***WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS ALCOHOL USE, ABUSE, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND SELF-HARM AND THIS MIGHT BE TRIGGERS TO SOME READERS. I STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO READ WITH CAUTION. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED***
Jaxon POV
My fingers tangled themselves into Damian's dark hair. Our lips moved in sync. I lost all sense of rational mind as I finally succumbed to my feelings for him, that I had knowingly tried pushing away. I pulled back to catch my breath.
"I knew you liked me," Damian smirks. I rolled my eyes. Damian leans his head on my shoulder, and my fingers gently massage his scalp. I sigh, finally relaxing for the first time in the John-Hedrick household. I giggle as Damian starts planting feathery kisses across my shoulder, up my neck and traces my jawline with his soft lips.
"Does this mean you're my girlfriend now?" He whispers.
I shrug. "I don't know. I mean, I'm still scared." I admit.
"Of?" he raises his eyebrow.
"I just don't want to drag you or your family into my life drama. I don't want you getting hurt." I look at my hands that are now hiding in his much larger ones.
"Silly, girl. Don't worry your pretty little head about me. Or my family. If you haven't noticed yet, I'm already part of this. Whatever it may be you can't and won't shake me. Now that I finally have you, whether you admit it or not, I'm not going anywhere." He puts his hand under my chin and raises my gaze to his. "Let me take care of you, Jaxon."
Tears brimmed my eyes at his little speech. I nod and close my eyes, the tears fall. Damian kisses them away, then pecks my lips. I start to yawn but try and swallow it. But, Damian catches it anyway. "Alright, babe. Time to go back to bed now." He gets up from the bed and I climb in. He pulls the covers up to my chin and kisses my forehead. "If you need anything else, my room is right down the hall." He tells me.
"Okay," I say tiredly, already drifting off into a now dreamless sleep once more.
****
When I woke up, I could hear cartoons sounding from the den and Damian and his mom carrying a conversation. I got up and walked to the bathroom. I looked at my face in the mirror. The swelling has gone down a lot, but there are still dark bruises on my cheek and under my eye. And my lip is still fat looking from busting it open.
After staring at my reflection for a bit longer, I walk to the kitchen. The twins are at the table eating bowls of cereal.
"Where's your brother?" I ask them. They point to the garage door. I walk out there and I see Damian's truck with the hood up. I see a flash of skin move from behind the hood and I quietly walk around to the front. Damian is bent over the engine and is very concentrated on it. But, what catches my attention more than the truck is Damian's bare torso. The muscles in his back stretch and flex every time his arms move. Before I can stop myself, I am running my fingers over his back muscles. I hear him gasp and jump. He turns around and pulls me into a tight embrace.
"You scared me, princess. I didn't hear you come in," he whispers in my ear.
"Sorry," I mumble out. I pull out of his embrace and see that his hands are covered in oil and grease.
"You better have not have gotten that all over me." I scold him while gesturing to his hands.
"I didn't." he laughs.
"How long have you been up?"
"Since eight." He says while turning his attention back to the truck, "not all of us sleep all day." He jokes.
"It's ten," I say moving to the side of the truck so I can see his face.
"I know." He says as he glances up at me. "Do you have anything planned for today?"
"Uh, school. But, I don't want to go back today."
"That's why I didn't wake you earlier." He answers as he wipes the grease off his hands.
"Why aren't the twins in school?" I ask when we get back inside the house.
"They're home schooled."
I sit on the couch, not sure what else to say. The past 24 hours have been the most I've wanted to converse with people since my parents died.
Damian rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "So, uh, I'm going to go take a shower and get some of this stuff off." he gestures to his oil and grease covered arms, hands, and torso. I nod indicating I heard him. He walks over to the couch and places a lingering kiss on my cheek, before rushing off to the bathroom. I finger the spot his lips were as a smile danced on my lips.
YOU ARE READING
Missing Wings (#Wattys2016)
Teen FictionJaxon has had a rough couple of years, though she copes with it well on her own. She lost both her parents and is stuck with and abusive stepfather. But when a certain boy implants himself into her daily routine and life, she has to decide to let hi...
