He wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, and I respected that, but I explained to him it didn’t give him the right to disrespect his mother. Although he isn’t his normal self, he isn’t being a complete ass to Ella anymore.
Ella places a hand on her heart. I know having AJ so snappy with her was wearing on her. Especially considering how much she loves these boys.
“Thank you, baby. I’m glad you like it.”
“See, Cam,” Jacob teases. “Everyone appreciates your mom's food, but you.”
Cameron sticks his tongue out at Jacob and playfully shoves him in the shoulder.
“Ow!” Jacob shouts, clutching his arm.
At first, I thought he was just teasing so that Cameron would think he had hurt him, but when I saw the way my son’s face reddened, I could tell he’s not joking. There is no way Cameron hurt him. He barely touched him.
“Jacob, are you okay?” Ella asks before I could.
Jacob drops his head down to his plate.
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
“Sorry, Jay. I didn’t mean to hit your bruise,” Cameron says before slapping a hand over his mouth.
I immediately go on alert.
“What bruise?” I ask.
Both boys remained silent.
I look across the table at Ella, who looks just as worried as me.
“Jacob, what bruise?” I ask again, this time my voice dropping, letting him know I wasn’t playing.
My son sighs and looks over at me. “Mom said not to tell you.”
Alarm bells go off in my head. And if I were combustible, I’d have exploded right there at the table. I place my fork down on my plate and slid my hands into my lap. My fists are so tight that my knuckles are white. I take a moment before I speak again.
“We don’t keep secrets. You know that. Whatever you tell me is safe with me.”
He looks nervous, his blue eyes searching my face as if he’s trying to see if I’m being deceitful.
“Just show him,” Cameron leans over and tries to whisper.
I didn’t like that Jacob had forced Cam to keep this secret either.
Slowly, my son lifts the sleeve of his t-shirt, revealing a large, fist-sized purple bruise.
“Jeez,” AJ shouts.
Ella leans over the table to get a view and then gasps as water fills her eyes. I stare at the mark on my son, trying to calm down before I speak.
“He has another one on his back,” Cameron reveals.
I slide my chair back so fast it made a loud screeching sound. All eyes are on me. I understand I am around a bunch of impressionable boys and that I should choose my actions carefully. However, right now I can’t think straight.
“I need you to be honest with me, Jacob. No time for lies. Who put those bruises on you?” I had my idea, but before I lost my shit, I needed to know for a fact.
Jacob’s head drops again. “James.”
Ella
