The Truth About You

Part Eighteen

Aaron grabs my elbow and pulls me into a closet in the laundry room. AARON: "Don't you even fucking think about getting out of this closet. No matter what you hear or see." I can't help but laugh. JANE: "You're hiding a girl away from criminals in a closet. Oh, I'm sure I'm gonna be hearing something I shouldn't."
Aaron closes the door and walks to the front door. I watch through the small opening as the front door opens. I watch, closely, as Aaron's brother and his group walk in. I feel my heart beat faster at the presence of Aaron's brother. I'm getting a bad feeling about him being here, all over again. I haven't seen him in a long time. I have to remind myself that I'm not afraid, but my body seems to betray me.
I shiver as I look him right in the eyes. AARON: "Where are the other two? I thought you said there were gonna be seven of you, total." JAKE: "So you've been listening..." DAMION: "We like to be prepared, that's all." I listened to them as they talked about their "business" which was them talking about selling different guns and weapons. I can tell why Aaron didn't want me to be here now, as I watch them pull different types of guns and amo from a bag.
Jeez, it's getting hot in this closet. It makes it harder to breathe. I take a step back from the doors, trying to get my face out of the door so I can breathe and I step on something. I trip and catch myself, hitting something in the process. A plastic container filled with tide pods falls and spills the little cubes everywhere. I freeze. Oh crap. JAKE: "What the hell was that?" He looks straight at the closet door, I could have sworn we made eye contact. My eyes are wide in fear as he starts to walk towards me.
DAMION: "I-It's nothing. Let's go back to talking here." Aaron slowly followed his brother, ready to fight. JAKE: "Is someone else here?" DAMION: "No! Why would you think that? We're smarter than to keep someone here." I could tell how nervous Damion sounded without even trying. Jake didn't listen to Damion and walked up to the closet. I held my breath, frozen as if I was a picture. I looked over to Aaron's face... He made a murderous glare, ready to fight for me. But I could see right through that mask.
And I saw that same terrified face. I gripped a weapon as I stayed still. Jake grabbed the door handle and I got ready to swing and begin fighting. He opened the door and saw me. He froze, I could tell he was processing everything he was seeing. He looked at me. He saw that I was wearing Aaron's shirt and boxers. He saw all the cuts and bruises on my body. A dark smile grew on his face.
JAKE: "Well, what a blast from the past, huh?" I didn't get to swing before he grabbed me by the bicep and forcefully pulled me out of the closet. I tumbled out of the closet and my shirt slid off the right shoulder. The mark Aaron had given me was now showing too. JAKE: "Is that what I think it is?" Jake reached for the mark, and I hit his hand away. JAKE: "Damn. Did you two..."
JANE: "-It's none of your business." Aaron got closer to Jake, ready to fight. He was on edge, like a predator ready to fight for food. Jake saw Aaron's expression and laughed. JAKE: "Oh, for fuck's sake, Aaron... Chill. I'm not interested in doing anything with her. It looks like you already have, though." Aaron grabs me away from Jake, and covers the mark on my shoulder. I guess he's not the only one to see it now.
AARON: "Stay behind me." I pull my arm away from Aaron and stand right next to him. JANE: "No way." I look at Jake with a dark look. JANE: "Long time no see. I thought you'd be in jail forever." JAKE: "And I thought you'd be a virgin forever. But things don't turn out the way we think, huh?" I smirked.
JANE: "Oh, you don't know the half of it." Aaron pulls me back to him. AARON: "Don't. He can't know. You know why he was very interested in you before, and if he finds out that you're still that way... We're both dead." I look into Aaron's eyes. JANE: "It's okay. He's not interested, I can feel it."
JAKE: "That's right. I'm not. But being secretive like that turns me on so be careful." AARON: "Why don't I believe you." JAKE: "Hey, I get it. She's yours, you've finally been able to show her you're the boss." I give Jake a dark look. JANE: "I don't belong to anyone but myself." Jake smirks. JAKE: "Oh, we both know that's not how Aaron here feels. He has his issues." Aaron steps closer but I put my hand in the way.
JANE: "You think he's just been doing whatever he wants to me, don't you. Well let me tell you this... What you think happened, isn't even close to what actually happened." JAKE: "Oh, I'm sure it's exactly what I think. From what I'm seeing here, it looks like he's been going rough on you. I'm surprised you can take it, being really inexperienced and all. Unless, that is how you like it. Is that how it is? You like it rough, don't you? What a surprise." I chuckled.
JANE: "You are so wrong." JAKE: "Am I? Because what I see here is you, at his house, in his shirt, without a bra, in his boxers, bruises on your legs and wrists meaning he gripped them too tight, cuts around your legs which I have no idea how that happened, and you're hiding in the closet. That means he's hiding you from me, and from the way you look... And that mark on your skin... There's no fucking way something didn't happen."
AARON "Stop talking about this, it doesn't fucking matter." JAKE: "Oh, but it fucking does. She means a lot to you. Or maybe not. She's your play toy, isn't she?" Aaron gave him a crazy stare. AARON: "Don't you fucking dare say that about her." JAKE: "Woaw there, chill. No need to be aggressive, damn. I'm surprised you stood up for her. But no need to be so defensive. I'm not wrong, am I? You mess with her when you feel like it, and she just accepts it. Isn't that how she ended up like this?"
Aaron lunged for Jake and I grabbed him to keep him back. JANE: "Aaron, let it be! He can say or believe whatever he wants about me, but we both know what's true. He's been an asshole." Aaron calmed down. AARON: "Say that again about her, and I'll fucking kill you." JAKE: "You've got a lot of fight in you today. I guess it's the other way, huh? She means a lot to you."
JANE: "And he means a lot more to me so cut it out or you'll see how much he really means to me." Aaron looked at me, confused. JAKE: "Oh, I know he means everything to you. You're the one who took a bullet for him, literally. And more than once, huh? Speaking of, nice to see you're alive. I really thought you might have died after seeing you on the news. You're a hero aren't ya?"
JANE: "Enough. Do what you came here to do, so we don't have to suffer with you here anymore." JAKE: "Why, so you guys can go back to whatever it is you were doing that made you look like that." JANE: "First of all, there was nothing going on before you got here. And second, the reason why I look like I got jumped is technically because I did."
JAKE: "Who would dare to jump you? I'm assuming the person who did looks worse than you. I mean you've got Aaron on your side so he probably fucked them up pretty good. And you, yourself as well." I laugh. JANE: "Funny you say that. The two who even thought to hurt me are right next to me." Jake looked to see Damion and Aaron make guilty looks.
JAKE: "So you're telling me that Damion and Aaron both hurt you. And you were just with them alone, in Aaron's house. Or are you being held captive here?" JANE: "You'd be surprised. Aaron was begging me to leave right before you got here. But yes, you're correct." Jake looked at me confused. JAKE: "Are you slow or something? You're protecting two guys who probably, within 24 hours, had hurt you enough to look like this."
JANE: "Maybe I am dumb. I mean I'm standing here, wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and boxers... In a house that's not mine, with a group of guys who probably all have a history of doing things with girls, without any protection but my own body. And half of the guys in this room already tried to kill me. Two of them almost succeeded. And yet I'm protecting two of them, and had already spent the night with them." Jake laughs.
JAKE: "Yeah, you're right. You're a fucking idiot."