“Lexy.”
“Jacky,” I replied, my tone just as sarcastic as my friend’s.
“Alex, this is serious. You need to talk about it,” Jack spoke softly suddenly becoming deadly serious.
“I know. It’s just hard. You don’t understand what it’s like.”
“You’re right I don’t, which is why I need you to talk to me. Help me to understand. I’m worried about you, hell we all are.”
“I know Jay. But it’s hard enough having to deal with it the first time, let alone having to talk about it again later,” I sighed as I sat down at my desk.
“I know and I can’t even begin to understand what it’s like for you. But you can’t carry on like this. If your hips aren’t any better by tomorrow, you’re going to have to go to the hospital.” He explained as he pulled the hem of my shirt up to reveal my damaged hips. “Speaking of, have you changed those yet?” He asked noticing the spots of blood that had leaked through.
“I was about to when…” I started but Jack cut in before I could finish.
“Goddammit Alex! It’s almost like you want to end up seriously ill.” He sounded angrier than I had ever seen or heard him before. He grabbed my arm, causing me to wince as it was where my cuts were, and frog-marched me into my bathroom. He relaxed a tiny bit when he saw the fresh bandages I had gotten out just before he arrived. He changed them without saying another word although I tried to tell him that I could change them myself. He kept shaking his head with his face set in an expression that I couldn’t quite read. It wasn’t anger or even disappointment; it was more like he was upset. I placed my hand on his arm to stop him.
“Jack what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he replied nonchalantly.
“Bullshit. I thought we didn’t keep secrets.”
“We don’t.”
“Then tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just scared. I’m scared that one day you might do something and put yourself at risk. I’m scared that you might decide you’ve had enough and leave. I’m scared that my family’s falling apart and I’m scared about the future,” he replied sitting on the edge of the bath and crying into his hands. I quickly finished putting on the new bandages before I gave him a hug.
“I can’t promise you that I won’t do anything stupid, but I can promise you that I’m not going anywhere. This thing with your family is nothing. Trust me, they’re the strongest people I know, you’ll be fine Jay,” I soothed. He gave a small nod and followed me back into my room.
“You wanna stay?”
“Of course,” he grinned with his favorite signature smile returning to his face for the first time in just under a week.
“You were never here, okay?”
“Why not? Me and Isobel are tight; she loves me like her own son.”
“I’m grounded.”
“Oh Lexy what did you do this time?” He shook his head disapprovingly with an obvious smile on his face.
“Homework, which is the evidence I need to prove why I shouldn’t ever do it.”
“I hope so. You should only be doing me,” Jack looked shocked.
“I’m sorry Jacky, I gave in to temptation. I think it’s a bit of a whore actually getting everyone to do it all the time,” I replied. Jack just shrugged it off like he agreed with me as we both stripped down to our boxers before climbing into bed.
