Torn Tears

Ricardo

Jess's hair is tangled and I wake her up with my laughter because of how one side is sticking up weirdly.

"Lucas," she groans, "Why are you laughing at me?"

"Your hair is very pretty this morning." I try to sober my expression, but I have Jess back. If nothing else is perfect, we are.

She hits me teasingly, but it hurts and I strangle a yelp. I'm still sore and bruised from the beating I took in jail.

"You okay, Luc?" She lifts her hand to smooth a strand of my hair out of my eye.

No use lying. I slept in a shirt to hide the worst of my injuries, but I know she can she the cut over my right eye now. I shake my head.

With her index finger, she traces the wound. "What did they do you?"

I shake my head again. "Nothing that matters anymore."

I'm surprised when she doesn't pry. She just grabs my shirt and pulls me into a kiss. It hurts my lips, but it's a good kind of pain. We were too close to never doing this again.

Too close. Too close Too close.

I wrap my arms around her and hold her tightly, as if she is my lifeline, the only thing making me a part of this world.

"I love you. I love you. I'm entirely in love with you."

She keeps repeating the words against my mouth. I return them, along her jaw, her temple, down to her collarbone.

If this was all that was left of my life, I would not complain. I would happily take the life sentence.

The chirping of Jess's phone is the only thing that distracts us and only then after the call has been missed.

I groan as she leans away from me to grab for it. "I bet that's Elliot wanting to meet up. What time is it anyway?"

She rolls over, out of my arms to grab her phone from the floor. After a moment, she mutters something under her breath.

"What is it?" I use her lack of response as an excuse to move next to her and read over her shoulder.

Come over to my house at noon-- Elliot

Actually come A.S.A.P. We might be in trouble.

Get over here in five minutes or I'm coming to your house myself.

"What is his problem?" I mutter. I watch Jess thumb out a message:

We'll be there in fifteen. Why the rush? What happened?

The response only takes a few seconds to come in.

We don't have much time. I should have went to the party last night.

Jess replies immediately:

We'll be over as soon as we get ready. Talk to you soon.

Okay. Hurry, please.

"I wish he would have told you why the issue was so pressing."

"Me too. I hope it doesn't have anything to do with you still being alive." She touches my cheek before she climbs out of bed.

I follow her. "I like being alive, too. It's nice waking up with you."

"I need to get dressed, Royal."

She's wearing track shorts and surprisingly one of her own shirts. Or one of mine she's had so long that I've forgotten.

I shrug. "You look pretty great to me the way you are."