The Oak Tree And The Shotgun.

Chapter 19

Jackie's POV

I still couldn't fully process what had happened just a few moments ago.

My hands were shaky and I was sweating like a dehydrated dog. My breathing was better but my heart rate was still tapping at a fast pace. I could hear and feel it throbbing in my ears as I swallowed my anxiety.

I was astounded by the way he instantly went in for the kill.

He just grabbed his own friend from beside me, and without tidings, took him to the tar ground, banging his fists with an uncontrollable strength. By the third punch, I saw Jace's jaw shift to his side. At the same time his mouth and nose was bleeding as well as the cut on his cheekbone... and Aaron didn't stop there. Did he even hear the bones break? Was he unaware of how he was restructuring his friends face? I wasn't sure if he did but he just kept pounding. By his fourth, fifth, sixth punch, Jace's face wore the gorest blood mask I'd ever seen outside every movie I've ever seen. He was struggling for air as he choked on his own DNA. Aaron still hadn't stopped.

He pounded until Jace eventually gave in and fell unconscious. He just... Became a wash rag.

That's when he'd stopped. I might've seen a glimpse of the devil in his eyes, but right now in this car, I can see it in full form.

It wasn't only in his eyes, it was on the bloody fists that was now choking the steering wheel, the redness taking over his pigmentation, the heat that spiralled throughout the car... I swear to God that when i looked in the rare view mirror he sat in the back seat.

I was shocked before. A bit scared. But now... There was no telling how terrified I was.

The way he drove scared me. Slamming the shift into every gear he changed to. The way he violently pushed his hair out of his face as if he wanted to unroot every stand at the same time.

He reached down in front of me opening a secret compartment before fishing a black pack of Camels and closing it again.

He popped one into his mouth and lit it, taking an extremely long drag before blowing the smoke out.

I watched his handsome distressed face as he became a smoke machine.

All of a sudden the car stopped and I bounced forward in my seat. It distracted me until I heard a car door banging close.

I looked up to see him clutching his head and trudging to an oak tree that posed before a lake.

And then I realised where we were.

He banged his head against the tree, not hard just... It seemed as though he was trying to get the demon out that possessed him. He clutched his ears while doing this.

"FUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKKK!" I jumped at the loud scream that came from him just metres away from me.

He punched the tree three times before realising his broken, crumbled cigarette and tossing it on the grass as though it were a virus.

I didn't understand it because my nerves were normal and i could think clearly now, but for some reason, I felt good inside, I felt... Here. Safe. I felt like I was someone at least. I felt acknowledged and I appreciated him for it.

He'd almost killed his friend just because he was harassing me. Jace harassed many girls and a daily basis so it didn't make sense but it made me feel important. No one almost kills someone if it's not important right? Was I important? It was all so weird because, even though I'd never felt this good in my life, I never felt this guilty before.

I wanted to hug him tightly and not let go. He'd carried so much on his shoulders and he didn't even know what he was carrying. I wanted to thank him and calm him down. I wanted to leave the car and be beside him... Except.

I felt sorry for the tree and bad for him. I'm the reason he's so mad. I'm the reason Jace almost got killed. I'm the reason he probably will have no friends. And the reason he could go to jail if there's a case made against him.

I'm the reason he had to come to this place of healing, for healing.

Toxic. That's what I am. Dead rotting meat. And I needed to be cut off like every piece of rotting flesh, before I caused an amputation.

He stood with his hands in the pockets of his pants while he... Smiled? At me?

All of a sudden I snapped back to reality.

I got out of the car and I walked to him.

Why in the world is he smiling?! How did I get out if the car when my body felt so immovable?

I watched him, ignoring the blood dripping from his probably aching hands.

Aaron's POV

I never felt so angry in my life. After I got into the car I had to calm down. It's been a year or two last that I've even looked at a pack of Camels.

I could feel the heat everywhere. I thought it was the heater but it was a resultant of my stupid anger issues.

Jace deserved what he got after all these years of harming girls.

But I just snapped when I saw his hand. After that I just had to escape before I done something worse than assult.

In the car Jackie looked afraid and that angered me more. Why was she afraid when I made it clear that I'd never do anything to harm her?!

I still couldn't feel my hands at this point, my nerves still weren't down. I needed my pills.

I was glad I wasn't alone at least. I watched her sitting in the car watching my every move like a baby cub watching her dad hunt. And I didn't notice it, but I smiled at this. At her.

And just as she got out of the car and trudged to me, my heart picked up pace. She was going to shout at me and I knew it. I had done something wrong, but I done it for a right purpose. So I defended myself.

"Look, I kno-" Before I could finish my sentence, her tiny fragile arms wrapped around my body and her face dug into my chest.

"Thank you." She breathed, and so did I before I wrapped my arms around her body.

Everything went completely calm now.

We stayed this way for a long while before anything was said or done.