The Cure

Chapter Five

Jared’s pov.

He doesn’t want to help me anymore. I can see it in his eyes, the look of lost hope. He wants to give up on this and I need him. I am desperate. I hate being in this limbo state. I hate not knowing what is going to happen to me.

I feel like I am crazy, but I also know that something happened to me that night. This whole situation doesn’t make sense. I got drunk, I took drugs, but it is not possible that id forget my whole life from that and everyone is acting suspicious. My mom, dad, best friend, even Bren. I can see it in his eyes. He keeps saying we had a fight and I totally believe him but why did we have a fight? We were so happy in that video. He loved me and I obviously loved him, so why is he trying to give up everything because of a fight?

It makes no sense.

“Does she have a shift tonight? We could go to the supermarket’’ he shakes his head immediately. I don’t understand why.

‘’Why not?”

He sighs ‘’It’s late, we’ve been out for a while. I think we should call it a night. We’ll continue this tomorrow. It’s Saturday, I’ve got a shift at Walgreen’s, I’ll ask her about this then’’

I shake my head ‘’ we can’t just end things this way tonight. I need to talk to her. I need to figure this out’’ I am aggravated. Frustrated and angry.

‘’There’s nothing we can do right now. Just calm down and we will figure this out. I am here. I will help you’’

I am here.

Those words, just a couple of meaningless words but at that moment, they meant the world to me. He is being sincere, he is going to help me. I feel like I am alone in this mess, but he is here and he is going to help me.

‘’Fine’’ I give in because there is no way I can do this on my own. I need him and if he says I should wait till tomorrow then that is what I will do.

He sighs out of relief ‘’In the meantime. I think you should go to the hospital. Have a check-up. Maybe there is something that could be detected’’

I remember what the nurse said, there were a lot of drugs in my system. Maybe something I took had something to do with this. I tell him and he replies ‘’Will you go get a check-up tomorrow?” there is concern in his voice.

I am so right.

He still loves me.

We drive to his house and the ride is quiet. I don’t have anything to say to him and he seems to feel the same way. I want to ask him a lot of questions. I want to know why we fought and apparently broke up. We were in love.

And that is saying a lot.

‘’go alone. To the hospital. Don’t take any one. Not even J.J’’ He finally speaks up. I furrow my brows ‘’Why?’’

He parks the car in front of his house. I notice that there are no street lights. There are people loitering around. They look sketchy but he doesn’t seem worried ‘’Why?”

He looks at me, his eyes as bright as the first time I saw him ‘’I don’t think you should trust anyone right now’’ it seems like he knows something, but he doesn’t say anything after that. I want to know more but I also know when to retreat.

‘’okay’’ I agree.

He manages a smile for a minute. He is out the door and out of my face in the blink of an eye. I get down from the car and walk over to him. He shakes his head ‘’You should go’’

I don’t want to go.

‘’I don’t want to go’’

Tensely he sighs ‘’You shouldn’t even be here in the first place. Go home, get some rest and I will call you tomorrow’’

A figure creep up behind me and we are not alone anymore. A man in a wife beater and ripped up baggy jeans stops in front of Bren ‘’Who’s your boyfriend?’’ he directs the question at Bren.

Bren runs his hands through his hair, he seems angry now ‘’f**k off Jeff’’ he pushes him roughly in the chest. Jeff stumbles but manages his stance. I notice a bottle of something in his grip. Come to think of it, he is drunk ‘’How dare you’’ he jumps forward and drops his bottle on the floor. The glass shards and splatters every way. He is leaning for a fight, Bren is ready to give him.

Before I know what is happening, I am out of the way and in a corner and Bren gives him the first punch. I see the blood and it flies out of Jeff’s mouth. It is a lot and I can’t stand it. Bren moves forward to strike again but he is too slow. The drunk guy hits him in the gut and my heart cries out. I am standing in a corner in this poorly lit neighbourhood and I can’t do anything to help him. I take a step forward while some other guys come over. They look as scary as Jeff and they are angry right now.

Bren grabs Jeff by the front of his singlet and he is squeezing tight. I don’t even know this side to him. In fact, I don’t know this guy, but he doesn’t seem like one to start a fight.

The other guys find a way in between the fight and the all gang up on Bren. Now I know I need to do something. I take that first brave step towards them but the have him on the floor and they are pouncing. I run to the ground and scream. Jeff laughs at my cowardice behaviour. I am obviously amusing to him.

‘’Leave him alone’’ I am trying to sound strong, but I don’t even recognise the voice that pours out of my throat. It is weak.

‘’Or what’’ he asks amused. I look at Bren and he is shaking on the ground in pain. This is all my fault. I should’ve just let him go inside. I shouldn’t have tried to go in with him.

‘’I will call the cops’’ I bring out my phone from my pocket and wave it in the air. Bren groans and I know that I have made a mistake. One of the guys grab the phone from my grip and I regret it immediately. He smashes the phone to the ground and I watch as the screen shatters beyond recognition.

‘’No’’ I yell.

I need my phone. I run towards the guy and my anger is at the top. I hit him square in the jaw. And he stumbles a little. I am boiling because my phone is the only memory of us, I have left. The videos, I just unlocked them, and they are everything to me right now. I hit him again, and again, and again. I don’t stop until he is on the floor.

My knuckles are bleeding and red, but I don’t care. The anger in me is murderous. I don’t know where it came from, but I want to kill him. I want to hurt him for taking the only thing that matters to me. The other guys grab him, and he manages to stand up. They scurry away and I notice Bren staring at me.

He is shocked.

I can’t blame him.

I am shocked too.

He stands up and I assess the damage on him. His face is bruised, he is holding un to his stomach. So, it must be bruised ‘’What was that?’ He manages to ask, I can tell he is pain.

I shrug and walk over to my phone. I pick it up and a tear slides down my cheek “Its just a phone’’ he is behind me now. He doesn’t understand why this hurts. Just yesterday I didn’t know who I was. I didn’t know anyone. I was lost and then I stumbled upon those videos and they made it all better. I knew that I could trust him. I knew that he loved me and now it is gone.

I have no memories again.

‘’I know’’

‘’Come on in, you’re bleeding’’ I look at my knuckles and there are scrapes. I follow him into the house with my phone still tightly gripped. “You have a couple others in the drawer by your bed. You can replace it’’ he is trying to make me feel better and it should work but I can’t feel better right now unless I can get the videos back.

He leads me to his tiny bathroom and tells me to sit on the toilet seat. I obey him and he grabs the first aid box ‘’You need it more than me’’ I gesture to him. He looks at the mirror and manages a laugh ‘’I am fine, although a hot shower would be nice right about now’’ I stand up ‘’Let me help you’’ I grab the box from him and direct him towards the toilet seat. He sits down and there is a smile on his face.

‘’Where are your towels’’ he points to the sink and I walk over to it and open the cupboard under it. There are white towels arranged neatly. I grab one and a bowl from under the sink. I fill the bowl up with warm water and dip the towel in it.

I go back to him and he is still smiling ‘’What happened back there. You did a number on that guy’’ he is curious.

‘’I don’t know’’

I wipe away the blood off his face and I find the cause of all the blood. There is a cut on his lip, and it looks pretty deep ‘’This looks bad, it might need stitches’’

He laughs ‘’I can’t afford a visit to the hospital right now and I don’t think I should leave Stace alone any longer’’ wait, his sister is here alone. He left her alone? I don’t really know the story behind that and he doesn’t want to share any more information.

Like I have so many questions. What about his parents? Is he alone? How does he get to keep her without any one over eighteen?

‘’Would you take off your shirt?’’ I don’t ask any of those questions. I decide to give him his space tonight. He doesn’t need me reminding him of the things he is going through. He is still clutching unto his shirt in pain and I want to make sure he is not bruised badly.

‘’I’m fine’’

I shake my head ‘’ I know, but just indulge me. Let me see’’ he sighs loudly obviously tired of me but surprisingly he takes off his shirt. I freeze in my tracks because the hottest guy I have ever met is shirtless in front of me. His body is a little paler than his face, looks like he has never gotten a tan in the beach. He is perfectly sculpted with a six pack. At this moment I am not even searching for a bruise. I am drooling and I need to get a hold of myself.

He coughs, uncomfortable with my stare and I finally stop drooling and focus on the bruise. It is a dark purple blotch under his left breast. It looks painful and I really think he should get it checked.

I reach for him and I watch him pull away. I retreat as fast as I can and he apologises “I am sorry, I just don’t think it is a good idea touching me right now’’

I nod in understanding even though I don’t really understand why he hates me so much ‘’You should go home’’ he changes the topic.

I nod because he is right, this is getting awkward. I take a step back and he waits for me to leave but I don’t ‘’The videos”

He raises a brow, waiting for me to continue but I don’t know how to ask him. I want those videos back. He might have it ‘’What about it?’’

‘’ Do you have them?’’

He manages a smile ‘’You have them on all your devices. Just check your MacBook. The password to the file is ProudHomo’’

I crease my brows in confusion ‘’Why’’

He shrugs ‘Cause you are stubborn’’ I don’t understand what he means by that but I remember the video and him telling me that I am stubborn and he loves me for being stubborn and that makes me smile. I also notice that he doesn’t tell me if he has the videos on his phone, but I am not going to bring it up.

‘’Jared’’ I look to the direction of the voice and Stacy is staring at us with a sleepy expression. She is in a yellow SpongeBob dress and her hair is over her shoulders. Bren walks over to her still shirtless and kneels in front of her.

‘’What are you doing up’’ he asks calmly.

‘’ You didn’t come home, and I tried waiting up and then I woke up and you were not next to me’’ he wraps his arms around her and lifts her off her feet. I watch them and I am in awe “Is Jer-bear staying over tonight’’ she is looking at me and I want him to say yes, I want to stay with them.

I don’t want to go home.

‘’No’’

‘’I should probably go’’ I decide that is the best thing to do right now. He needs to be with his sister. I take a step back and he nods, not saying anything else. I watch him go up the stairs and I take that as my cue to leave.

I go out of his house and into my car and all thoughts revolve around that man and what he means to me. I can see it in his eyes. I can tell that whatever feeling he is trying to shove down, and forger is still there. He loves me and I can feel it and somewhere deep down I love him too.