Danger's Back (JileyOverboard)

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

“I’m just getting ready to come downstairs and have breakfast. Did you eat yet?”

“Yeah, John and I grabbed a bagel on our way in.” A silence fell amongst us as Justin walked over to me, his hands cupping my cheeks into his palms. Brushing his thumbs under my eyes, he frowned. “Have you slept at all last night?” He murmured.

“I just haven’t been feeling all that great. It’s been a lot to take in these past couple of days… and for some reason I've just been restless but I’m fine, really.”

“Don’t lie to me.” He sternly spoke though the softness in his back tone was heard, his free hand gripping my waist in a tight hold. “I felt you tossing and turning in the middle of the night.”

"You have nothing to worry about." I desperately reassured. “I’m fine. If it makes you feel better, I’ll take a nap later on. I just have a lot going on in my head right now, I’m trying to make sense of everything.”

Exhaling through his nose, Justin let his hands fall to my waist, his forehead pressing to my shoulder. “You can’t do this to yourself… not when everything’s…”

“Everything’s what?” I asked, desperate for answers. I needed something, anything to know that I wasn’t losing him to this entire mess.

“Everything’s…” Finding my eyes, I could see the agony inside of them. Shaking his head, he released his hold, “Forget it.”

Letting out a shaky breath, I pulled my shirt down, not even bothering with my sweater as it hung by my wrists as I turned around to face him. Cupping his face in my hands, I caressed his cheeks with my thumbs, searching his eyes for answers—answers that as hard as I looked—I couldn’t find.

“We’re going to be okay.” I murmured, knowing this was what he needed to hear. He needed reassurance, he needed hope and he needed love… love that he desperately pushed away, wanting nothing to do with it.

Pressing my lips to his, I felt my heart constrict at the stillness he displayed. Pulling back, I blinked, keeping the tears that threatened to fall at bay.

Grabbing my hands in his, Justin held them from reach as he sighed. “I know.” He said but he didn’t. Letting me go, he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I, ugh, better go back down. Are you coming?”

“Yeah, just give me…” I trailed off, not knowing what to say, “Give me a minute.” Brushing past him, I walked over to the bed, deciding it’d be best to start fixing it now, no longer willing to try to fight for something he clearly doesn’t want to fix.

Fluffing the pillows, I stood them up before layering the blanket on the bed after fixing the sheets underneath, smoothing over the wrinkles and fixing any off angles. Looking up, I let out a much needed breath when I saw that he had left.

Falling back against the bed in distress, I put my head in my hands, wondering where in the world we went wrong.

Paddling my way down stairs and into the kitchen, I was surprised to see everybody sat around the counter, chatting amongst themselves. “Morning,” I acknowledged with a smile, my eyes lightly brushing past Justin’s frame before resting on everyone else.