Hidden Infatuation

Broken Together

Sure enough, Layla opened the door to apartment, only to reveal a very pissed off looking Harvey. His tall and muscular stature, mixed with his piercing gaze was enough to intimidate some of the strongest people. But his anger wasn't aimed towards either of us, never in the seven years of friendship had he ever done anything to remotely hurt us in any way, and we knew that he never would. Quite the opposite actually, he was quite literally like out big brother, our guardian angel. We were lucky to have him. 

Without a verbal word to Layla, he pushed past her and walked over towards me, quickly sitting next to me on the sofa where she had been only moments  prior. He looked me over, his jaw clenching. 

'Luckily he wasn't here sooner." I thought. If he had seen the state which I came in, he would have surely lost it. I suppose evidence of the situation was still visible as I continued to unthaw. My hair, pants, and socks were still damp, my slippers discarded as the wetness from the frozen ground had seeped through completely. The only garment of clothing that was remotely dry was Harvey's black sweater that my hands were still lost in. 

"What happened?" He asked, his voice low as his jaw continued to clench. I knew that Layla had already told him the gist of it, but I wasn't sure exactly how much. I looked to her for an unspoken answer but was met with a look that urged me to go on. 

"I- I got locked outside. I-I didn't have my key." I stuttered, looking down. I knew that I was a terrible liar, especially when it came to him. He could always read me like an open book. 

"Don't lie to me. That bastard did this to you didn't he?" His voice started to increase, and for a second, I wished that I wouldn't have come. 

"Harv-" Layla's voice was cut off by his raised hand, motioning for her to stop. 

"No. She doesn't get to be treated like this and expect me not to say anything." He turned back to me, lowering his hand. 

"So, what happened?" He asked again. I wanted to drop it, to shift the conversation into anything but this, but I knew I couldn't. I've known him for too long to think for a second that he would let this go.

"He got drunk and locked me out." I answered. He didn't need to know the small details. That under the cuffs of his oversized sweater held a black and blue pattern in the form of fingers where he had forcibly grabbed me. He didn't need to know that many much more of the same coloration was found in various laces under the entirety of my body from where his fists and feet had landed on multiple occasions. He need never know how my father had brought me outside when he was finally finished with me, pulling me by the hair as my body dragged against the cold hardened ground. There was so much that was left unsaid, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was already running possible scenarios in his head. 

"That piece of sh*t deserves to be pounded into the ground. You don't f*cking deserve this." He got up from the couch, about to head back to the door when an enormous amount of panic flooded my veins. 

"Where are you going?" I asked, getting up after him. He stopped, letting out a sigh of irritation, as I already knew the answer to his question. 

"It's about time I pay that bastard a visit." He said, putting his hand on the doorhandle. Before he could open it I ran over to him, stopping him from opening it. 

He could have easily pushed me aside if he wanted to. He averaged at about 6'2 where I only stood a mere 5'2. He was about a foot taller than I, and his broad chest could easily hide my small figure. Still, he allowed me to stop him, despite his clear annoyance as he turned to me. 

"Please don't." I pleaded. The last thing that I wanted was for Harvey to get caught up in all of this. The last thing he needed was to get in any sort of trouble because of me. After all, despite what he had previously said I felt like I deserved nothing more than what I got. I did wish that it would be different, but if my father out of all people was the one treating me like this it really did feel like every bad thing that happened was well deserved. 

"Why not Jewels? For years he's been treating you like garbage and I've been able to do not one goddam thing about it because you asked me not to. And why? Why are you protecting that douchebag? He doesn't do anything to protect you, I do. And I would be able to do just that if you let me." Harvey's voice grew louder as Layla stayed completely silent, now in the kitchen heating up some more hot water. 

"It's not your job to protect me." I whispered, hating how small I felt. It wasn't because of Harvey though, it was because of the truth that was unravelling from his words. He was the only one who ever stood up for me. I hated how I could never seem to do that for myself. 

"No. It's not. But I'm still going to do it because I care about you Jewels. So, I'm not gonna keep sitting by while you keep getting hurt." His face began to soften as he spoke, but his words were sharp, his tone serious. 

"Please." I said again, not knowing what else I could say without revealing to much information of what really went on. If I let anything slip, the small details that would be sure to urke him... he would lose it. 

For far too long he remained silent, his jaw clenching, clearly contemplating on what actions he should take next. I was afraid that this time he would go forth on letting his anger take hold of him. He meant well, but his actions could come at the expense of myself, and whatever I had left of a home. 

Finally, he let out a frustrated sigh, his shoulders slumped ever so slightly. "If anything like this happens again, anything at all I'm dealing with it, whether you want me to or not. Before something worse happens." I went to object, but realized by the unwavering look plastered onto his face that his mind was set, and it wouldn't be changed. 

So, reluctantly I nodded my head, hoping that if anything else happened that it would either go unnoticed or forgotten. The thought itself was but a half-truth. I knew that it would be easily forgotten by the man that inflicted the pain, but never by him.

"Come here." He said, before embracing me in a tight embrace. He unintentionally put to much pressure on a sensitive area on my back where the bruising was hidden but fresh, and it took everything in me not to flinch from the contact. Still, my reaction must not have gone unnoticed as his grip loosened, his eyes grazing over the otherwise invisible wound. 

"Don't try to hide anything from me Jewels. I'll find out." He said, and my eyes found the floor. 

"Hey." He said, lifting my head up. "I'm just trying to help you. You deserve so much better than this." He gave me another friendly hug before heading into the kitchen. 

"Got any booze?" He asked Layla, who's attention was still directed to the counter. "In the second cupboard on the right." She answered, without lifting her head up. Without another word he grabbed two shot glasses, pouring a bottle of clear liquid, the devils water. 

"Want some?" He asked, but I shook my head. Without hesitation he left the small glasses empty with two quick gulps. 

"You know that stuff will kill you." Layla said, handing me another cup of steaming hot chocolate. 

Harvey smirked, leaning against the counter, now taking a swig out of the bottle itself. "If that's the case then why do you have it?" He chuckled. 

I was surprised at how quiet she became, looking into her black and pink mug, no trace of humor in her voice. "Sometimes that's the better alternative." Her voice was so quiet, fragile even, so unlike her usually snarky upbeat self. 

My eyes shifted sideways towards her, as Harvey's left an unspoken question above the top of the bottom of the bottle. 

Her eyes never lifted. I wasn't even quite sure she realized how much that one sentiment revealed. 

There was one thing that was clearly evident though; we were all broken in one way or another. Each of us individually were but a mere reflection of what we could be. Luckily for us, we had each other to mend our broken parts.