Mr. Mendes

7

Jessica's POV
My heart raced as his fingers lightly grazed over the bruises on my neck, I could feel his hands shaking. "Who?" He stated, his voice low, dripping with venom, I could feel shivers crawl down my spine from his tone. "Nate" my voice came out just above a whisper, "What the hell happened Jessica." He said his voice angry yet concerned at the same time. "H-he w-was drunk a-and he shoved me t-to a wall a-and started k-kissing my neck a-and when I t-told him to s-stop he grabbed me b-by the n-neck and t-there me on the g-ground, when he saw I-I was cr-crying he h-hit me, he said I want-" "that's enough" Shawn cut me off "I don't need to hear anymore. I looked up to see him staring down at me a mix of anger and pain on his face. "It's not your fault what happened." He said reaching over and tucking a strand hair that had fallen in my face behind my ear and I winced when his hand grazed the cut on my cheek cause by Nate hitting me so hard. Noticing, his eyes immediately softened and all the anger that was once there turned to concern and hurt, it confused me as to why he cared so much, I was only his student to him. Right? "Let's get you home so I can clean you up." He said softly focusing his attention back to the road as he pulled away from the spot he had pulled over from. The car was silent, and I couldn't help but give in to the sleep that my body had been begging for since I got into the car.

Shawn's POV
I drove back to the house quickly, wanting to get inside as quick as possible where it would be easier to resist going back to that party and beating Nate's face into the ground. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jessica stir slowly, she had fallen asleep about five minutes ago and I didn't want to wake her because I knew that she needed the rest. When I stopped the car in the driveway I softly shut my door being careful not to wake her up and walked over to her side of the car and opened her door as quietly as I could, letting out a quiet sigh of relief when she didn't wake up. I unbuckled her from the seat and picked her up gently, cradling her to my chest as I walked the steps to the house, considering she was very light, I was able to get inside of the house easily. I didn't turn any of the lights on in the house and just silently carried her into her bathroom that is conjoined to her room. I set her on the counter and went into the guest room that I had been staying in to find a t-shirt she could sleep in knowing that she would not be comfortable sleeping in her party clothes and her comfort was my top priority at the moment. Fetching the t-shirt I rushed back to her room to find her sitting groggily on the counter, she looked at me and then just simply closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, obviously exhausted. "Hey, I'm just gonna get you out of these clothes and into something more comfortable ok." I cooed in her ear. "Ok" she nodded lamely before softly and groggily asking "What did I do wrong? Why does everyone want to hurt me? First my dad, then Nate, What is so wrong with me that everyone that is supposed to love me and care for me, just wants to use and abuse me?" She said with tears in her eyes. My heart dropped to my stomach at her words. Here sat a girl that I had know for such a short period of time, yet had fallen for, sitting here heartbroken. I didn't know the story behind why her father wasn't around but what she just told me has my eyes watering and my fist clenching at the same time. Who could ever hurt an angel like the girl in front of me, but there she stood, broken and confused. I swore to myself at that moment that all of that would change. I promised myself that I would show her what it felt like to be truly happy, what it felt like to be loved, I would take every broken shard of her heart and put it back together even if I got cut in the process of doing so. I looked her in the eyes and she adverted her eyes everywhere in the room but to meet mine. I gently grabbed her face in mine and guided it to where she was looking at me, "Jessica, there is nothing wrong with you, you are single handedly the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. The first day I saw you, and you smiled at me that first day of school, it felt like something inside of me opened, like a part of me had been filled. No one could ever be harmed by having you in their life. Nate and your dad are blind if all they can see about you is your body, yes you are drop dead beautiful and have the power to bring any man to his knees, but your personality outshines everything, when you laugh, the whole room lights up in smiles. I find myself wanting to be in your presence just to feel the joy that I feel when I am around you. You are perfect and it kills me that you can't see that." I said truthfully searching for her eyes for some kind of reaction. She looked apprehensive to say what she truly thought so I said "just tell me what you're thinking. Please."

Jessica's POV
"Just tell me what your thinking. Please." He pleased as he stared into my eyes. I sighed before saying what I truly felt, "Tell me I'm just a hormonal teenager, tell me I just want something that I can not have, tell me that you do not feel the same way that I do Shawn." I said looking up into his eyes, he shook his head softly. "Oh, Jessica" he sighed leaning his forehead against mine "I wish I could tell you truthfully that I don't feel anything towards you, but, I can't." He said closing his eyes tightly. "This is so wrong" I said sighing at the feeling of his hand caressing my cheek, "Then how come every fiber in my body is screaming at me that it's not" He said leaning towards me a little. "Ive been asking myself the same thing." I said with a sigh feeling like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders as everything was now out in the open. "Jessica" Shawn said so softly I could barely hear him, "Yes" I replied, "Can I kiss you?" He asked softly his light brown eyes gazing into mine. I paused, knowing what I was about to say would change everything.

"Yes"