Dream Partners: Dark Rain (book 2)

Chapter 28: Hidden Bruises

Meanwhile, back at home Jay had just woken up and was confused by the position of the sun being overhead instead of rising, which prompted him to look at the clock which now read: 12:30 PM. He sat up, quickly got dressed, and headed downstairs hoping to find Andrea but he didn't find her. Jay looked around the house, calling her name until Andrea's mother came out of the laundry room and said "she left with the gods to go do that universe rebuilding stuff or something". Jay sighed and said "why would she go without me" and she smiled and said, "she thought you needed rest after everything you've been doing lately". Jay smiled and said "that's sweet but I'm fine" and she frowned and said "look at you" as she pulled him over to the mirror".

Julie said, "you've been working so hard you've got more bags under your eyes than the rest of us...Jay I know you love her but you've got to let go sometimes and trust her to do things alone". He sighed and said, "It's not that I don't trust her; she's amazing but ever since I saw her memories of me dying and how she felt, I realized that if I wasn't there and she happened to die or get severely injured; I would blame myself for the rest of my life, so I guess I started trying to be there all the time, to keep her safe...let her know she'll never have to be alone". Tears began to trickle down jays face until he could fight it no more and he burst into tears. Julie sat the laundry basket down, put her arm around him and led him to the couch, and held him as he continued to cry.

After he had calmed down a bit, she said " I understand how you feel but you can't keep doing yourself like this...I'm her mother and even I know I have to let go and let my baby fend for herself...death is a part of life, jay and it's very unpredictable...that's what keeps us alive". She continued and said "you can try to protect her all you want but eventually you'll smother her so much she will leave....trust me, Andrea's a survivor and you've seen it for yourself". Jay sighed and said "I know she is" and Julie said "you've got to fight your feelings just like she did and let her go, give her some breathing room when you can...I know she wants the best for you and right now, what's best for you is to rest and let her spoil you for a change...I know she's tried in the past but you always flip it, so for once let go jay, find yourself or you will break yourself and eventually lose yourself in a loop of insanity or worse".

Jay smiled and said "I'll do it for me" and Julie smiled and said "I better not catch you doing anything around here except eating and going out for fast food...be lazy for once...you've never been lazy not even when you were a child; yeah she told me about your childhood". Jay sighed and said "I'll try but it's hard to not believe my mother when she'd say "no one would want me as soon as I became non-useful and ever since she said that it's happened to me, like a hex that's cursed me all my life...this is the part I haven't told Andrea about". Julie smiled and said "well you can tell me" and he looked down and said, "every since I was little, I tried to help others who were like me...had a rough life, needed a friend and guidance, only to to be kicked to the curb by them after I wasn't needed some even told me that they couldn't dare be seen with a nobody like me anymore." 

Jay burst into tears again as Julie held him yet again and rubbed his back. He said to her" Even my mother threw me out after I was 18 and they stopped sending her welfare checks and after that, I just tried to keep working hard so that I could have something and be worthy of loving, be worthy of someone's friendship and maybe even fit in". Julie gave him a tissue and said "well we love you, we're your friends and family now and my daughter loves you more than anything". Jay smiled and said, "I know and I feel awful that the implication of her leaving me even came out of my mouth but I feel like once she realizes her full potential ill be out again".

Julie sighed and said, "it's okay, that's just the trauma...it takes time to come to terms with it jay, but eventually you're gonna have to talk to Andrea about it but for now this can be our secret but I won't keep it forever so either you tell her before you get married or I will....a marriage cannot survive if built on lies and that's why Andrea's dad wasn't around long".

Julie smiled and said, "you will get through this but you'll only find relief by opening up about it to her jay". Little did Jay know that while he was thinking about Andrea, he triggered his telepathy accidentally, and that she had heard the entire conversation and was shocked at what he had been holding in for so long and how to address it. She knew she had to do something when she got back...she wasn't going to sit back and let the love of her life be tortured any longer.