My Safe Place

Chapter 5:

JJ's POV:

As Spence drives us to Waffle House I think of what I want to eat. Well, waffles duh, but probably some bacon as well. We pull up and Spence smiles at me. It still gives me butterflies, but I know it shouldn't. We get out and wait to be seated.

"Welcome to Waffle House," our waiter says, "I'm Denise! Follow me to be seated."

"Thank you," I say with a smile.

After we sit down, Denise takes our drink order. Just as she's about to leave, she turns back around.

"You too look like such a sweet couple," she says sweetly.

"Oh we're not-," me and Spence say together, but she had already left.

"That was weird," I say with a fake smile.

Truthfully, it makes me feel happy, like I should have been with him all along. I know thinking that way would only hurt me further. In reality, my boyfriend is a monster. I know I should stop trying to "play house," but I never want these little moments to end.

"Yea, but JJ.. I was wondering if you want to talk about- about Will? I get it if it's too soon," Spence says nervously.

"Can we talk about... that.. back at the apartment?" I ask because I'm scared to tell, plus I don't want the surrounding people to overhear us.

Our waiter comes back before he has time to say anything.

"May I take y'all's order?" Denise says with a smile.

"Oh, yes," I say pulling my gaze off of Spence, "I'll have two waffles with a side of bacon please."

"Ok, and how about you dear?" She asks Spence.

"I'll have the same thing, thank you".

She walks away with our order. I notice Spence's hands are fidgety. I can't help but wonder what is going through his mind.

Reid's POV:

I stare into space thinking about what the waiter had said. Do we make a good couple? How could I be thinking about this, I'm supposed to be helping JJ. She had been staring at my hand for 2 minutes and 37 seconds. What does that mean? I snap out of my daze when I see the food is here.

"Here we are, two plates of waffles and two plates of bacon," says Denise, "enjoy," she says giving me a wink.

Me and JJ talk while eating and we end up having a pretty good time. It makes me happy to see her smiling again, to see that I've made her smile. On the drive home, JJ is talking non-stop about shopping and tv shows she is wanting to watch. It's rather cute and I'm glad to see her truly happy. Finally we get home, I really want to ask her about Will. I look into her eyes and it makes me second guess asking.

"I'm ready," she says sounding sure, already knowing what topic is on my mind.

"To talk?" I ask motioning towards the couch.

"Yea," she says almost shivering. "I'll start at the beginning. The very first time it happened it was extremely early around 2 or 3am. He hadn't come home from work like usual and I was really worried. When he got home, I kept asking if he was ok, but he was drunk and slapped me. It caused my nose to bleed and I ended up getting cut on my cheek by his ring," she said with a look of sorrow. "Previous times he's, um, he's choked me, hit me, he has cut me too," she says looking at her arm.

I can tell she is holding something back. I'm not sure whether I should pry.

"Is there anything else?" I ask hoping she will tell me.

"Well," she says with tears in her eyes. I pull her into a hug as she tells me the rest. "Some nights he's, he um, he.. he's r-raped me...," he lets out a choked sob, "god you must think I'm pathetic," she looks at me guiltily. I think about the horror she had been through as she cries into my shirt. All I want to do is hold her and keep her safe.

"I'm sorry," I hear her mumbling, "it was all my fault."

"JJ this will never and never has been your fault. You are not pathetic! If anything you are strong and I can't even imagine what you must have gone through," I say looking into her deep ocean eyes.

About thirty minutes goes by until she falls asleep from crying. Since she was on top of me, I decided to lie there and rub her head and back, trying my best to keep her comfortable. My mind begins to imagine Will doing all of these horrid things to her, making me angry. I will put that bastard in jail, even prison if possible. When the air conditioning shuts off the room goes quiet, allowing me to hear JJ's soft breathing. It makes me tired as I wrap my arms around her and drift off to sleep.