Tortured Within (Jack Barakat)

Chapter Twelve

I was sitting on the couch reading a book alone. Jack had left a few hours ago to go hang out with a friend and so I was left here doing nothing. There really wasn't much to do though. I was too afraid to leave and I hated being alone with my thoughts.

Out of nowhere, I got a text. I looked at my phone and saw it was Brody asking me where the money that I owed him was. I completely forgot about this. With everything that happened, it just left my mind. I quickly texted him back to meet me outside this apartment building and I'd give it to him. I got up and went back to the room. I found the one hundred dollar bill I had in my bag, walked down the stairs and waited outside the building. I just then realized that I hadn't been outside since that incident, which was a week ago. I'd just been to afraid. 

When Brody finally got here, I pulled out the money and handed it to him.  

"Thanks my lady. Want to buy some more?"  

"Fuck no. That was such a bad high. I'm not doing that again." I said even though deep down I really did want to buy some. I couldn't with Jack around, though.  

"Oh, come on. Everyone has bad highs once in a while." he said.  

"No. I'm not going to buy." I said. 

"Whatever. When you come to your senses, hit me up." he said and walked away.  

I stood there thinking about that. Why shouldn't I? It's not like I have a problem. I just sighed and opened the door to the building. I got back to Jack's apartment and went back to the couch.  

I started thinking about this whole situation. Was it our apartment now? How long would this whole thing last? I felt like I'd have to leave eventually. 

My thoughts were interrupted when Jack and two other guys came walking through the door. They were going on about something I didn't quite understand, but stopped when they saw me. 

"So this is that girl you've been talking about." One of them said. 

"Yeah. Ryder, this is Marley. Marley, this is Ryder." Jack said. "And this is Alex, he was here the other night." 

I just nodded and smiled. 

"I think I'll just go read in the other room." I said, standing up.

"Why don't you just hang out with us?" Jack offered.  

"Nah, I'm good." I said. 

"Come on, we don't bite." Ryder said. 

"It'll be fun. You know you want to." Alex said. 

"Funny, that's what I was told the other night when I got high." I joked, which Alex and Ryder laughed at, but Jack didn't look too amused by the joke. "Alright. What are you guys even going to do?" 

"Video games I guess." Jack said. 

And that's what we did for the next few hours. I didn't even know how to play so they had to teach me. I still was so horrible at it and they'd make fun of me about it which resulted in me slapping Alex one time. When it was getting late, they told me it was nice meeting me and left.  

Jack and I sat there on the couch in an awkward silence.  

"That was fun." I said.  

"Of course it was, I was here. Everything's fun with me." he said. I rolled my eyes and he just put an arm around my shoulders. 

"How were you today?" he asked. 

"Bored." I said.  

"I'm sorry, you should have called me or something." 

"I didn't want to bother you." 

"You'd never bother me though." he said while smiling which created that feeling I'd usually get when he smiled at me. "You're blushing." 

"I am not." I said and covered my face. 

"You are too! You're so adorable, why are you covering your face?" he asked, laughing because he knew it was only causing me to blush more. 

"You know, I've never had someone like this." I said, not being sure of what to call this relationship. 

"Someone like what?" he asked.

"Like someone to take me out, or just care about me." I said. 

"A boyfriend? I'm your first boyfriend?" he asked. My heart skipped a beat when he said that. He was my boyfriend? I didn't even realize I was smiling until he said I should smile more often. 

"Yeah. I've been on dates, but nothing like this. I've just never felt comfortable around someone before, but with you it's like some higher power brought you into my life for a reason. I'm starting to trust you and like I told you the other night, I've never trusted anyone since that night. I'm just not used to feeling like this." I admitted.  

"Feeling like what?"  

"Just feeling in general. It's like all I was feeling was emptiness and I saw nothing going for me. Then I met you and I started to feel again. I no longer see every little thing as negative. Yes, I still have all these problems to deal with that I'd rather not, but it's like you give me a reason to keep going. No, I'm not depending my happiness on you. You just show me that it is possible for me to be happy." I said. 

"Wow, Marley, I don't even know what to say. I'm glad that I'm helping you. I care a lot about you, you know that? The reason I sat by you at that party was because I thought you were so beautiful. Yeah, I was high as a fucking kite, but you really were so beautiful. That date at the movies, I thought I had freaked you out or something, but now I know why you would be so uncomfortable with that. I think you are so strong for still standing here today and for opening up to me the other night. I hope you realize that you do deserve happiness and you don't deserve to be hurt." he said.  

There was just this silence after that where we just looked into each other's eyes. A few seconds later, I felt his lips on mine. I've been kissed before, but never like this. I had this feeling similar to the one I had earlier. My heart was racing and I moved to sit on his lap, facing him. I put one hand on his neck and the other on his chest. We continued kissing for a few minutes until we both slowly pulled away and looked at each other.  

I let it all sink in now. Jack was my boyfriend and he had just kissed me for the first time. I felt comfortable with him and I didn't want him to leave me. I trusted that he wouldn't, though. He was mine and I was his.