I'll Be Your Strength

Part 21

The couple were gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes across the table that contained the remainders of their delightful meals and two beers. A hushed atmosphere had enveloped the softly lit room until unexpectedly a too familiar face came crashing through the fragile wooden door that he had hit with such force that it had come off its hinges and hit the floor with a loud clatter. Everyone in the room made a loud gasp as this abrupt noise caused them all jump out of their skin and all eyes landed on the loud intruder that had an angered expression splashed across his face. It was obvious to Amy who had now jumped out of her seat and was stood behind Jay, hugging her from behind, that George had been drinking again and therefore wasn’t entirely in control of his body and actions.

Amy felt her stomach flip as George began to stumble in their direction and without notice took a lash at Jay’s face, blood beginning to drip from his bruised lips as he wiped it from his face with the back of his hand. “Why was he taking it out on Jay’s it’s me he wants not Jay?” Amy thought but was so shocked that she was frozen to the spot and couldn’t seem to form any words to retaliate to this unnecessary attack. Yet she was completely unaware to Jay’s reaction too. She thought he would attempt to make a swift escape with herself at his heals considering George’s unstable conditions but instead he took one look at his blood stained hands and it was as if the first sight of blood had set off a switch in his brain and another side of the Jay she thought she knew so well, a side of Jay Amy did not recognise revealed itself. Without thought or considerations Jay retaliated and punched George straight in the eye, swelling already beginning to show across his face. It looked as though his face had been splashed in black paint, it had blackened so quickly Amy began to wonder how hard Jay had hit him. You could tell by his surprised expression that he wasn’t expecting a retaliation that extreme and that his first judgement of Jay had proved wrong. George had seen him as a weak, educated man who would consider the consequences before he took action but it had proved incorrect. Jay was a man with more than one mind-set, this was something Amy had just discovered about him, she wondered whether he was attempting to keep this side hidden, and worried it would scare her off. But this in fact it just made her love him even more. It was the fact that he was taking the pain just to protect her from entering that world again. He was a man that stuck to his word.

Nonetheless despite being surprised within seconds a huge fight had broken out and all Amy could think about was that it was all her fault, she was the cause of this incident taking place in front of everyone. Had George overheard her explain the situation to Jay that day in the hospital when she had overcome her fear of human interaction or seen Jay and herself together and grew jealous and didn’t like what he saw so thought he should take action? How had he known where to find them? The boys and Milly and Kate would never break their cover, especially to George of all people. It was as if he had been watching their every move. This thought sent a cold shiver down her spine and she began to feel nauseous. This disturbed her and she wasn’t willing to accept that. Surely George wouldn’t steep that low, stalk her just to get his way, would he? Amy stood there contemplating in her mind about what may have happened, oblivious to the situation in front of her.