My eyes drift over every inch of his face. He hasn’t shaved the last couple of days, and the stubble makes him look older.
I’ve seen a different side to Jase, not just the usual joker and player. It makes me wonder what else I don’t know about him.
He stirs, and his arm tightens around me.
Even in his sleep, he doesn’t let go of me.
With my eyes not leaving his face, my thoughts turn to the blow-up this afternoon, and I know I have to do something. I have to take back control of my life. The attack has affected my loved ones too much, and seeing how worried our friends were was a wake-up call.
As the sun begins to set, I allow myself to think about what’s happened the past week. The attack wrecked my life into something unrecognizable, but through it all, my feelings for Jase have never changed. If anything, I love him even more now.
Where I feel painfully aware of my surroundings and those around me, it’s different with Jase. I know he saw me at my worst, and I thought it would fill me with shame.
Maybe it’s because I saw how much the attack upset him that it didn’t?
That’s right, Mila. Count the blessings in your life and focus on them.
After today and the voicemail, I know I won’t be able to hide behind Jase much longer. I’ll need to give my statement. I’ll have to talk about the incident so things can proceed, and I can get closure when Justin is dealt with.
So Jase can get closure.
I’m careful as I pull free from Jase, but the movement still wakes him, and he mumbles, “Where are you going?”
“I’m just going to call my dad,” I whisper, and leaning closer to him, I press a kiss to his cheek. “Sleep some more.”
Spotting my phone next to the bed, I grab it before I get up and sneak out of the room.
I slip into my own room, and switching on the phone, I bring up Dad’s number.
“Mila, are you okay?” his worried voice comes over the line.
“I’m fine, Daddy. Can you let Officer Lane know I’m ready to give my statement?”
“Yes. I’ll call her right away and bring her to you.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Much better. I got a lot of sleep today,” I answer to set Dad’s mind at ease.
“That’s good to hear. I’ll see you in ten minutes.”
“Okay.” I cut the call and suck in a deep breath until the pain in my chest from my cracked ribs reminds me to not push my luck. I still have a lot of healing to do, but the call to Dad is a step in the right direction.
You’re not ready.
Panic tightens my muscles for a moment, but I force the thought away, and adamant to ignore my inner voice, I quickly pull a brush through my hair. Before I leave my room, I take a couple of breaths, then walk out and head toward the living room.
I fist my hands next to my sides, and the moment Jade catches sight of me, she worms herself free from Hunter’s hold and jumps up.
“I’d like to talk to everyone,” I say.
I go sit on the nearest couch as Jade yells, “Get all your asses to the living room! Family meeting.”
Kao’s the first to appear, and the second he sees me, he darts forward to take the seat next to me. He hesitates for a second, then asks, “Can I hug you?”
I bring a smile to my face and force myself to lean into him. The hug pushes my limits, and my body begins to tremble.
Kao’s one of your best friends, Mila. He’d never hurt you.
Glad no one else tries to hug me, I watch as all my friends take a seat. I’m about to start talking when Jase walks into the living room. He taps Kao on the shoulder. “Move over.” And then he squeezes in between us and places his arm around me, asking, “We’re having a meeting?”
I place my hand on his thigh. “Yeah, I want to get this over with so I can move on with my life.”
And so you can move on.
I pull my hand back from Jase’s leg and suck in a deep breath until my healing ribs ache. Letting the air out, I say, “I know the last week has been hard on everyone. Thank you for all the support.” I glance at each of my friends. “I’m fine. Everything’s healing, and I’ll soon be back to kicking everyone’s butts.” I let out a chuckle. “Figuratively. I’ll leave the actual kicking and punching to Jade.”
My comment draws chuckles from everyone.
“My dad’s coming over with the police so I can give my statement. After that, I don’t want to talk about what happened ever again. I just want everything to go back to the way it was, so please don’t be weird around me. Just go on with your lives as if it never happened.”