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| Chapter2 �Hey,-� Before I can say anymore, he grabs me and pull me into a hug. I wince and he notices. He looks down at my hand and sees a suitcase. �What�s wrong?� He places his hands on my shoulders and stoups to meet me eye to eye. I take a deep breath as a tear slides down my cheek. I�m starting to cry. I promised myself that I wouldn�t cry. �How about we go inside and we can talk?� He nods his head and takes my suitcase case from my hand. He pushes the door back further and steps aside to let me enter. I move inside as he walks behind me and shuts the door. �Sorry about the mess. I wasn�t expecting anyone to grace me with their presence.� He tries to lighten the situation by joshing around, only to get a nervous laugh from him another tear from me. �Why don�t we set down your bags here and we can go into the kitchen. Sound good?� He walks towards the kitchen, it being the cleanest room in the house. Even for him, the kitchen always had to be clean. He pulls out a stool for me at the counter and sits in the one next to mine. �What�s going on Jo? Why do you have a suitcase and why isn�t your husband here?� �I left him this morning. I couldn�t take it anymore.� I look down at my hands as tears begin to fall again. I look back up at him and he�s just staring. Trying to figure out what the hell is going on. �I had to leave. I just couldn�t be there, with him anymore. He doesn�t know where I am.� �Jo, now I know this might seem hard at first, but you�re gonna have to fill in the spaces for me. Right now I�m drawing a complete blank.� I look at him a smile a weak smile. I frown again. How do I tell him what has been happening to me. Do I just flat out tell him? Or do I show him? �Well, you, uh, see, the reason I, uh, ran away, is uh, because hehitsme.� I said the last part in one breath just needing to get it out. There I said it. �He what�s!?� He get up off the stool and moves paces a little and places his hand on his fore head. I think he�s trying to comprehend what I just said. �He�� He looks at me for conformation on this information. �He hits you?� I just shake my head. Silently saying yes. �Fucking bastard.� After a momentary lapse of anger, he regains composure and walks over to me, bringing me up in a hug. He doesn�t squeeze too hard, just enough pressure to try to reassure me. �I�m so sorry Jo. I�m so sorry.� I whispers in my ear as he strokes my hair. I bury my head in the crook of his neck. Inhaling his scent. Knowing that I am safe. For now. I wrap my arms around him, reveling in his touch. I fear tomorrow, I fear the next day. But for right now, I fear nothing of the next few hours. He pulls back slightly to look into my eyes. �How about you get some sleep and we talk in the morning?� Sleep? That�s a laugh. I haven�t slept well ever since he started to hit me. �You can sleep in the non-existent guest room. It�s just a couch with four walls.� The corner of my lips turn upwards as he grabs my bags and does some stupid walk up the steps. He turns around, �Are you coming up or not?� I walk up the stairs and I meet him at the top. He puts his hands on his hips, �That�s what I thought. Come on, this way.� He grabs my hand and he leads me to the room. �Well, it�s nothing fancy, but it�ll work just fine.� He put down my bags as he turns on the light. I walk in and stand before him. I look up at him and smile. �Thank you.� �No problem whatsoever. Let�s get you some blankets and a pillow and you�ll be set.� He turns left out the door and Next thing I know I hear a loud crash. Oh, shit. I run towards the sound and I see him on the floor and there�s broken glass around him. I walk over to him carefully, placing my hand on his shoulder. �Come, on, we�ll worry about the glass later, let�s take care of you right now.� I help him get up, no matter how much it hurts me. He leads me to the bathroom and he sits on the counter. I begin the search for the first aid kit. �In the cabinet behind you on your left hand side.� I open up the cabinet and voila! There it is. I take it out and shut the cabinet. I open up the box and take out the necessary items. Peroxide, tweezers, gauze, cotton balls, and tape. I poor some peroxide over the tweezers, disinfecting them. I take a hold of his hand, palm up and begin to pick the glass shards out. �Whoa, since when do you know first aid? You used to just put a band-aid on and I was done.� �I used to go to a children�s center everyday back in Chicago. it was a must to know first aid.� He looks confused. I continue to pick out the glass. �Ow! Jeez, careful with those things.� I just smiled and continues my ministrations. �Why did you go to a children�s center? How come you weren�t one of those big shot lawyers?� I got the last piece out and I froze. I was hoping we could discuss this tomorrow. �I never had a chance to go to law school. We were married before I know it and I didn�t have a chance to go back because we didn�t have enough money for me to go back and for him to support his career. It went to keeping us alive.� I finish wrapping up his hand, having cleaned it while I was talking. �All better.� �Thanks, Jo.� He gives me a loving glance, both thankful and apologetic. He leaves the bathroom and I follow. He goes back to the room and picks up the blankets that caused the glass object to drop. He goes to the �guest room� and begins to set up the couch. �Sorry about the lack of comfort the couch gives, but it�s all I got.� �Thank you.� I sit down on it and I look up at him. He kneels before me and stares into my eyes. He places his hands on my knees, our eyes asking what we can�t do ourselves. I speak, �Stay? Please.� He just nods his head and he moves himself next to me on the couch and puts his arm around me. I lean back into his hold and he rests his head against mine, giving my hair a kiss. He pulls the blanket around me and we just sit there. Silent. I close my eyes. �Good night, Pacey.� I whisper as I begin to drift off. �Night Potter.� He whispers back and that is the last thing that I hear before drifting off. Who knew hearing my last name from his lips be so comforting. |