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Chapter Thirty-Five - Bruises

Reaching the tree house I run my hand along the side of the walls like saying hello to an old friend. I still can't believe I'm here again, with Jace. It feels so strange. He stands next to me grinning a little, then he opens the door and indicates for me to enter.

We head to the ladder to get upstairs and look at each other first trying to figure out how best to get me up that last bit a the top.

"I'll get up and the pull you through, okay?" He tells me, smirking at my height.

I shove at him, he snickers and starts up. I follow close behind and reach up after him. He clasps my arms and tugs me through. I feel a tingly sensation in my belly at how easily he seems to lift me.

When I'm through Jace smirks and turns to the rest of the room, pulling me with him. We take a seat and look at each other awkwardly. He rubs at the back of his neck, stuttered laughter comes out of both of us.

"Man, it's been too long since we hung out." Jace chuckles.

"Yeah." I agree quietly.

Jace sets things up to play the same fighting game as we'd played that first time, and after a few fights I'm still loosing. I'm starting to hate this game.

I think its time to use other methods to win. I inch over getting closer to Jace and he glances at me, gives me a little smile. I continue to play for a bit and then poke at his side, trying to distract him. He doesn't really react, simply smirks and continues to play.

"May." Jace says, warning in his voice.

I poke him again, but still he doesn't really seem to care, his smirk does get bigger though. I lift his top up and wiggle my fingers around directly of his skin, he jerks a little at the contact, squirms away.

"Stop it, you meany." He mumbles.

I keep going and continuously click the buttons of my controller with the other hand, watching his character get punched in the face.

"You little cheater!" Jace abandons his own controller and pushes at me, leaning over and trying to grab mine from me. I try to inch away, lifting my arms above me as I randomly push at buttons, but he keeps coming and then sits on me reaching for my hands. He starts to tickle my sides instead and I buck beneath him, giggle and try to catch my breath. I might have started this, but he definitely has the upper hand, I am extremely ticklish.

Movement from the door at the side had us looking up. Deacon is stood half way in, he must have climbed up the ladder at the side of the tree-house.

He has a massive bruise on the left side of his face, and his eye is almost completely swollen shut. I suck in a quiet shocked breath.

Jace tenses above me and I realise our position. His legs are either side of me, straddling me one of his hands still holding mine about my head.

"Shit. Again?" Jace grunts at Deacon, looking miserable. "Why didn't you call me? I would've come picked you up."

"I did. I texted you." Deacon grumbled.

"Oh. Sorry, I was..." Jace apologised sitting off me and checking his phone. "We were..." He looks at me, sheepish.

"Yeah." Deacon replies, shuffling his feet and looking anywhere but us.

Then he walks further into the room and heads to the ladder that leads downstairs. Jace gets up and follows and after a second so do I.

Does he want me to leave?

It feels weird being here right now. We haven't spoken in so long. Jace helps me to get down to the bottom floor and we make our way to their make shift kitchen.

Deacon grabs some ice and then takes a seat on a little stool. Jace takes a closer look at Deacons face and scowls at what he sees. He starts pacing back and forth, ranting about Deacon not listening to him and being too stubborn.

"It's worse this time. You are not going back there, Deec." He groans in aggravation.

I'm stood awkwardly at the side playing with my fingers, unsure. Deacon keeps glancing over at me, curiosity, and wariness evident. I look towards the door and when I look back at him I see that he's followed my eye line. His shoulders sag and he looks dejected.

What the hell is wrong with me. He's hurt and I'm thinking about myself, and leaving? I let out a deep breath frustrated with myself and walk over to him. His eyes widen, he waits. I lift my hand to his battered face and lightly touch the bruise. He flinches in pain and I grit my teeth, angry that someone's hurt him. Hurt Deacon.

My arms are around him before I even process the thought. Deacon's muscles are taut, but slowly they loosen and he lets out a ragged breath. He buries his head into my neck, injured side facing away, and hugs me to him tightly. He's shacking and I think he might be crying.

What the hell happened? Everything in me wants to know every detail. I want to fix it all. Yet I stay silent. How can I ask, when I don't want to tell. I'm such a hypocrite.

New arms wrap around me and I see that Jace has joined our little hug. We meet eyes over Deacon, and he gives me a sad smile.

We end up back upstairs watching some random TV shows, Jace and Deacon either side of me. We don't really speak much lost in our own thoughts, and soon I pass out. 

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