Young Love & Deceit

Ten

**( Hailie's P.O.V.)**

The two men came back and took the handcuffs off me. I could've got up but I couldn't. Not just because I was scared but because I literally couldn't. I was in too much pain. My legs ached, my stomach hurt, and my head throbbed. I'm pretty sure I'm bleeding internally. The two men left me there on the floor. I was left there in my unbearable pain. But I can't just lay here, I need to get out of here. I want Christopher or Jameal to find me here. If I stay, Ross is going to kill me. And that can't happen. I gathered as much strength as I could, which was basically nothing, stood up and stumbled into the bathroom. I shut the door and leaned on the sink for support. I really couldn't stand on my own, my legs are starting to give in. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and I felt tears form again. My forehead had a huge bruise, and my cheek was a bright red. Looking at my face, made me scared to look at my stomach. I went to lift my shirt and I hadn't even touched the hem of the shirt yet but I felt an abundance of pain. I finally got my shirt off my stomach only to find black, blue, purple, and red bruises on my stomach. On my stomach and on my waist. My wrist had welts from the cuffs. I dropped my shirt and backed away from the mirror, sat on the floor, and moved so that I could lean on bathroom wall next to the toilet. I cried for what, again, felt hours. I heard the outside the bathroom open and close, Ross is back and he is going to kill me for hiding in the bathroom. I didn't hear anything for another two minutes, but then the doorknob turned. My throat closed and my eyes did the same. My eyes shut tight, I didn't want to see Ross's face. The door opened and Ross was right in front of me, he reached out to my hand, and pushed his hand away. He whispered my name, but of course I didn't respond. He reached for my face, and again I move his hand. He kept calling me and I said no to him. I began to fight with him and scream at him. But I realized he hadn't hit or kick me for not listening to him. I opened my eyes and there stood Jameal, he reached for my face," Baby, it's me." He said looking my in the eyes. I whispered his name. I looked backed at him in complete shock, as he lifted me off the floor and hugged me tight. It hurt so much but I couldn't help but hug Jameal back. He pulled me closer, causing me more pain but it was a good pain. "You came for me?" I asked still hugging him, crying into his chest. "Are you kidding me?! I would came, even if you were all the way across the world Hailie." He said lifting my face and kissing my forehead. I winced because he kissed my bruise. He must've just realized it was there because I felt him tense up. "Are there more?"he asked me. He let me go, " On my stomach and waist." I replied. He lifted my shirt and I groaned in pain. He looked me in the eyes before looking at my bruises. He was bracing himself. His eyes looked angrily at my stomach as the saw my bruises. He breathed deeply, as I put down my shirt. "Take me home, I want to go home." I said leaning on Jameal for support. "Okay let's go" he said. He leaned me against the wall, stuck his arm under the sink and pulled out a gun. He put it behind his back in his pants. He put his arm around my waist and my right arm over his shoulder. He opened the bathroom door and went through the bedroom window. My legs began to fail me. "Jameal....my legs" I said crying from the pain. Okay, it's only three more blocks to your house. Hop on my back, we'll piggy back it the rest of the way, hurry babe." He said preparing for me to jump on his back. "But babe my legs they-" I cut myself off. He turns around and looks at me annoyed and anxious. "Your legs, what? What happened to your legs, Hailie." He asked me and the thought of telling him sent fear all through out my body. He looked at me and asked me again but this angrily. "Michael...he..he..umm", I said looking anywhere and everywhere but at Jameal and his eyes. "Hailie?!", he whispered in my face," what did he do?!" He said. Tears fell immediately fell from my eyes. He wiped my tears. "He raped me.." I yelped out. His demeanor changed again. He became colder. He turned around and told me to just get on, so I wasn't in so much pain. It still hurt but I got on. We were silent the rest of the way. We went through the back of my house to the basement. Michael must've taken my keys from my pants pocket when he washed it. I knocked on the door. Tyler came to the back door and hugged me tight. Again pain surged through my body as I returned the hug. But then it became unbearable and I pulled away. Tyler picked me up bridal style and brought me to the couch. But I didn't see Christopher. "Where's C?" I asked as Ty layed me on the couch. "Upstairs" he replied to me. He left me and Jameal in the living room. Jameal stood by the living room door, looking at the floor. I looked him, we made eye contact. I mouthed," I love you" to him and mouthed it back to me. All of a sudden I heard feet stomping down the stairs. I quickly sat up, ignoring the pain from my waist and up. C landed right in front of my face. He lunged himself and his arms around me. Not even giving me a chance to get up. He wrapped my arms around his neck and cried like a big fat baby. I felt his tears soaking my shirt. He finally pulled away, wiping both our tears. But his eyes went from soft to angry. "Your forehead..." He said looking at my face. "Check her stomach..." Jameal said wiping tears away from his eyes as well. Tyler came downstairs and sat on the staircase. Christopher raised my shirt and saw all the bruises. But then his eyes widened. "What is that?!" He said. I looked at him confused, but that quickly changed once I realized that he was talking about. My tattoo. Jameal and got matching tattoos on his 17th birthday a couple months ago. We've gotten several together before but they never matched. But that was my gift to him. It was of a moon and sun ying yang. I didn't answer his question. I just smiled and put my shirts down. He looked at me softly again. "There's more.." Jameal said," tell him." Jameal encouraged me as Christopher looked at me with confusion. "Umm..." I looked at my hands. Christopher's hand touched my cheek and I held it there, savoring the warmth. I couldn't come to tell him. "Tell me Hailie " C said to me. "Micheal....he..umm-(gco)" I tried to say but Jameal cut me off. "He raped her" Jameal said with a straight face. He didn't look at me or Christopher, he looked at the floor. "HE WHAT?!?!" I jumped as raised his voice in my face. He looked at me softly, tears forming in his eyes again. "He what..." This time his voice came out hurt and shaky. He took my face in the palm of his hands. I held his hand on my face, feeling his warmth. I looked at Jameal than back to Christopher. I wiped the tears that tried to fall from my eyes. "I'm hungry C, can you get me something to eat?" I asked. "Okay, what do you you want?"he said sniffling and chuckling at what I said. "Chinese" I answered. His smile faded," I'm not leaving you here, I'm not leaving your side. EVER.!" He said taking my hand. "I'll go get it, it's not that far." Jameal said getting ready to walk out the door. "Your not gonna ask her what she wants?!" C asked him, annoyed. "I know what she wants, General tso, and BBQ chicken, with white rice and a can of sprite. Right babe?" He replies and asks me. I nod and he walks out the door. Tyler has a smirk on his face. "Wipe the smirk off your face Ty!" C says throwing a pillow at Tyler. "What has Jameal ever done to you guys?" I asked both of them. But just as soon as Tyler was about to say something, Christopher cut him off. "Your just to young to understand, Hailie." He said leaning against the coffee table. "But I'm seventeen C!" I said raising my voice. "Please don't argue with me about this Hailie." He said sternly. I looked at the ceiling for the next twenty minutes until Jameal rang the doorbell. I sat up slowly and got up off the couch. Christopher tried to stop me, but I told him not to touch me. I went get the door. I opened it and kissed Jameal as hard as I could front of C. I took the food out of Jameal's hand. I almost fell so Jameal grabbed me by my waist and walked me back to the couch. He began to walk away but I pulled him back to sit next to me. I leaned on him and began to eat. C looked disgusted. But I didn't care, I love Jameal, no matter what C says. I continued to eat my food and lean on Jameal, then there was a knock on the door. I literally started crying at the sound, and tried to run away but C grabbed me and sat be back on the couch. "Relax Hail, it's just grandma. I told her what happened and she said she would come over." He walked to the door to open it and sure enough there was my grandmother. I got off the couch and ran into my grandmothers arms. I cried like a baby. My grandmother held me tight and shushed me, trying to calm me down. Jameal walked over to me and my grandmother. I let go of my grandmother and introduced her to Jameal. C looked annoyed as my grandmother happily greeted Jameal. "Jameal is my boyfriend grandma," I said smiling. "Well he sure is handsome," she said and Jameal blushed. "Awe thank you, it's great to finally meet you." He said to her. She smiled and I took Jameal's hand and went to go and sit back on the couch. I curled up next to Jameal and put my head on his chest. While C, Ty, and my grandmother talked in the kitchen. Jameal breathed slowly, he took deep breaths, like he was savoring each one. His hand rested on my lower back and and his other hand held mine. I listened to his heartbeat, it was a slow beat. It sounded like a lullaby. And soon enough, I drifted off to sleep.