Bittersweet
003
We entered his house and sat down to do homework. The entire night he got things for me before I could ask, opened all the doors, and complimented my everything. Jaden was extremely gentle and very cuddly. I still felt a little unsteady though. But who could really blame him? Everyone lost their temper at times. Some just more than others.
Once I got home my wrists were still hurting and my cheek was a little red. Luckily my parents hadn’t noticed anything. I grabbed some ice from the freezer and wrapped it in a towel. I could already see bruises forming about the size of Jaden’s thumb. After changing into my pajamas, I iced my arms and face till they were numb and slowly drifted to sleep.
Months passed. It happened again. And again. And again. I stepped out of the shower, shaking slightly. He said this was the last time. I held on to that false hope as I surveyed the damage. Bruises covered my entire body. A network ranging from yellow healing bruises to the darker fresher ones clothed me. Each was the size of Jaden’s fist. He was kind enough not to hurt me in an area I couldn’t easily cover.
I hugged the towel close. My safe zone was over. 24 hours after each incident Jaden was such a gentleman. It reminded me of the old times. But after time was up I was on the edge, always prepared. And time was up. I dressed in jeans, nothing too tight, that was painful and a sweatshirt. The weather had cooled down enough that I didn’t look like an idiot wearing one and the comfort it gave me was great.
I braced myself as I walked out the front door. Dang, he was already here. Who knew how long he had been waiting. I slid into the front seat and turned to catch a glimpse of his face.
Sure enough there was that look. The one I saw too often in my nightmares. It wasn’t really him, I told myself. He really does love me. This I repeated to myself as he hit me again and again for making him wait.
“Are you even listening to me?” He roared.
No, I thought, but knew that wasn’t what he wanted. Instead I nodded and tried to smile.
“So you think I’m funny do you?” The smile faded. Another back hand to the face, another punch in the arm. As I shrugged back I felt his hand gentle on my face, but I flinched anyway. He pulled a strand of hair away from my eyes.
“I’m sorry Raine. Maybe if you didn’t make me so angry sometimes. Well we will both try harder. This is the last time, I promise.” This was said in a hushed tone. Jaden’s fingers intertwined with mine and he drove us over to his house where he held me close the entire time and whispered pretty words that I had long ago stopped believing.
Once I got home my wrists were still hurting and my cheek was a little red. Luckily my parents hadn’t noticed anything. I grabbed some ice from the freezer and wrapped it in a towel. I could already see bruises forming about the size of Jaden’s thumb. After changing into my pajamas, I iced my arms and face till they were numb and slowly drifted to sleep.
Months passed. It happened again. And again. And again. I stepped out of the shower, shaking slightly. He said this was the last time. I held on to that false hope as I surveyed the damage. Bruises covered my entire body. A network ranging from yellow healing bruises to the darker fresher ones clothed me. Each was the size of Jaden’s fist. He was kind enough not to hurt me in an area I couldn’t easily cover.
I hugged the towel close. My safe zone was over. 24 hours after each incident Jaden was such a gentleman. It reminded me of the old times. But after time was up I was on the edge, always prepared. And time was up. I dressed in jeans, nothing too tight, that was painful and a sweatshirt. The weather had cooled down enough that I didn’t look like an idiot wearing one and the comfort it gave me was great.
I braced myself as I walked out the front door. Dang, he was already here. Who knew how long he had been waiting. I slid into the front seat and turned to catch a glimpse of his face.
Sure enough there was that look. The one I saw too often in my nightmares. It wasn’t really him, I told myself. He really does love me. This I repeated to myself as he hit me again and again for making him wait.
“Are you even listening to me?” He roared.
No, I thought, but knew that wasn’t what he wanted. Instead I nodded and tried to smile.
“So you think I’m funny do you?” The smile faded. Another back hand to the face, another punch in the arm. As I shrugged back I felt his hand gentle on my face, but I flinched anyway. He pulled a strand of hair away from my eyes.
“I’m sorry Raine. Maybe if you didn’t make me so angry sometimes. Well we will both try harder. This is the last time, I promise.” This was said in a hushed tone. Jaden’s fingers intertwined with mine and he drove us over to his house where he held me close the entire time and whispered pretty words that I had long ago stopped believing.