Author Note: I am taking suggestions on who you would like to see as Jade. let me know in the comments.
Tuesday................................
Alex was standing in his kitchen, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper when he felt her eyes on him. He turned to see Belle standing a few feet away, still wearing his shirt that he had given her last night after dinner.
"Good Morning," he said.
"Morning."
She took a few steps towards him, cradling her arm against her body. Her bruises looked darker today but he thought she would be fine in a week or two.
"Are you leaving?" She asked.
"I gotta go to work Baby."
"Oh...I should probably get dressed...."
"No, you're not going anywhere," He interrupted.
"But....school...I...."
He placed his empty cup in the sink and walked over to her, gently taking her by the shoulders to cut off her sentence.
"Baby, look at me. You're beautiful, but you're pretty beat up. I know you don't want the other kids to know about what happens at your house and I promise one look at you and they'll know exactly."
She bit her lip and dropped her head to stare at her shoes.
He knew she was embarrassed that he had found out about what her father was doing to her but didn't see a point in telling her that he had suspected it for a while.
"Look, just stay here and rest, Okay?" He asked.
"I should go home......Dad...."
"Don't go home, Belle....you're safe here."
"I...."
"I'll be home after work and....we can talk about what happens next then, but don't go back there."
"Alex...."
He cut her off with a quick but gentle kiss, not wanting to hurt her. He kept the kiss gentle, cupping her face in one of his hands until he was sure her protesting had stopped. He pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.
"Belle.....I....lo.."
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Jade called from the doorway as she froze when she saw the pair.
"No, it's okay...I was just leaving," He said, pulling away from Belle.
He grabbed his briefcase from the counter top and started for the door pausing next to Belle, he glanced briefly at Jade and she rolled her eyes.
"We're all consenting adu.....well not all adults but....still...."
He chuckled before leaning in and placing a soft, tender kiss on Belles lips. He pulled back and started for the door, pausing beside Jade.
"Just....stay here today, both of you."
"We'll do our best," Jade said.
He gave a small nod and exited the house, Jade waited until he was gone to walk further into the kitchen. Belle couldn't help the blush rising to her cheeks at the fact her step mother had caught her kissing her teacher.
"So....what now?" Belle asked.
"Sweetheart, he's a nice man and what he did was great but.....we have to go back."
"What? Why?"
"Because, as bad as it is at home think of how bad it would get if your father finds us here. If he finds out that you're seeing your teacher......"
Belle bit her lip, Jade was right. Her dad wouldn't keep the secret to himself to save Belle or Alex, he'd tell and Alex would pay the price for it.
"Look, you'll be eighteen in just three months and then we'll move out and you can see Alex all you want but.....we have to go back."
"You're right," Belle agreed.
"I'm sorry Belle, but you know your father."
"No....you're right, it's better for Alex if we leave."
Jade gave her a sympathetic smile and a pat on the shoulder, then she exited the kitchen. Belle took a minute to glance around the room, it seemed cold ad dark without Alex in it and she wondered if after today she would ever step into this room again.
"I called a cab," Jade said walking back into the kitchen.
"Okay," Belle said softly.
She walked over to the counter top that a few nights ago they had made love on and sighed heavily. She was going to lose him, a small part of her always knew that.
"Are you ready?" Jade asked softly.
"Yeah, I'm ready."
She turned and together they walked out of the house.
School was brutal, Alex felt Belles absence in every minute of his class. His students seemed extra rowdy and were hard to settle, he wanted to call home but not once did he get a moment free to do so.
Finally, lunch rolled around and he hurried to the cafeteria. In his distraction that morning he'd forgot to pack a lunch and was forced to buy one among the students.
He was standing in line when Missy walked up beside him, he tried to ignore her but she purposely kept bumping into him.
"Can I help you Missy?"
"Well I was hoping we could talk about my grades."
"What about them?" He headed for a table.
"I got all D and F's."
"I know that Missy, I gave them to you."
"Come on Mr. Reynolds, if you don't put them up they're going to take me off cheerleading," She whined.
"Well you should have studied harder," He sat at a table and she slid onto the seat across from him.
"Come on, I'll do anything," She said suggestively, her hand finding it's way to his knee under the table and sliding up this thigh.
"Missy....."He warned, pushing her hand off his leg.
"Come on teach...I know you cut Belle a break for the same reason I'm offering."
"Belle earns her grades."
"I'm sure she does..."
"No, Belle studies. She earns her grades because she works hard, you should try it."
He stood grabbing his plate and exiting the crowded cafeteria, suddenly losing his appetite he dropped the sandwich in the garbage on his way by. He wanted to go home, wanted to walk into his house and find Belle he wanted to take her in his arms and hold her until the rest of the world disappeared.
Instead he suffered through the rest of his classes on an empty stomach and a burned out brain.
The minute he pulled into his driveway he felt relief flooding in his veins, the sounds of the ocean and the warm, salty breeze sang to him and assuming Belle was inside he hurried into the house.
"Belle, Baby....I'm home."
He closed the door behind him and was greeted with silence, immediately his stomach dropped and his heart seemed to stop for a second.
"Belle? Sweetheart?"
He was again greeted with silence and realized with a sinking feeling that she had left and most likely gone home. He stood in his suddenly cold and dark house for a minute before heading to the fridge.
He pulled out a beer, stared at it then replaced it. Turning to the cabinet he pulled down a full bottle of scotch, he unscrewed the lid and took a long drink.
Less than forty five minutes later he stumbled drunkenly onto his porch, the now mostly empty bottle still hanging from his fingertips, he collapsed onto a lawn chair his head fuzzy, vision blurry, heart broken and his sobriety completely gone he finally passed out.