Exchange with New Hope Club

Chapter 44

Jade's POV

I had a restless sleep. I kept getting flashbacks in dreams of Bradley followed by a demonic version of Riley cackling. Then in the dream, well, nightmare, Bradley and Riley teamed up and started throwing stones at me, laughing the whole time. The dream ended with a flashback of something that happened that I'd tried to push to the back of my mind. I was at a party and so was Bradley. I didn't drink anything but he did. He had a lot. He was really drunk and kept asking me to come up and sleep with him. I kept telling him no, you're drunk. But he persisted until i yelled at him and he brought his fist to my face. The incident had happened a month before I went to England. The bruise had disappeared shortly before I left. I could feel myself waking up but that didn't stop another unpleasant memory from resurfacing.

We were at a different party and the same thing happened except that time, he had grabbed me roughly by the arm and tried dragging me up the stairs into a room. I broke free and as I ran away, he punched my shoulder with such a force that it caused me to change direction and run into a doorframe which I cut my head open on. It was very messy and painful. The last thing I remember is him laughing and saying 'serves you right'. At school, I fabricated a story that my sister took my phone and book out of my hands and when I was chasing her, I ran into a doorframe. My stupid pride wouldn't let me tell anyone what had really happened. I was too scared of Bradley.

I was almost awake when I felt someone shake me and call my name.

"Jade, Jade, Jade, Jade! Wake up, please," begged Reece. I fluttered my eyes, momentarily forgetting where I was. I felt scared, at first I thought I was back at the party but then I remembered that I was on the other side of the world and I was safe. I took a deep breath.

"Yeah? I'm awake," I said, trying to stop my voice from shaking.

"Are you ok?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Yeah, of course I'm fine," I said, putting on a confident facade.

"Jade, you were talking in your sleep. And crying," he said.

I gingerly touched my face. Sure enough, it was wet.

"Oh! It was nothing, can't even remember it. See?" I lied, putting on a smile. "I'm fine!"

"Jade, stop lying, we both know that you're not fine and you remember it. If you don't want to tell me, that's one thing but you don't need to pretend you're ok. Because you're not," he said firmly.

"What was I saying?" I asked carefully.

"You kept saying 'no' and 'I'm sorry' and 'please don't hurt me'," he said sadly.

"Oh," I said. Crap.

"Do you want to talk about it? George isn't here, he's downstairs making breakfast," he said.

"He hurt me, Reece. He really hurt me," I said, failing to control the tears in my eyes.

"Who hurt you? Who did this to you?" he asked, putting his arms tightly around me and rocking me back and forth.

"Bradley," I whispered.

"What did he do?" asked Reece.

"He hurt me. Not just mentally. Physically," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

"Oh Jade, I'm so sorry, you deserve so much better," he said.

"But do I? Maybe Riley was right."

"She didn't mean that," he said.

I cried into his shoulder. The pain and frustration of yesterday's argument mixed with the hurt of my first heartbreak resurfacing and coming out as big, ugly sobs.