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"I STILL THINK I SHOULD'VE TAKEN you to the hospital," Jalen commented from where he standing in the doorway of one of his guest rooms, arms crossed as he watched Jamie do her best to tend to Leilani's wounds, "What if you have a broken rib or some shit?"
"I don't have a broken rib." Leilani groaned as Jamie began to apply antiseptic to the scratches on her neck, "I told you. No hospitals. Stop being so dramatic."
"She's right," Jamie added as she rose to her feet to get some cotton gauze from the first aid kit resting on the nightstand, "Hospitals are too public."
Jalen shook his head at the sentiment, "Then we go to the cops and then to the hospital."
At the last two words, both women looked at him with equal disapproval on their faces.
"Can't do that either," Jamie answered then turned back to Leilani, "Okay, move your hand."
Leilani followed the order, removing the hand that was settled just under her sports bra and revealing a medium-sized bruise.
Jalen shook his head again, emphasizing, "Then what is the plan? Because staying here where my kid is part time and this guy, whoever he is, could find you again is not the plan."
Leilani pushed her shoulder-length waves away in evident agitation but remained silent.
"Maybe you move back home. He can't find you if you're not in L.A., right?" Jalen pressed.
"That's actually a decent ide-." Jamie started to say but Leilani was quick to disagree, scrunching her face up in displeasure nonverbally.
"No, it's not a decent idea." Leilani snapped back, "I'm never going back, at least not while my dad wants to be this homophobic piece of-." Leilani seemed to remember that Jalen was still in the room, glancing up and then flattening her lips together for a moment.
"I can't, no, I won't go back. The only option is to hide out until I can pay him off," Leilani sighed.
"And how are you gonna do that? Huh?" Jalen pressed, "How much exactly do you owe this guy?"
"Let's just say that it's a lot." Jamie finally spoke, "More than it should be."
Jalen furrowed his brows in thought, "How much?" He repeated.
"Twenty grand, more or less," Jamie muttered and turned her face towards the window.
"Don't tell him anything!" Leilani immediately replied.
