Right In Front Of You✔️

36. He's lying

"What is that?" I ask Jay pointing at a bruise formed around his neck. I hadn't noticed the bruise before, but in my defense, my sight had been blurry the past couple of days due to a head injury Matt made. My sight is just starting to get back to normal.  

Jay closes his arms around his throat. "Nothing," he says with a guilty smile on his face. He doesn't look me straight in the eyes and with the hand, he hasn't closed around his throat, he pats his legs nervously. 

He's lying

"You really think it's a smart idea to lie straight to your girlfriend's face?" I ask him carefully folding my hands in front of my chest. A movement like that still hurts. I glare at him making him squirm under my stare. 

"No," Jay answers dragging out the word. "Then why are you lying?" He starts scratching his back while he looks down at the ground embarrassed. I hate to make him feel this way, but I want him to be safe. 

"Jay, what did he do?" Tears start building in my eyes. I know exactly who did this to him. Matthew. 

"It's nothing, Lee Lee. I'm fine," he tells me. He finally moves. In just a couple of strides, he's at the side of my hospital bed taking my hand with both of his. 

I carefully reach out for his throat. I trace the bruise with my fingertip. It seems to be quite fresh. It can't be from the day Matt attacked me. 

That day has been a week ago now and I'm still at the hospital, My condition is getting better, but still not good enough to go home. My parents and Kevin come by every day and sometimes they even bring Evan. Jay, on the other hand, is here all the time. He only leaves to go to school or to clean up, but next to that he's always at my side. 

Not that it's a lot of fun for him, I've practically been sleeping non-stop. Besides, everything in my body hurts, that includes my throat. Talking hurts, because Matt hit me in my throat and tried strangling me. I don't remember this, but that's what I've been told. 

"When did this happen?" I ask placing the hand he isn't holding on his cheek. "Last week when I found him beating you up," Jay lies again. I move my hand from his cheek to the bruise, where I trace it for a little bit. At a certain point, I press a little harder. Immediately, Jay flinches. 

"You're not telling me this bruise is a week old." Jay looks away from me in response, giving me another clue he's not telling the truth.   

"What happened?" I whisper. Tears start building in my eyes and when I look up at Jay, I see that his eyes are watery as well. "He came at me two days ago. He wasn't locked up yet, because his trial hasn't been yet or something like that. I tried to fight him, but he was stronger," Jay informs me. He strokes the back of my hand slowly. 

If I could move normally, I would take him in a hug and not let him go for a long time, but everything still hurts like hell. 

"Have you told anyone?" I ask caressing his cheek. "The principal found us, he informed the police." Jay gestures for me to scoot over. Carefully, I make some room and Jay places himself beside me. He wraps his arms around me as I place my head on his chest. 

The steady beating of his heart under me relaxes me. I wish I could stay in this position forever. Maybe at another place than the hospital, but just somewhere in Jay's arms. Because being in Jay's arms is the best feeling in the whole wide world. 

"Go to sleep baby," Jay whispers soothingly. "I'm in love with you." I smile at his words before letting the sleep get to me. 

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"I'm never getting used to this," a voice in the distance tells me. 

"Why not? It's unbelievably cute," another voice argues.