'𝐂𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐖' ᵍˡᵉᵉ

-𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒅

"YOU CAME."

"you called," jj smiled softly at the girl who was sitting down on the ground, with her back leaning on the tree behind her. they usually never came to the park on saturdays, but there they were.

it was four in the morning, and the sun wasn't even up yet. the warm summer breeze gently brushed through their hair.

roxanne was gazing up at him with a tenderness in her eyes, and it made him melt. jj felt butterflies in his stomach and all he wanted was to lock himself in his room and replay the image of her in his mind over and over again.

the boy took a seat next to her on the dried grass, before handing her a cigarette and a bottle of vodka; her favorite. "your usual, princess. i'm sorry, I didn't have any lychees at home, but i'll get you some tomorrow," he promised, a grin on his lips, and she sent him a grateful smile.

the girl put the cigarette between her lips and jj pulled out his lighter before he placed his hand on her cheek and he brought the flame to the tip of her cigarette. they sat in silence, jj waiting patiently for the girl to talk to him.

it was then that he noticed to slight bruise in the corner of her eye.

he didn't want to mention it, in case it made her upset but he so desperately wanted to kill the person who hurt her.

roxanne only stared ahead, her cheeks softly flushed, before looking back at him with a ghostly smile on her lips. "thank you for being here with me," she said, breaking the lengthy, yet comforting silence.

roxanne wanted to hug him, like really hug him. to be enveloped in his scent of cedar wood and salt water, which she thought was odd since most kids in ohio have never even seen a beach, but jj always seemed to smell like one. she loved it, though.

"always," jj replied, reaching his hand out behind her back and pulling her closer to him by her waist, "what's wrong, baby?" roxanne's mind froze at the nickname before the boy realized what he said.

the nickname was new to them. jj had never used it before and roxanne had never heard it from anyone. they were both used to jj calling her princess, but roxanne never gave it much thought since it was initially meant as a mockery.

"uh... just my parents, again. I had to get out." jj hugged her tighter as he ran his free hand back and forth down her waist to her hip gently, "my dad came back home. he just barged in, and he was upset and- and angry and drunk.
so was my mom. and they got into a fight. I took julian up to his room while they fought in the kitchen. dani was in his bedroom playing video games, so he couldn't hear anything with his headphones on." roxanne could feel a pressure on her chest as she imagined the last few hours in her head. but jj's touch pulled her back to reality.

"I- uh... I snuck back downstairs, and I saw my dad swing at her... and I felt like such a fucking coward. just standing there, staring at my mom on the floor, and I knew he was gonna hit her again. so I ran to the sink and I grabbed a knife from the dishes," roxanne took a long drag from her cigarette as she fought back her tears, "when my dad saw me, he started laughing like a fuckin' psycho. he was came so close to me, and I was terrified- the look in his eyes- i've never seen it before, and my hands were shaking. and then I raised the knife to his chest." the girl would never admit out loud, but she was embarrassed. embarrassed and mad at herself for showing fear in front of her dad.

roxanne imagined his voice in her head, mocking her repeatedly, "what are gonna do? huh, roxanne? i'm your father, and you don't have the balls, niña." he laughed as he came closer and shoved her against the kitchen counter, "vamos! show me! show me, roxanne!" he kept repeating.