Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Chapter twenty five: floating backpacks
•~~~~~~~ ☼~~~~~~~•
Aspen was panting heavily when she and JJ finally slowed down in the middle of the deserted road to catch their breaths. The sprint had definitely taken a toll on the girl, and she felt like she was going to have an asthma attack. On the positive side, JJ had taken Ace's things and stored them inside his backpack, so that the girl didn't need to carry them all the way to wherever he was guiding her.
"What happened to you?" The boy turned around to look at her when he was certain the man hadn't followed after the teens. She looked at the concrete below her feet.
She knew he would let the question out in the air at some point, but she had still hoped he didn't. Answering him would make her think about it, and thinking about it hurt too much.
"My....my dad...he was going to-" Ace knew exactly how to answer, but she couldn't form it into a sentence. Instead she bursted into tears, and crashed herself into JJ's arms.
She clasped her hands behind his back, hugging him tighter than she ever had. She wasn't much for physical touch, but now she needed it more than anything.
The blonde was slightly caught off guard. The girl crying had surprised him, but her squeezing him like he was going to leave her to die on the side of the road like a wild animal surprised him even more.
"Shhh, it's okay, baby." JJ stroked her head, holding the girl who so clearly needed support. She didn't notice the pet name that so easily fell from his lips.
His jaw was clenched as his mind ran wild, thinking of all the possible things her scumbag of a father could've done to her. His mind immediately traveled to the worst possible option, but he figured the girl didn't want to talk about it yet. She would tell him when she was ready.
Holding onto the broken girl, he had forgotten all about his own bruises and cuts caused by the beating he had endured from his father.
Eventually, Ace managed to stop crying and backed away from the boy. A little embarrassed by her sudden breakdown, but thankful that JJ had been there to hold her.
She looked up into his eyes, noticing the small smile on his lips while he looked at her. She didn't know how to say it out loud, so she made sure her eyes showed all the gratitude she felt towards the boy. "Thank you."
"For what?" The boy's voice was meek as he spoke, running a hand through his disheveled hair.
"For saving me." Ace nibbled on her lip, finally noticing the cuts that covered the blonde's face.
"Did Luke do this?" She whispered, her palm gently stroking his soft cheek.
The boy nodded, staring into her teary eyes. He didn't want to talk about it any more than Ace did. They both liked to deal with their personal issues alone. And so he leaned in, crashing his lips softly on hers in the middle of the empty street, telling her they didn't need to talk about the heavy subject.
