Hopefully Forever

The Truth about the Bruises

Still at the park
Andi's POV
"Jonah, what was that?" I asked again

He wouldn't answer me. He looked at the ground and avoided making eye contact with me. I walked over to him and lifted his chin up so I could look at him in the eyes.

"Jonah, please let me see." I said

"No." He said

"Why?" I asked him, getting annoyed, "I'm your girlfriend. Why can't you show me?"

I saw tears starting to form in his eyes. He slowly lifted up his bathing suit shirt, revealing his bruises and newly forming four pack. I looked at his stomach. There were bruises all over him. I put my hand on his stomach and he tensed a little. While tracing my fingers around the ten or more bruises, I started to wonder who did this to him. I felt so bad for him. I looked up at him and saw that he was looking at what I was doing.

  "Is this why you wore the bathing suit shirt to go swimming?" I asked. He nodded his head.

I asked him, "How did you get all these bruises?"

He looked away from me I saw a tear roll down his cheek. I wiped away his tear and he turned his head to look at me again.

"Um, I'm not su-sure that I wa-want to te-tell you." He said while stuttering.

I looked at him. His eyes were red and he looked scared. I hugged him, but I was afraid to because I didn't want to hurt him even more than he already is.

"Please tell me Jonah." I said while hugging him.

I felt his arms wrap around my waist and he said, "ok."

We pulled apart and sat on the grass. Jonah picked at the grass and said, "So, these bruises aren't from falling down or anything like that."

"So... what are they from?" I asked and Jonah looked at me in the eyes.

"Well, Um, my parents." He said and looked at the ground again.

I was so in shock, "Jonah, did you just say, your parents?"

"Yeah, they aren't the nicest people in the world. Actually they aren't nice at all." Jonah said, "They're always hitting me, sometimes it's for no reason, sometimes when they're in a bad mood, and sometimes when I come home like a minute late. I'm not really in the best life situation, but what am I supposed to do about it? I try to stay optimistic and happy all the time around everyone, but at the end of the day, I never want to go home. Sometimes I think about running away or ending it all, but I don't want to leave you. Andi, you're the best thing in my life right now."

I held Jonah's hands tight and said/asked, "You're parents are abusive?"

"I guess so," he said sadly.

I looked at the sky and saw that the sun already set. We've been talking for so long that I didn't even realize. Just then Jonah got a text.

He pulled out his phone, read the text, and said "oh no". He dropped his phone on the grass and grabbed his hair in his hands.

I took his phone and read the text. It was from his mom. It read, "Jonah! Where are you? You're supposed to be home by now. You wait kid! When you come home I'm going to beat your ass."

I decided that I was going to call her. I pressed the telephone icon and it started to call Jonah's mother.

"Andi, what are you doing?" He asked.

I ignored him and continued.

His mother finally picked up the phone.

Andi and Jonah's mother's conversation over the phone

Jonah's mother: "Jonah, you are so going to get hit when you come home."

Andi: "Oh, hello Mrs. Beck."

Jonah's mother: "Oh hi Andi, could you put Jonah on the phone, please. I just want to talk to him."

Andi: "No. Don't act all nice because you're talking to me and not your son. I saw your text and I heard what you said. How do you sleep at night. You and your husband should be ashamed of yourselves. I just want to tell you that Jonah will not be coming home tonight, so you can go beat someone else's ass. Have a good night Mrs. Beck."

End of their conversation

I hung up the phone and looked at Jonah. He was looking at me with his mouth and his eyes wide open. I suddenly realized that I probably made this worse for Jonah than it already is.

"Sorry" I said, stood up, and looked at the ground. I tried to blink back tears.

I felt arms wrap around me. It was Jonah. I hugged him back. I expected him to be mad at me. I pulled away and saw that he had a smile on his face.

"Thank you. I guess I'm not going to my house tonight, so where am I supposed to go?" he asked and laughed a little.

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Word Count (If you're curios.)-828

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Comment what you thought of this chapter? Do you all like the longer chapters?