When Night Breaks

Jay and I had went days without talking or seeing each other, before. But never was it under negative circumstances. It had been two weeks since the last time we talked.

But it was better that way. Finding out he had killed someone was too much to handle. If he had attacked the girl in New York, could he attack me? I had always told myself that no matter how raged Jay got, that he would never turn his anger to me. I wasn't so sure after finding out about Kara.

I missed Jay but I was also deeply confused and conflicted. I had fallen hard for him and opened up to him a lot in the months we spent together. I didn't want to be around him but at the same time I yearned for him.



I couldn't help but feel the ever present eyes on me as Lacey and I walked down the hall of the science building.

"You wanna go to lunch? I'm starving." Lacey asked, patting her stomach and laughing.

"Yeah that's fine." My focus shifted off of Lacey to the person looking at me: Leo.

"Uh Sammy, do you know him? He's looking at you."

"No, I don't think so." I lied. I turned my head so I couldn't see Leo.

"He's got a faculty land yard. When did we get hot professors?" I furrowed my brow and looked at her questioningly.

"You think he's hot?!"

"You don't?!"

I had never thought Leo to be "hot". It stemmed partly from knowing he hated me when Jay and I first met. Plus, he was Jay's best friend and that's all I ever saw him as. But as I stood with Lacey, the thought occurred to me that he was attractive.

He had dirty blonde hair that was on the edge of being light brown. It was short but it suited him. He always wore black framed, square glasses. Jay was younger than he was, but Leo did not look almost 30. He was shorter than Jay, but I assumed he still stood at 5'10" or 5'11". He wasn't out of shape, but it was evident that he did not work out like Jay did. Leo was attractive in a nerdy yet arrogant way.

"Yeah he's okay."

"I like him. Let's go say hey."

"NO! I mean, no. He's a teacher. That's weird."

Lacey sighed and rolled her eyes. I glanced one last time in Leo's direction. He motioned for my to join him in the room he walked into.

"Hey Lace, you go ahead and leave but I'm gotta run to the bathroom and then back up to my chemistry teacher. I'll meet you at the restaurant in a few, okay?"

"But I'm so hungry!" Lacey pouted her lip out.

"I'll hurry. I just have to go talk to my professor. I forgot about it." I lied.

"Fine. See ya later. Don't be late!"



Leo's office was filled with books and plastic models of atoms and DNA strands. His desk was cluttered with notes and papers.

"We need to talk," he said sternly.

"If it's about Jay, I don't want to hear it." It was cold, but I meant it.

"I think there's a few things you need to know. First, Jay is a wreck, okay? He's miserable."

"Well finding out he's a murderer kind of makes me a wreck too."

"A murderer?! That's what you think he is?" His voice became elevated. "What did he tell you happened?"

"He just said there was a girl in New York and he killed her."

Leo pulled his glasses off and rubbed his face. He shook his head before returning his glasses to their place.

"Dammit, Jay," he cursed out loud to a person not in the room. "I should have known he wouldn't tell the full story."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

"Sit down and I'll explain. I think you're going to want to hear this."

I hesitated before taking a seat in the leather chair across from Leo's desk. I had no idea what he could say that could make things better.

"Okay. When my parents died, Jay and I moved to New York City to start over. He was young and had zero friends besides me. That's when he met Kara. She took him to parties, they hung out, probably drank a little. I never liked her but Jay seemed to know what he was doing."

Nothing that far seemed to peek my interest.

"Anyway, one night, Jay didn't come home. I was already asleep when I heard someone walking through the house. Turns out, it was Kara. She surprised me with a baseball bat to the back of the head and a taser to the neck."

I flinched at how painful it sounded. Where was he leading with it all?

"I woke up in a room tied to a chair with a gun to my head. Jay was tied up, too. Kara said that if Jay wanted me to live, he'd give himself up to the McKenzies. Turned out Kara was working for them and playing Jay the entire time."

I know my eyes were wide and staring at Leo in confusion. He continued on with the story.

"They were stupid for thinking tying Jay would hold him down. He tore through the rope and grabbed Kara up. He wasn't going to hill her. I know that. But she said the McKenzies were the ones who killed my parents and staged their death to look like a car accident."

Jay didn't murder her. He was saving Leo from being murdered himself. He lifted his shirt up slightly to reveal his side. A scar was visible.

"She got one shot off in an attempt to kill me. Jay knocked the gun out of her hand, but she pulled a knife, seemingly out of no where. She slashed his face before he finally killed her."

It all made sense now. Jay was defending himself, protecting Leo, and sought revenge for Kara killing Leo's parents.

"I didn't even let him finish before I slammed the door."

"He wouldn't have told you anyway. Sam, he's so ashamed. Even if he was justified, he still feels like a monster."



I followed Leo up to his house. I went to lunch with Lacey and then raced back to meet Leo. I entered the house and Leo told me I could go into Jay's room.

He was on the bed, eyes closed. He was perfectly still and lying on his back. His door was open, but I stayed outside in the hall. I knocked lightly in the doorframe. Jay's eyes slowly opened. He raised up quickly, standing to his feet within seconds.

"Samantha." He said my name as though he didn't believe it was truly me standing there.

"Jay," I entered his room and stood in front of him, "Leo explained everything to me."

"He did?"

"Yeah. He told me about Kara, his parents," I reached and touched his face, running my finger over his scar, "and how you got this."

"You didn't have to come here. I don't blame you for hating me, now."

"Jay I don't hate you, I still love you just the same."

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner..."

I stopped him short before he could finish.

"I understand why you didn't. I'm sorry for assuming and for not letting you explain. You did what you had to do to save Leo and to see yourself."

Jay's eyes softened and he took a small step toward me. I reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer. Without another word, his lips hit mine. I backed up and grabbed the door behind me. As soon as I closed it, my back hit the door; Jay's body was pressed against mine as we continued to kiss. He pulled away long enough for me to utter one phrase.

"I missed you."

"God, I missed you too."