The Boy With the Bruise - benjey

3 - Do You Love Me?

Jorge wore a turtleneck to school that day.

Although it was still hot out, he didn't want to waste the makeup his cousin sent him for his seventeenth birthday - so, instead of covering his entire neck and face, he just covered the developing bruise on his cheek and drew on a little bit of eyeliner. Most days, he didn't wear such obvious makeup, but doing makeup made Jorge happy, and he needed a little bit of happiness today.

Like most days, Syd waited for him on their high school's front steps. He immediately made a sour face when he saw that Kaden was driving - but quickly changed his scowl into a fake grin when Kaden caught sight of the unpleased boy.

"Hey Jeyjey!" he waved, waiting for Kaden to pull up next to him before he leaned through the open car window. Ignoring the annoyed look that he was got from Kaden, Syd hugged Jorge through the window. "Ready to go?" Jorge smiled and nodded, grasping the door handle to open it - but, Kaden stopped him with a squeeze to his thigh.

"Give me and Jorge a minute to talk, ok?" Kaden practically demanded, glaring at Syd as he spoke.

Syd paused for a moment, quickly reading the panicked look on Jorge's face before he protested against the idea. "But... Jorge and I have this English project to work on and it's like... super, super hard, so I need him to-"

"It'll just be for a second," Kaden interrupted, pulling away from Syd before he could protest any further and parked in a nearby parking spot.

He waited a second before he spoke, giving Jorge time to absorb the deafening silence that now enveloped the pair. "I want to know why you won't say you love me."

"Wh... what?" Jorge stuttered, his eyes snapping up to look at Kaden, who stared back with an intimidating gaze.

Sighing, Kaden gripped the steering wheel. "You know what I said." When Jorge didn't answer, Kaden's temper began to rise. "On the way here, I realized something. You've never said it. You've never told me you loved me. Why not?" Silence from Jorge only made him angrier. "Don't just sit there, Jorge! I mean, for fucks sake, we've been together for a year and a half... and you've never said you love me!"

Quietly, Jorge said, "isn't it enough to tell you that I need you?"

"Not for me."

"Kaden - when I tell you that I want you, that I appreciate everything you've done for me... I appreciate you letting me live with you for over a year, I appreciate you buying me food and giving me the opportunity to sleep in a bed at night... that I would've never survived being kicked out of my parent's house for being gay, without you... you want more than that?"

"I don't just want it, Jorge. I deserve it. I've given you everything - you're not even grateful enough to give me this one thing."

"You always want something from me!" Jorge shouted, shoving off Kaden's hand as it reached forward to touch his leg. "I give you everything I have, but you always want... want more."

Kaden scoffed, staring at Jorge's reddened face. "Clearly, not everything."

Jorge looked back at Kaden in shock when he realized what he meant.

"What, my virginity?" There was a pause before Kaden spoke again.

"It's three simple words, baby," Kaden spit, reaching over to grasp Jorge's thigh tightly. "Two, if you want to speak in your native tongue. I don't care. Say it." Yelping, Jorge tried to scoot away and open the door, but Kaden had already locked it.

"Let go," Jorge whimpered. "That hurts, Kaden, let go of me." But he didn't. Instead, he squeezed much tighter.

"Just say it. I just need to hear you say it, once."