A Famous Affair

A Famous Affair chapter 26

The darkness of the evening fills the apartment. I stand up, wondering when Jonny will be home. I've been so caught up in nostalgia, sometimes painful nostalgia. That I've only just realised how much I have actually missed him today. When I am down, Jonny always makes me feel better. I need to feel him beside me. I need his loving warmth to warm my hurting soul.

I am suddenly struck with an awful, deep-rooted panic. How the hell am I going to cope with not having him here when he goes to New York? Shit! The anxiety sucks me down into a bottomless pit. Can I really let him go? Fuck! Can I really?

I walk downstairs to the kitchen to see what Mary is doing. When she isn't there, I go into the main reception room. Where to my surprise, I find her with Jonny and Beef. Mary is leaning over Jonny, holding something to his eye and whispering.

"Oh, you're back. How long have you been home?" I ask, pleased to see him. As I get closer, I can clearly see something is very wrong. "What the . . . ?" my voice shakily trails off. I can't even finish my sentence because Jonny has a bloodied black eye. I despairingly look at Beef and Mary, then back at Jonny.

I kneel beside Jonny, who tries to give me a reassuring smile. "What happened?" I ask with pleading eyes.

"I'm okay, don't panic." Jonny strokes my arm, but I can see he's in a lot of pain. Mary has an ice pack pressed on a lump just above his brow bone. My confused thoughts run wildly away with me.

"Who did this to you?" I ask in a trembling, panicked voice.

Jonny holds my hand. "Darling, calm down. I'll be fine. I have to tell you something, but I don't want you to be angry with me."

My panic-stricken voice rises, "Why . . . what has happened, please tell me?"

Jonny looks at me, nervously swallowing. "I have been to see Shawn." Shit! What did he just say?

I blink hard, not understanding. "Shawn? I don't understand . . . why?"

"To try to talk to him." Jonny tells me, wincing as Mary moves the ice pack on his eye.

"Did he do this to you?" I ask with tears now forming in my eyes. Jonny nods, looking over at a shaken looking Beef. I try to process what he's telling me. Panic surges through me once again. "Shit Jonny, you didn't fight?" I try to stand up, but Jonny pulls me back down.

"No, no . . . of course I didn't fight with Shawn."

"Then what happened?" I desperately search Jonny's face. Beef steps forward. His deep voice is quiet but strong.

"Shawn is what happened, Jessica."

"Shawn hit you?" I am now looking back at Jonny, he nods slowly. "Did the girls see?" I ask, fearful of his answer.

Jonny shakes his head. "I don't think so."

I lean against his knees. "Why didn't you tell me where you were going?"

"Because you would have tried to stop me." Jonny says, trying to smile.

"Too bloody right. What were you thinking, Jonny?"

"I just wanted to try to make him see sense, but as you can see it didn't quite go according to plan." He attempts another smile, but it hurts him when his eyes crease upwards.

I hold his hands in mine. My stomach is gnarled, when I look at his raw and bruised face more closely. "I can't believe you would be so stupid."

He looks down at the floor. "I wanted to try to make things better. I'm so sorry, Jessica."

I grip his hands tighter. "Don't be sorry, but please promise me you won't do anything like this ever again."

Jonny rests his head onto mine kissing the tip of my nose. "I promise." He then carefully stands up, kissing a scared looking Mary on the cheek. "Thank you Mary, I think I'm going to have a shower now." Jonny's pride has been hurt. I don't think I have ever seen him look so dejected as he quietly leaves the room.