Broken

Chapter XI

CHERISE'S POV

I walk up the stairs and stand on the landing waiting for him to catch up with me. "This is Darion's room," I say indicating to the first door on the right. Walking further down the corridor I push open my bedroom door, "this is my room." He peers inside and looks around.

His eyes linger on my bed and I notice that I didn't put the shoebox away. Its contents are still splayed out on my bed for all to see. I quickly close the door and carry on the tour.

"That's the bathroom I say pointing to the half open door at the end of the landing, "it's all yours seeing as Darion never showers and me and my parents have private bathrooms." I turn the corner and push open the door to the guest room. "This is your room," I say to him quietly. I haven't been in here for a while. At least a year or so. It used to be Asher's room.

I feel myself start to shake and feel Jay's arms wrap around me from behind. "I can find another place to live if you feel like I am invading Asher's space." He says it quietly and into my shoulder, but his voice and touch are enough to jolt me out of my trance.

"It's OK, it's about time anyway, I think Asher would have liked you a lot." I say to him turning around to face him. His arms are still around my waist and so I place my hand around his torso. I pushed my head into his chest, and he tightened his hold around me. I look up into his emerald green eyes and think to myself how lucky I am.

He places a kiss on my forehead and looks back into my eyes. "Thank you, Cherise," he says to me and my heart must have actually melted. I press my lips against his and he returns the kiss. Before anything else can happen, he pulls away and looks at me with a regretful smile.

"I don't want Sean or Darion to catch us again," he says to me. He brushes his lips against mine and pulls away fully.

"I'll go get your bag," I say to him before leaving the room.

JAY-P'S POV

I look around the room and take in my surroundings. It's roughly the same size as the guest room in the Andrews' house. I look out the window and I am greeted with a pleasant view of the back garden. There is a gate at the end of the garden. I wonder where it leads to.

"I got your bag Jay" I hear Cherise voice ring out from behind me and I turn around to look at her. She places the bag on the end of the bed and takes a seat next to it. I walk over and unzip the bag.

. . .

I sit down on the bed after unpacking the bag. I kick of my shoes and Cherise does the same. We both move back a bit so that we are leaning against the headboard of the bed. Cherise wraps one arm around my waist, and I pull her into my chest.

I place a kiss on her head and just enjoy having her in my arms. After a while her breathing slows down and becomes deeper, I look down and a smile as I see that she has fallen asleep. I close my eyes and soon drift off as well.

When I wake up the curtains are still open, and Cherise has moved across on the bed a little but is still fast asleep. I wrap the duvet around her and get up to close the curtain. I look back at her before exiting the room on the way to the toilet. On my way out I stop in my tracks as I see Darion leaning outside the door.

"She's had nightmares every single night for at least 5 months now. It's been a while since she has slept this peacefully," he says to me in low tones. "Thank you." With that he walks past me and into his room.

I stay in the corridor for a little while thinking Cherise and her family. They were all grateful to me for being there for Cherise emotionally, but they didn't understand how much she was there for me. In the few days that I had known her I had fallen out with Levi over her.