Insatiable

14

I pound my fist on Maliah's door. I was half asleep walking all the way over here. I'm also starving and fucking cold. That nap was good though. No one was home, so I didn't have to worry about my Mom barging in or hearing Eric's grunting.

"Hurry the fuck up!" I shouted adjusting my book bag.

A few seconds later the door unlocks and to my surprise I'm not slapped on spot. I'm actually immediately scared because Maliah looks like she's been ... crying. It can't be my fault this time either. She has on a silky white tank top and Bermuda shorts.

I asked quietly, "What's wrong ...?"

She doesn't answer me. Instead tears run down her cheeks and she steps into me. I carefully wrap my arms around her. There's a million different shitty things running through my head. I hope everything is okay.

"Come on, let's go inside." I said walking forward while holding her.

She steps backward slowly. We get into the house and I pull the door closed behind me. I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my life.

She sniffles a few times before saying, "I have to tell you something, but not right now ... I'm not ready to talk about it yet. I don't know when I'll be."

I tried not to sound frantic, "But are you okay? Are you hurt?"

She wiped her eyes and nodded her head, "I'm fine. I just ... I have to tell someone, but not right now."

"Maliah, are you in trouble?"

"No. N-Not really ..."

"Is someone hurting you?" I asked angrily.

She hesitated, "Y-Yes."

"Who? Whose hurting you!? I'll fuck them up."

"Jax I can't - not right now, please." She begged.

"You can't tell me someone's hurting you and then not tell me who!"

"I'm not ready!"

I feel like my stomach is ready to come up out of my mouth. I have so many questions now, but at the same time I don't want to know. I don't want to know because I'll snap. Officially.

I feel my brain shutting down. I just stare into Maliah's glossy eyes. She looks so terrified and ... humiliated. This sight makes me want to punch walls in.

She spoke nervously, "Just promise you'll be patient with me."

I don't say anything. Instead I just nod my head and carefully pull her into me. I grab her face and kiss her. I don't know why, but I need too. I feel like its the only way I can express myself in this moment.

She kisses me back and when we pull away she stays close and presses her forehead against my lips. I'm still holding her face. She sighs, but it sounds like one of those sighs of relief. Like everything that was built up inside her just released.

I spoke quietly, "Please don't ever keep things like this from me. Maliah if anything ever happens to you ... I don't ... I don't know what I would do with myself."

"I'm sorry ... I just ..."

"Did something happen today?" I asked pulling her face back to look at me.

She shook her head no.

"Are you lying?"

"I'm not." She answered.

"So you've been bottling it up?"

She nodded.

"No more of that." I said.