Jonathan nods.“Thanks.”He’s a shadow of himself.The fire replaced by a wisp of smoke.
I hear Collin tell Gavin before I disappear down the stairs, “Thanks for calling me.”
Jonathan tosses his bag onto the recliner, and I set the backpack next to it.His legs give out, and he surrenders his weight to the couch.I stand before him, and he wraps his arms around my legs as I cradle his head against my stomach.
His breaths are heavy, and his embrace is desperate, like he’s begging me to hold him together.I soothe him with hushes and hands running through his hair.“I’m so sorry.”
Lifting his head, he peers up at me, and I cup the sides of his face.His eyes are dry but tortured.“What did you see?”
“Something I never want to happen again,” I tell him, brushing a thumb over the stubble of his jaw, where a bruise will form.“I’m so sorry, Jonathan.”
He pulls me down, and I straddle him, hugging him tight.I’m the one crying, but we’re both in pain.“What do you need?Ice or anything?”
“Not right now,” he murmurs into my hair.“I just need you.”
I bury my face into his neck and kiss his pulse.Our breathing syncs, as do our heartbeats.I curl around him.He wraps his arms around me like I’m saving him.
We stay in this tangled embrace until I hear voices on the stairs.We slowly unwind, and I can feel the loss of his heat when the air slips between our bodies.
“Clothes are good,” Collin comments, like he expected to catch us without them.Gavin doesn’t bother with a smartass remark.
“Sadie, we need to get going.They’re expecting us to come back with coffee for the firefighters and officers,” Gavin tells me.
I nod, my focus still on Jonathan, hands on his face, his neck, through his hair.I have to keep touching him.Assuring him.Convincing myself.
He is safe.He is safe.He is safe.
I press my lips to his and linger there, absorbing their warmth.“I love you.”
It feels impossible to leave him.But as soon as I do, I give in to the emotions that’ve been locked behind the fear and adrenaline since I witnessed the first blow to Jonathan’s body.It’s always felt safer to look the other way.Easier to leave when everything got too intense.But I’ve been denying myself the truth.And now I can’t unsee it.I can’t unknow it.I can’t let it happen again.
Gavin leaves the car running when we arrive at the coffee shop that’s just opening.I try to gather myself in his absence.
The back door opens, and Gavin places the boxes of coffee on the floor behind my seat.
“He has witnesses,” I tell Gavin when he buckles in.
“What?”
“Jonathan,” I explain.“You said that nothing could happen to Hal unless Jonathan had witnesses.You and I are witnesses.”
“And?”
I’m dumbfounded.“He can press charges!For everything his dad has done to him!”
Gavin gives me a look loaded with pity.“Do you really think he will?”
No,” Jonathan says when I bring it upto him at lunch.We found an empty study room in the library so we could talk without being overheard.
“What do you mean?He can’t get away with this!”I insist, throwing away everything I learned in peer mentoring about being supportive.Allowing the survivor to decide.
Collin stares silently at the ceiling with his chair leaning against the wall.Which is not like him at all.I look at him, inviting him to the conversation that’s meant to protect Jonathan from his father.
“Have you talked to Sam?”Collin asks.It sounds strange, hearing him call Jonathan’s mother by her name.My mom’s always been Mrs.Prescott.My dad’s a different story.
“This morning,” Jonathan answers, his entire vibe sullen.Probably exhausted.And hurting.The bruise on his jaw is fully formed and slightly swollen.His two-day stubble does a decent job concealing it, but my eyes keep finding their way to the side of his face.
We only saw a couple minutes of their argument.I don’t know how many times Hal hit him before we arrived and what the rest of him may look like.“She said it’s probably best that I stay with you until the fire marshal releases a report and this is all cleared up.To let my dad calm down.”
