For Better or Worse

~~~~~Chapter 20~~~~


"I don't know why I'm here. I'm not a bad person!"

Kevin sat in the corner of the room and observed as Nick paced and argued with the therapist. As he thought back to his talk with Nick, and how easy it had been to get him agree to come here, Kevin realized he should have known better. All Nick wanted was a get out of jail free card. Jessica had agreed to drop the charges, provided Nick went in for counseling and therapy. Consequently, Nick still thought everything was fine. That Jessica would get out of the hospital and welcome him back with open arms. That he would love her and cherish her. Until the next time he beat her. And the next time he would probably beat her to death.

"There's not going to be a next time. I promise you." Kevin muttered under his breath. He took the last swig of his cold coffee and slowly crushed the Styrofoam cup in his large hand.

"Nick, you hurt this girl. Surely you can see that from the photographs." The therapist gestured to a stack of photos taken at the hospital. Kevin glanced over and winced at the sight of Jessica's still, beaten form. "Come, sit and we'll talk."

"I didn't do that." Nick settled in the chair across from the desk and pointed to one of the photos. "I swear." Kevin shook his head in dismay when Nick didn�t even bat an eyelash at the graphic violence displayed in the photographs.

"Who did?" Kevin snarled. "That fucking handprint on her face probably has your fingerprints imbedded in her skin!"

"Mr. Richardson, you are here to be a support for your friend. Please let me talk with him."

Nick smirked behind his hand as Kevin apologized to the doctor.

"Nick, who did this, if not you?"

"My friends." Nick nodded emphatically. "I had two friends over."

"But you invited them over specifically to abuse Jessica. Why?"

"I don't know."

"You wanted to teach her a lesson, isn't that correct?"

"Sort of." Nick mumbled in reply.

"What did she do? Why were you angry with her, someone you love? You do love her, don't you?"

"Of course I love her!" Nick protested, but to Kevin's ears, it came out sounding flat. Uttered just to please the therapist, to let him hear what he wanted to hear.

"Then what did she do?"

"She had AJ over to the fucking house! When I was out!"

"AJ is your friend, her friend. Why in hell should that have bothered you?" Kevin spoke quietly. "You're grasping at straws, Nick."

"Mr. Richardson!" The therapist chastised him again, drawing out loud laughter from Nick this time. "I think we need to go back in time somewhat in this case. Can we schedule another meeting in a few days?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're not taking this the least bit seriously!" Kevin shouted at Nick as they drove. "I was stupid to think you would be interested in even trying to change your behavior!"

"I am too. I just don't think it's such a big deal." Nick shrugged his shoulders and fiddled with the radio in a vain attempt to find something that would drown out Kevin's accusations.

"Not a big deal?" Kevin's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. "How big of a brick do I need to throw at that thick skull before you realize what you did is wrong?"

"Kevin. For once can't you just butt out of my life?" Kevin turned to see Nick facing him with arms crossed and a sullen look on his face. "Jessica is my girl. Leave her the hell alone!"

"Nick, she called me, she involved me. I've seen the things you've done to her. I can't just walk away and let you keep hurting her." Kevin placed his hand on Nick's shoulder. "I can't let YOU keep hurting. You're my friend. Something isn't right and I want to help."

Nick brushed Kevin's hand away and pushed his body close to the car door. "I'm not fucking hurting."

"Nick, you are, something is seriously wrong here."

Nick brushed unbidden tears from his eyes and stared out the window, relieved to see his house looming up ahead. He opened the car door, and jumped out, not waiting for Kevin to fully stop the car. "Leave me the fuck alone, Kevin, just leave me alone." Nick slammed the car door shut and ran to the house.

"Nick!" Kevin yelled, knowing that the younger man wasn't listening. He banged his hand down on the steering wheel in frustration. "How can we get through to you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After dropping Nick off, Kevin drove straight to the hospital to see how Jessica was doing. As he waited for the elevator he swung rotated his arms and shoulders, attempting to shrug off some of the tension and stress that the meeting with Nick had caused him. He didn't want Jessica to see him upset. Lord knows she had seen enough of that from her "boyfriend".

"Hey lover boy. She's been asking for you!"

Kevin grinned at the sight of the nurse that had recognized his love for Jessica. "Has she?"

"She has. I think she might be coming around."

"That would be lovely." Kevin almost whispered, his mind drifting at the thought.

"Well you didn't hear it from me, but she might have had a nurse or two telling her what a hottie that young man that comes to visit her is."

Kevin wagged his finger at her in mock annoyance and laughed out loud as the nurse repeated his gesture, then scampered behind the desk. "Get in there and see her, don't keep her waiting any longer!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kevin opened the door quietly and his breath caught as he gazed at the figure in the bed. Jessica was asleep or resting, her eyes closed and fluttering every now and then. She was so pale, her bruises and cuts stood out in vivid relief, a bitter reminder of what Nick and his friends had done to her. Her blonde hair fanned out on the pillow under her head, soft and silky, probably the one part of her that hadn't been hurt. His fingers longed to reach out and touch it, to touch her, but he didn�t want to disturb her. Jessica's eyes flickered open and she offered Kevin a brave smile.

"You came back."

�Of course I did. You didn�t think I would leave you here all alone?�

"I'm not sure what to think anymore, Kevin, to be honest. But I'm glad you're here.�

Kevin took her hand in hers and tenderly rubbed the back of it with the pad of his thumb. "I'm glad I'm here too.�

�Wasn�t today Nick's appointment with the therapist?�

Kevin replied softly. �Yeah, it was.�

�How did he do?�

The look of concern on her face killed him. She still cared about the fucker; after all that he had done to her, she still cared for him. �He doesn�t think he has a problem, Jessica. He thinks he didn�t do anything wrong.�

Kevin's anger made the words come out more forceful than he intended and Jessica visibly recoiled.

Realizing what he had done, Kevin was instantly contrite. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you. I'm upset that he doesn�t see what he's done to you. I�m upset that you still have feelings for him.� Kevin turned away from her.

�Kevin.�

He stayed turned away from her, facing the wall. He�d said too much, she was surely going to know how he felt about her now. He briefly considered leaving, and then Jessica spoke again.

�Kevin, please, come and talk to me. I�m so confused.�

Kevin turned and took his place on the chair beside her bed once more. �I�m sorry, Jessica.�

�What�s going on, Kevin? Did you and Nick fight?�

�It�s taken all my willpower not to pound him into the ground, Jess. He doesn�t see anything wrong. He says he wants help and then he denies doing anything. He says he loves you, but he does this to you�God!�

�Did he go to the therapist?� Jessica questioned.

�Yes, but, I don�t think it did much good.�

�It�s his first time. He needs some work.�

�You still love him, don�t you?� Kevin looked into her eyes.

�No, Kevin.� Jessica covered Kevin�s hand with hers. �I care about him. I want him to get the help he needs and I want him to get better. But I don�t love him anymore. I can�t. Not after this.�

Inside, Kevin rejoiced. She didn�t love Nick; perhaps he did have a chance to show Jessica what real love was. �I�m glad to hear that. I don�t think he�s going to change and I couldn�t live with myself if you got hurt again.� Kevin confessed.

Jessica offered Kevin a wan smile. �He can�t hurt me again. You promised to take care of me, remember? I�m holding you to that promise.�


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