In Love With a Stripper

(Jynx’s POV)

I sat on the counter top with Gerard standing between my legs as I held ice over his nose. Papa Rob had hit him pretty hard.

“Baby I’m so sorry,” I said again. Now that they were gone he was showing more of his pain and I felt bad cause I had agreed to let them come over. “You think a kiss will make it all better?”

“I guess you could try,” he said already pushing my hand away.

“Okay that’s enough,” my mother said walking into the kitchen with a couple of plates in hand. “You young lady should be in bed. I’ll clean this mess up.”

“Mama I’m not…” Gerard’s lips crashed into mine.

“Good night Jynx, I’ll be in as soon as we finish cleaning up in here,” I rolled my eyes as he lifted me down from the counter top, placing my feet back on the ground.

“Fine,” I said. I walked back to the room Gerard and I shared and looked around to make sure that every window had the curtains drawn. I knew that the security system was top of the line, but camera’s could zoom in and watch my every move. I was paranoid. I knew that Jared was smart enough to stay away from me. At least for the time being. It was too risky to just show up. I took a deep breath as flashes of the accident came across my mind.

Jared saved me. He pushed me out of the way. I don’t think anyone else knew that I now owed everyday I live to him. Its confusing. I mean I thought he wanted me dead, but doesn’t his saving me mean that he cared for me?

I quickly changed into my pajamas and sat at the vanity and started brushing my hair. My pink streaks were gone and now I just had plain black hair. Gerard mentioned that it made me look like his dark princess. I had to laugh cause where most would be talking about my skin color he simply meant that I looked almost vampire like with jet black hair.

Then I realized i hadn’t said goodnight to my mother. I got up and headed back down the hall to the kitchen only to stop when I heard voices.
“So Gerard what are you going to do about my daughter?” my mother said.

“What do you mean?” Gerard asked.

“Well she’s pregnant and not married. I would rather my first grandchild not be a bastard.”

“Would you love the child any less if it were?” he asked.

“No and stop being a smart ass,” my mother said in a playful scolding voice.

“Miss Candice I would love to marry your daughter, but I know she’s not going to say yes if I were to ask her. I mean it took me this long just to get her to trust me. One day I will make her my wife I promise, but I can’t promise it will be before the baby is born.”

“Have you asked her before?” my mother asked.

“No, but…”

“There are no but’s Gerard. If you haven’t asked then you don’t know her answer. I see so many changes in Jynx since my last visit. Even in the hospital she was so happy. I don’t know if you even noticed. She loves you so much and I know you love her. The next step is obvious.”

“I’ll tell you what I’ll ask her. I’m not going to tell you when though, but I’ll ask and if she says no then I’ll just leave things as they are. I don’t want to push her away and when ever I get closer its like I have to pull her from where she was before. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but she’s always hesitant to be closer to me.”

“I know but isn’t it worth it?”

“More than you know,” I could hear the smile in his voice and I knew my mother would be smiling back. After that all I heard was dishes being clinked against each other as they were washed and I decided it would be the right time to go in. When I did I wasn’t surprised to see my mother scrubbing the dishes and not even looking at the dishwasher. My mother was old fashioned and would rather wash dishes by hand.

“Goodnight Mama,” I said kissing her cheek.

“Night baby girl,” I smiled at her then blew a kiss to Gerard and went back to my room returning to my seat at the vanity. I’m not sure how long I sat there brushing my hair and thinking. I kept thinking about my answer. Would I marry Gerard? I mean there really wasn’t any reason not to, but…were we ready? We haven’t even known each other a whole year. What if once we are married…I don’t know what if things between us are just wrong?

I was also contemplating weather or not to tell him about Jared pushing me out of the way. I wondered how he would react. I didn’t know what to expect either. I guess if you look at it with logic I wouldn’t have needed saving if it weren’t for him, but then if he weren’t there… I pushed the thought out of my head as my hand found it’s way to my stomach.

“Jynx you were supposed to already be in bed,” he said wrapping his arms around my neck from behind. I smiled and leaned back into him. “Come on I know you’ve got to be tired,” he said moving so that he was standing beside me.

“Gerard there’s something you should know,” I said standing. “Something about Jared.”

“Baby I don’t want you to worry. I hired more security and the house is monitored twenty-four hours. I’m not going to let him get within a hundred miles of you,” I smiled.

“Gerard I’m not scared of him getting to me,” I saw his face drop.

“Then what is it?” he said taking a step back.

“Baby no, its not that.” I said making sure he knew I wasn’t about to tell him that I had been cheating on him. “I swear its not what you’re thinking. The day of the accident. He pushed me out of the way of the car. He…He saved me,” then he did something I wasn’t expecting. He walked away and sat on the bed.

“So are you trying to say that you trust him now? That we should tell the cops not to put him in jail?”

“No…no not that I…I just don’t know how to feel about him anymore. I know I don’t trust him,” I sat down next to him and grabbed his hand. “I mean one moment he’s dragging me into the men’s room the next he’s saving my life. I guess it should make me more afraid cause I never know which Jared is going to show up.”

“We aren’t going to give him a chance to show you either of them. We can thank him before they send his ass to jail. I mean it was his fault you were in that position in the first place.”

“Gerard I know. I just keep thinking about what would have happened if he hadn’t pushed me out of the way,” I put his hand on my stomach. “I can’t completely hate him, but I don’t worship the ground he walks on either.”

“I guess I understand,” he said. “But I can hate him. He almost took the two of the most important people in my life away from me. I can’t forget that and I damn sure ain’t gonna let it happen again,” I smiled and leaned over kissing his cheek.

“I know,” I said before he started kissing me again. His hands roamed my body and before I knew it we were melting together as one. We both settled into bed after his arms wrapped tightly around me. Another thought occurred to me. I couldn’t believe I could ever think that Gerard was cheating on me or that he would ever leave me. “Gerard.”

“Yes?” he said wrapping his arms around me.

“I love you,” I said. “I don’t think I tell you nearly enough.”

“You don’t have to, I knew before you did,” I laughed.

“Well have I told you that you’re a cocky son of a bitch?”

“I knew that too.”