A Little Mad

Chapter 31

A noise from the balcony caused Mercedes to slowly open her eyes. She reached next to her to feel the space that was empty. She set up and immediately winced in pain. She looked around the dark room that was barely lit by the moon. The shadow on the balcony showed Jerome was restless and couldn't sleep. Slowly crawling out of bed, pain inflamed her whole body with every step she took. She saw nothing but the backside of her lover as he stood at the rail staring out into the city. If a lover is what she could even call him. She still wasn't sure what they were to each other.

"You shouldn't be out of bed. Not in your condition."

Jerome stayed nailed to his spot. Not moving, but speaking to show he knew she was there. She felt tears threaten to escape her eyes as she reached upward to touch his back. He flinched away from her and grunted at his own pain. His face boiled with anger as he turned to face her.

"Jerome...?" 

He shook his head and stepped backwards.

"I tried.. I tried to get you to leave on your own.. You are so stubborn and look at where it has gotten you.."

Mercedes sighed, stepping forward through the pain.

"Jerome. I'm okay." 

He stared at her in disbelief. He gripped her wrist and painfully dragged her into the bathroom in front of the giant mirror. Through his own pain he pulled her shirt off over her head and threw it to the floor. Mercedes stared at her battered skin. 

"Look at this..."

Jerome hits the wall, causing Mercedes to flinch in pain and slight fear. 

"Look at what I did to you!" 

A tear rolled down Mercedes cheek unable to stay locked away. 

"We.. were just training... I know you would never...."

Jerome groaned. He hit the wall again, earning the same response from Mercedes. 

"Are you serious right now?! Do you not even really see what is on your body?!" 

Mercedes turned to face him.

"Look at what I did to you..." 

Jerome shook his head. 

"No. I'm used to this. But you... this is not something you should ever get used to.." 

Mercedes carefully runs her fingers down his cheek until he pushes her hand away, causing a wave of pain through her arm. She leans on the bathroom counter and winces. 

"Do you feel that?!" 

Mercedes looked at him through tears. 

"Any more hits and I could have caused internal bleeding or I could have killed you! I could have fucking killed you!"

Mercedes stood firm, wiping her tears.

"We were messing around and just got caught up at the moment. We stopped..."

Jerome clinched his fists and released them because of the painful pressure. Her bared his teeth.

"You are such a bitch. Especially to yourself. You played into my joking and got yourself hurt! I get caught up in moments all the time! You know you seem to think that just because I fuck you and haven't killed you yet that I am not the same person everyone sees on the news!  You think you found some human decency in me and keep trying to make me someone I'm not! I'm a bad guy!"

Jerome's laugh rang through the bathroom.

"You are just a naïve young woman stuck in some I'll save the psycho fairytale! You must really not give a damn about yourself to stay with me!"

Mercedes had finally had enough of his tantrum. She stood inches from him. 

"Don't you dare ever say I don't give a damn about myself just because I give a damn about you! I know you would never kill me! I know for a fact that if it wasn't for our playful agreement we had before the fight, you would never beat me that way! Maybe I am crazy! Maybe I should leave you! But I can't! I don't want to leave! I can't stand not having you in the same room as me!"

Jerome walked out of the bathroom in rage and Mercedes followed. 

"I'm not scared of you! I..." 

Jerome stopped in his tracks. He quickly turned to face her.

"Stop! You should be! And say nothing else you were about to say until you have fully thought it over!"

He stepped closer to her.

"This is not a game... this is your life.. you should protect it.. I killed your family! You still haven't forgiven me for that and I won't blame you if you never do." 

Mercedes stood with steady tears.

"Is this it... is whatever.. we had over..?

Mercedes watched as a few tears fell down Jerome's cheek. His raspy voice spoke with pain.

"I can't lose you... which means I can't risk accidentally killing you.."

Mercedes's tears fell faster.

"Don't... please..."

Jerome stared out onto the balcony as he spoke.

"Don't make this harder... continue your training with Bruce and TaTyana.. you can win this battle..." 

He turned and slowly walked towards the bedroom door.

"I don't think I can without you...."

He stopped hearing her painful words that broke his heart. He didn't hesitate in his next statement.

"You're going to have to...." 

Jerome left the room without another word. Mercedes fell to the ground in pain. She curled up in ball and cried. The only thing her body could do at the present time was cry. Her tears stained the floor and it was as if everything had disappeared. Her thoughts weren't even on her family or herself. Her only thought was the fact that the man she felt she was falling in love with just left her. No one came back into the room that night. She stayed lying on the cold floor until she fell asleep shirtless. Just the wat Jerome left her. She had no idea that Jerome stood in the doorway and watched her sleeping on the floor before he left the apartment without a word to anyone. No one would even know he was gone until the morning.