Heal the Heart

41.

Making people squirm with just a stare down was a specialty of mine. I liked how the uncomfortable feeling spread through them till they looked away. Mostly, I liked that words weren't needed to prove who had better mental strength.

But this barely adult punk was making me doubt my own abilities. I almost had a full decade on him, and statistically, it should've taken him less than a minute to cave. Statistically, he also shouldn't have lost a leg after his accident. So clearly, statistics was useless when it came to his life story.

Our staring contest would've lasted for hours had Tasha not smacked him upside the head. She jerked her chin in my direction as though telling him he owed me an explanation.

Oh, he owed me alright. More than just an explanation.

Jaylin sighed and tore his eyes away from me, mumbling a whatever.

The leather creaked as I shifted back in my seat, tapping the end of my pen on my desk. "Mind telling me what you were doing at the bottom of the pool? After closing?"

The bastard had the audacity to shrug. "Wanted to swim."

"While strapped to your wheelchair?"

He shrugged again.

"With rocks in your pockets?"

"I like collecting rocks."

I didn't bother to withhold my scoff. "Really?"

A slow, wicked smirk grew on his lips. "Shaming my hobbies?"

I gritted my teeth and forced a smile. "I would never." Then, after schooling my features back to normal, "Any other hobbies I should be aware of? Like trying to drown yourself after we locked the premises?"

It was his turn to glare at me. "I wasn't trying anything."

"Oh yeah? You expect me to believe that?"

"I don't give a fuck what you believe." He turned his glare to his lap. "And I don't try things. I do them."

Before I started my tirade, Tasha beat me to it. She shoved the side of his face and began hurling punches, slaps and shoves at him till Jaylin yelled, "What is wrong with you?"

"What is wrong with you?" Tasha yelled back. "It's been two fucking months and all you've done is mope and crib and act like a fucking coward at every turn. So what, you lost your leg? Big fucking deal! Get the fuck over it. You haven't lost your life. You have a family that supports you, you have the facilities to help you get better, you still have the rest of your fucking body to help you heal and yet all you want to do is choose the cowardly way instead of working towards becoming better." She shoved him one more time. "Get a fucking grip. I'm sick and tired of seeing you like this."

I watched wide eyed as she huffed and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms.

No one spoke a word, and the charged atmosphere slowly dissipated as more time passed.

"Then don't," Jaylin whispered.

"Huh?" Tasha stared at him.

"You can leave any time. I won't stop you." He continued to talk without looking up. "Why are you even here? I don't need you to play the role of the woeful girlfriend. I don't need anything. I don't even have anything."

"Don't have any — What are you on about?" Tasha grabbed Jaylin's jaw and forced him to meet her stare.

"I'm a fucking cripple!" He yelled and smacked her hand away. "I have no future prospects, no ambitions, no leg, as you can very well see." His palm smacked the side of his stump in disdain. "So stop playing hero and go away. I don't need you. I don't need this fucking therapy, and I certainly don't need you." He pointed at me. "Now—"