thumb, he says, "You didn't do anything wrong."
"Then why did this happen to me?" I turn my head and look into his eyes, desperate for answers I know he doesn't have.
He shakes his head, and his eyes start to rim with tears. "I don't know, sweetie. But I do know that you didn't do shit to deserve this. This isn't your fault."
"But maybe it is. I mean, I really led him on when I had no intentions of..."
Jase cuts me off me off and snaps, "You mean Jack did this?!"
My whole body turns cold. Oh shit! What is he going to do? I quickly sit up and turn towards him. "Jase, you can't say anything," I plead in a stern voice.
"Christ, Candace. I thought it was just some random asshole. Why didn't you tell the police? Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because I can't. Everyone would know. Everyone, including my parents."
Jase rakes his hand through his hair, and I can tell he is pissed, which upsets me. I don't want him to be mad at me.
"Fuck," he spits out. Looking at me, I can see the rage in his eyes, and I start to panic. "I'm gonna kill that fucker."
"Jase!"
"What the hell happened?" he demands.
"Don't."
"Candace, you have to tell me."
"Please, don't." Slowly shaking my head, I begin to cry. I'm scared. Scared to talk. Scared of what Jase might do. Scared that people will find out.
Jase stands up and walks out to the balcony, slamming the door shut behind him. I sit in his living room, alone in the silence. The sun is starting to rise and Jase is leaning on his arms against the railing. I know he is pissed at me, which kills me inside. I can't stand to see him so mad and upset. I get up and make my way to his bedroom, leaving my phone on the couch.
I must have fallen asleep because when I open my eyes the room is bright. I sit up and look down at Jase who is sleeping next to me. I slip out of bed and make my way to the kitchen to get some water. I look at the clock and see that it's almost nine in the morning. I'm not too worried about the classes I missed yesterday or the ones I will most likely miss today. It's only the first week, so I know that classes
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