Saved By A Bad Boy

[50]. Just a Little Smudged

I wore a scarf to school today, even though it was the beginning of April, and the temperatures were starting to warm up. I wanted to cover the bruises, because the last thing I needed were stupid jokes about hickies, when these bruises were the furthest thing from the aftermath of pleasure. But the moment I walked in, covered from chin to toe, I felt like everyone was staring at me. Maybe some of them knew about what happened. Maybe some of them didn't. Maybe some of them were just shocked to see the strong, tall figure beside me with one arm slung across my shoulder.

For a moment, I just wanted to pull the scarf up over my face and pretend I wasn't there. But Jax wasn't worried about what anyone else thought. In fact, he refused to detach from me until I had to pry him away so I could go to first period. He had asked me all morning if I was sure that it was time for me to go out like this...over the past couple of weeks, we hadn't exactly left the house much. With the exception of visits to my mother (who would be coming home tonight), I had only migrated between the bathroom, bedroom, and living room in the Maxwell Mansion. And Jax had been in constant worry mode. If he wasn't showering or working out (which he now kept to a minimum in order to "supervise me"), he was hovering over me with blankets and soup and kale in all shapes and forms. So, naturally, he was less ready than I was for my return to school.

And yes, I'm tired. It's been a long day, especially with trying to focus on everything that I had missed. The teachers were very kind and forgiving, however. I think a couple knew what happened. They pinned me with these serious, sad, sympathetic eyes when I came up to their desks before class, and insisted repeatedly that I didn't need to worry about due dates and deadlines until I was feeling completely better. I was grateful, of course, but it didn't really make me feel warm and fuzzy. However, Jax, Milo, and Maya stuck around me all day. They made me feel a bit more normal, and I was definitely grateful for that.

Jax walked me from class to class. He suddenly became a bodyguard. When Liam came up to ask me how I was doing (because he hadn't seen me in a couple weeks), Jax went completely stiff and wouldn't stray an inch away. Afterwards, I had to remind him that Liam was innocent--as Troy so kindly attested to. The football boys joked around with Jax a little, but they didn't fool around with me. Some of them might have known...but all of them were scared of Jax. Even Lana walked by me. She said "hello" with no sneer in sight. She looked over Jax a couple times, and greeted him civilly. Then she stared at me one more time with an abnormal glint in her eye before telling me "goodbye" and softly wishing me luck. I smiled at her, and she gave me a sad one in return. Then she went back to class. No sneer.

Yeah. She knew.

"Ready to go?" Jax said after the final bell rung.

"More than ready," I said, leaning against his chest. He pressed one hand against my head while the other ran down my back.

"You were perfect today," he whispered, because he knew that I needed it. "I can't believe how much you've recovered." I couldn't help but smile a little at that, and nuzzled in closer to him. His encouragement kept me sane.

"You look perfect today," I muttered, a bit bitterly. I happened to look like an extra on I Am Legend, while he looked like the front cover of GQ Magazine. What can I say? I'm a little jealous.

"Mmm...ditto," he whispered.

"You're full of it," I whispered back, going up on my toes to peck his chin with my lips.

"C'mon," he said. "Let's go eat burritos."

"As long as you don't wrap them in those corn tortillas again," I said, wrinkling my nose as he slid his arm across my shoulders and guided me outside. "They're almost as bad as Ezekiel bread."