Endgame

chapter eleven

Pov Tori:

"Are you still in any pain right now?", Jade asks after sitting here cuddled up together for a full fifteen minutes.

I carefully nod, because literally everything hurts. Though, laying here with her numbs the pain.

"Can you show me?", she says.

I shake my head. She'll be disgusted by me.

She already is.

"Why not?", she asks, pulling me even closer.
I love this soft side of her.

"It's bad.", I whisper, my voice shaking.

"It's okay.", she whispers back, softly pulling away from me. She looks me in the eyes and I look right back.

"May I?", she asks, holding the collar of my flannel in her hands. I nod.

"Where does it hurt?", she asks focused.

I point to my right side. There's one of the biggest bruises I ever got.

She pulls up my Shirt a bit, so she can see my side.

"Honey, how badly does it hurt? I'd think, by the look of it, he broke your ribs.", she says.

"It's probably not that bad.", I say. I'm not going to the hospital.

She touches the bruise and pain shoots through my whole body so I wince and bite on my teeth.

"Tori, we need to get you to the hospital.", she says.

"No, I can't.", I whisper.

"Why not? They'll help you. If you're worried that they might need to call a parent, don't worry. I won't let that bastard come near you again, I promise.", she says, caressing my cheek.

"Thank you.", I say, smiling lightly at her. Then I look down right away, scared of what she might say next.

"...but that isn't the only reason you're scared, is it?", she says, noticing my reaction.

I shake my head and tear up yet again. I feel like it's happening all over again.

"It's okay, you can tell me. I won't push you to do anything. We can sit here and cuddle the whole week with your broken ribs if that's what you want.", she says, which makes me laugh.

"They're not only his bruises.", I whisper.

"Who hurt you?", she asks with fire in her eyes.

I shift, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable telling her this.

"I'm not going to hurt them, if you're thinking about that. I'm only focused on you right now.", she reassures me.

I sigh and just roll one of my sleeves up.

She takes my arm in her hand and looks at all the scars. Then she starts kissing them from my wrist all the way to where my sleeve is pulled up. I start crying, she's so kind.

"Tori. Tori. Look at me.", she says and I do so.

"It's not your fault.", she says.

I nod, looking away again.

"Are you hearing me? It.is.not.your.fault.", she states.

"But it is.", I whisper.

She takes my head in the palms of her hand and looks at me.

"It's not your fault baby.", she says, which makes me blush.

I let another tear slip and she brushes it away with her thumb.