Battered and Bruised

Chapter Three

"I love you." I heard Jake say as I woke up slowly out of a nap.
"I love you too." I told Jake.
"Kass-is there any other reasons you aren't...y'know....ready?" Jake kept nagging.
I wanted to let Jake know the truth, I really did. Now isn't the time, he isn't ready to hear it. I wish I could tell him, if I do I put myself in danger though.
"Jake, listen. I love you with every atom I own. I want you to know its not you or anything, okay? I'll let you know when I'm ready. Now isn't the time."
I stood up, grabbed my crutches and went to the restroom. I sat and looked in the mirror. Little pimple? No. That's huge. Why are your eyes not a pretty blue? They look like garbage. You're so fat. I kept staring. My jawline protruded just further than most would. I open my mouth and look at my braces. 4 years I've been stuck with these demons. I was supposed to get them off when I was 17, but there was a freak accident at swim and it set me back another few years. Why can't you be more like the girls in the movies? Magazines. Social media. Those are the ones Jake really wants.

I walked away from the mirror, I couldn't stand to look at myself any longer. I started running the tap and grabbed a wash cloth. I set the water to cold and rinsed the cloth underneath. I looked back in the mirror and dabbed my face with the cloth. It was very refreshing and relieving. I proceeded to walk out of the bathroom and sit on the couch. Jake seemed to be off in the kitchen somewhere.
"Jake?" I called out.
"Yes Kass?"
"Are you mad at me?"
He paused. "Why would I be mad at you?"
"Because I'm not ready to have sex."
"A relationship shouldn't be about sex Kassi. You know that just as well as I do."
"I know, but I'm 19, why don't I want to have sex?"
He giggled a little, "that's beyond me babe."
I sighed and shrunk a little further into the couch.
"Are you willing to make a grilled cheese for a certain someone?" I asked.
"Maybe, maybe not." Jake replied.
"So I gotta go make my own bowl of cereal? What a dick."
"Hey, that's a profanity. Use it lightly please Kass?"
"You say fuck and shit all the time."
"Not as much as you'd think."
"I disagree," I laughed "you sound like a beached sailor."
I heard a few pans clattering. "You might think so," he walked in, "but I disagree." He said mocking me.
"You're the best butt I could have ended up with." I said playing with the ring on my finger. Jake gave me that ring for my 18th birthday. It's a promise ring that says 'love' on the inside.
"Hey babe?" I said calling to him.
"Yes?" He replied.
"Have you turned on the stove?"
"No, why?"
"Come here." I said forcefully.
He walked in, "what do you want?"
"Come here."
He sat next to me and I buried myself in him. "You're one of the best things that's ever happened to me. Do you know that?"
He looked down at me, "you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Do you know that?"
I looked up at him and kissed him. I giggled a little. He came back for another kiss. And another. Everything heated up so quick I couldn't tell what was happening anymore. All I knew is that I was safe in Jake's arms and that's all that mattered. We kept kissing and kissing until he put his hands up my shirt. I stopped kissing and looked at him. I pulled my hands away from his neck and put them on his hands. "Ready for an adventure?" I asked.
"Yes ma'am. Are you?"
I nodded and proceeded in taking off my shirt. I reached my hands up his shirt and pulled it off him. He looked at me and repeated himself, "are you?"