Missing Wings (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 18 - Nobody Hurts Like Me For You

Jaxon's POV

When Damian gets out of the shower, I'm already dressed in a black, spaghetti strap sundress that Damian's mom had picked out for me, with black ankle boots with a little heel, with my hair pulled back into a ponytail for the first time in a while. He comes into the living room and sits next to me on the couch and watches cartoons with the twins and I. He puts his arm around me and pulls me close. I feel my cheeks heat up with the sudden contact, but I lean into him anyway.

"What do you want to do today?" he whispers in my ear.

"I don't know." I am starting to feel awkward without doing my usual routine in the mornings.

"What do you usually do when you skip school?" he asks.

"I don't."

"You don't skip school?" he asks like it's a surprise.

"No. Unless I have to, which isn't skipping, it's excused." I shrug. I know this is going to make him laugh at me.

"Oh. Well, come on." He says getting off the couch and pulling me with him.

"We are not leaving the twins here alone."

"I have a neighbor that will watch them." He rolls his eyes and grabs my hand to pull me out the door.

"So, I was thinking..." Damian starts.

"Yeah?"

"Since you're gonna stay with us for a while, maybe we could go get some of your stuff. You know, from your house?"

I freeze and stare at him. "W-what?"

"My mom told me to not ask you because she was afraid you'd flip out."

I suddenly feel claustrophobic. I cannot breathe, it's like the air itself is being sucked out of my lungs. "Then, why did you ask me?" I say getting more frantic just thinking about going back to Phillip's house.

"I was going to get your stuff anyway," Damian mutters. I snap my head to glare at him.

"No." I all but growl.

"Why not?"

"You are not going back there to where you can get caught." I let go of his hand and push him away from me.

"Why are you being like this?" he yells at me and I flinch. His eyes soften a little but they harden once more. Panic fills my body and I take a step back from him.

"Why won't you let me help you, Jaxon?" he says but his voice gets louder by the time he forms my name on his lips. I shake my head frantically and tears stream down my face.

"Why won't you let me help you, Jaxon?" he quietly says. All anger in his voice is gone now. He steps toward me but I involuntarily take a step back, out of habit. I cross my arms over my body to stop the shaking.

"Jaxon, baby." He says, pleading, reaching out to me. "Baby, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not like him." I'm grateful how Damian substitutes Phillip's name. "Come here" he pulls me against his chest and I shove my face into the crook of his neck. "I won't take you back to that house. I promise." I nod into his shoulder and he rubs my back.

"Can we just go back inside, now? I don't want to do anything, anymore." I whisper into his shoulder.

"Yeah, okay." He says and he takes my hand in his once more as we walk back into the house. Instead of going back on the couch, I continue walking to my room.

"Where are you going?" Damian asks. But I don't answer him, I just tug him along with me. I slide my boots off and I crawl into the bed and curl into a ball on top of the covers. I pat the empty side of the bed. Damian kicks off his shoes and lays down next to me. He pulls the throw blanket over us. He holds me against his chest, kissing my hair.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Jax." He whispers in my ear.

"Me too," I whisper back, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling myself to peck his lips.

"You don't have to be afraid of me, ya know?"

I shrug.

He sighs.