Witness

49| Ghost Town

"Jax... I need to know something," I said. "Did... did Chief hear if anyone was killed yesterday?"

A part of me didn't want to know the answer, but the even larger part needed to know. I needed to know if it was random, or if the entire thing was my fault.

"No," Jax said, averting his gaze, "he's not sure yet of the casualties, if any. What he is sure of is that we need to get off this campus today, and soon."

I sat up straighter. "It's really bad isn't it..."

He sat up with me, and I watched the flex of his abs as the blanket fell away. "I'm going to keep you safe, baby. I promise."

I believed him, but the look in his eyes also made me feel like he was holding something back from me. Like he knew something I didn't.

Still, it seemed like now wasn't the time to press him. If chief told us to leave, then we needed to get moving.

I shifted, getting ready to push myself off the bed when I felt a searing pain in my elbow. I had forgotten about it until now, and the throbbing pain was returning with a vengeance.

I sucked in a breath, holding my arm to my chest.

"Are you okay?" Jax asked, scooting closer to me on the bed.

I nodded, "I forgot about my elbow. It really hurts today."

"Can I see it?" He asked, "I just want to make sure you don't need to go to a doctor."

I shook my head as I stood up. "It's fine. I don't want to go to a doctor."

He stood up too, moving so that he was standing directly in front of me. My eyes were level with his bare, muscular chest. It was really distracting.

"Em, let me see it," he ordered.

I knew when do argue and when to shut up- Jax was a stubborn man. So, I lifted my arm, allowing Jax to remove the bandage from yesterday.

"Fuck," he sighed. "It's really bruised. Do you have any numbness or tingling?"

I shook my head. "No- it's just sore. I don't think it's any more serious than just a bad hit and a bruise."

He ignored me as he continued to assess the damage. "How far can you extend it?"

I showed him, wincing when the pain set in. I couldn't straighten my arm, but it was probably just from the swelling. I would do anything to avoid going to the hospital. They just reminded me of the worst days of my life.

"I shouldn't have pushed you to the ground so hard..." Jax said, his voice almost a whisper.

"Don't go there; you did it to protect me. It may have been a lot worse if you hadn't. Besides, it'll heal."

He nodded. "You sure you're okay?"

I pulled my arm from his grasp. "Yes, I'm fine. I promise."

I wasn't sure he was really sold, but he dropped the issue, grabbing his t shirt and pulling it over his head. "We should get going then. Can you keep Aaron's sweatshirt on? I don't want you seen on our way back to the dorm, so you need to keep your hood up."

"I can ask- or if he's not up I can leave it with Blake to return for me later."

"Perfect," Jax said, grabbing my hand in his. "Follow me."

I held tight to his hand as we quietly exited Aaron's house. Jax was being extra cautious as we walked, keeping to the areas that had more buildings or trees and avoiding the open, grassy spaces.

Outwardly, he looked calm, but I knew him too well. I could see the tenseness of his shoulders and the way his eyes diligently scanned our surroundings. I could feel the way he tightened his grip on my hand whenever another person passed by us.

My heart was pounding. Campus was a ghost town today. There were not very many students out, and for good reason, but it just felt so eerie.

The weather wasn't helping, and the cool wind whipped my hair around despite the hood of Aaron's sweatshirt. An ominous storm cloud was blocking any direct sunlight, and I just prayed we would be back to the dorms in time to avoid the downpour.

It was sad really. Just yesterday morning I was telling Jax what a beautiful day it was and how much I enjoyed this campus... and now that easy, lighthearted feeling was stripped away. I was only left with anxiety, fear, and guilt.

"You're shaking," Jax commented, pulling me from my thoughts.

I shrugged. "I'm scared."

"It's okay, Em. Just keep holding on to me. We're almost there," he replied. A breeze whipped around us so hard it almost knocked my hood off, but Jax was quick to place his large, warm palm on my head  to prevent it from falling down.

"Thank you," I said, grabbing onto the hood with my own two hands. "What should I tell Hannah?"

"You should just tell her that after what we went through yesterday, we just need to get off of campus for a little while. You can also tell her we're back together and want some alone time. Tell her whatever you need to for her to let you go quickly."

I nodded. Hannah could be pushy, but I knew she would understand.

"And where are we going?" I pressed.

"I have no idea."