From My Enemy To My Love (boyxboy) ✔

Chapter 60

Alex

My fingers shook as I took the witness stand. I looked at Jason because I refused to let him think what he did bothered me even though it did. I didn't want him to know how badly he hurt me. He was in a suit not a prison uniform like they show on television. My lawyer and the prosecutors had prepared me for the questions they were going to ask me so nothing came as a surprise. They had also prepared me for what questions Jason's defense lawyers would ask me so those didn't come as a surprise. The defense lawyers didn't ask me as much as they had the previous witness. They had eviscerated the previous witness. He was in his fifties and was one of the ones who had slept with Jason when Jason was only sixteen. Of course, he didn't know Jason had been sixteen, he thought he had been nineteen. The defense questioned how he could not know Jason was underage and on and on.

My time on the stand wasn't long and I left the courtroom afterwards. I just wanted to get home and have Mateo hold me.

When I stepped into the apartment, Mateo was talking on the phone. His back was to me as he stared out the sliding glass door to our little balcony.

"Is he still crying?" Mateo asked. "Which hospital are you at?"

I closed the door quietly behind me and put my keys down on our little table.

"I'm not going to tell Alex."

I froze. My insides went cold.

"He'll worry. It's not that big of a deal. He has enough to worry about."

A slow anger began to churn inside me. I stared at his back. He was keeping things from me again. I couldn't understand why. Was I not good enough for him? Did he think I was too fragile?

"I'll just take the bus." He turned around. He swallowed hard when he saw me. "I've got to go," he said and hung up without saying another word.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Please tell me. Please let me in. Please.

"Nothing," he faked a smile. "Everything is fine."

The anger and hurt consumed me. I walked passed him towards the bedroom. He tried to reach out for me, but I pulled my arm away. I didn't mean to slam the bedroom door, but the bang echoed through the room as I shut it behind me. I walked across the room and stared out the bedroom window. The blinds were wide open and my view was of the next building over, but that was fine. I didn't look out the window for a great view. I tried to calm myself down. I tried to see things from Mateo's perspective, but no matter how I tried, I couldn't fathom why he wouldn't tell me. I had told him about Jason. I had told him about my dad. I let him comfort me and hold me. Why couldn't he reciprocate?

The door opened slowly, quietly behind me. Mateo's soft footsteps came up behind me. He wrapped his arms around me. His warmth seeped into me and calmed my anger slightly.

"It's really not a big deal, Aley," he said softly.

I turned slightly in his arms so I could look at him. "Then tell me." It wasn't a demand. It was a plea.

"You don't need to worry about it."

The anger and hurt rushed back more intense than before. I broke free from his grasp not wanting to look at him. I didn't want to be near him. I left the bedroom and went into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me.

"Aley," he said from the other side.

"Just go be with whoever needs you," I tried to make my tone sound like I meant it. I wanted to mean it, but it came out sounding bitter.