Dreamers

chapter eight

Jessica sat at her make up table still trying to wake herself up. Sarah stood behind her curling her soft blonde hair. Jessica fell into a deep thought about Danny his strong jaw, his firm hand, his rouged body, and his warm touch. she ran her hand along her chest smiling to herself. she could feel him like he was standing next to her. it made her shiver, but in a good way. she thought about the two days they spent together, and she longed to be with him. To feel him, to touch him. glancing into the mirror she noticed Sarah looking at her with an umm-hello look on her face.

"Hmm?.....Did you say something?"Jessica asked lost.

Sarah looked back to the hair she was curling.

"Ya i asked you why you weren't answering your phone this weekend. i called you like fifty times and all i got was your voice mail. i was worried."

"Oh...ya I'm sorry about that i uhhh....left my phone in my car." She shook her head slightly trying to dismiss the question. Jessica took a deep breath wondering if Sarah had seen threw her lie. she tried to push the thought of Danny out of her mind. Sarah picked up the next layer of Jessica's hair pinning it on top of her Head. she grabbed a strand and started to thread it threw the curling iron. Glancing down to Jessica's neck she gasped covering her mouth and looked to her in the mirror shocked. her eyes wide and her mouth gaping.

"What? What is wrong with you?" Jessica asked almost angry at the sudden uneasiness.

"Where did this come from?"

"What?" Jessica turned in the mirror lifting her hair to look at what ever it was Sarah was so upset about. she pushed her champagne blond hair up in her fingers revealing a bruise like dis-complexion on her skin. Shit! I'm going to kill him! she ran her slender fingers over the mark shaking as she made contact with her cold skin.

"Well do you have an explanation?" Sarah put one hand to her hip and the other on her mouth.

"I...Uhh,," Jessica stammered trying to think of an explanation. "I...uhh...burnt myself with my flat iron,"

Sarah looked to her raising her eyebrows not believing what she had just heard. she took a step closer to Jessica looking down to her chest.

"And uhh what about that was that your flat iron to?"

Jessica looked in the mirror moving her sweater out of the way revealing two more of the blemishes. Are you shitting me? What the hell Danny? You couldn't cool it for five seconds?

"Uhh ...ya..i wasn't paying attention. i guess."

Sara pulled the clip from Jessica's hair pulling the champagne waves down on either side of her face. she leaned over her shoulder whispering in her ear.

"Jessica your hairs not that long in the front, and i have never met a person who flat irons the back of their hair across their boob. Would you like to tell me the truth?"

She sat speechless for a moment. "i am telling the truth."

Sarah stood dropping Jessica's hair. "Bullshit! Jessica stop lying to me!....You where with a man. that's why you didn't answer your phone." She bleated finally connecting the dots. Jessica turned on the bench the slit in her skirt falling to one side revealing the rather large bruise on her pale thigh left from Danny's shiftier. she glared to Sarah trying to make her story seem believable.

"What the hell is that?!?!..Huh?" Sara waited for her to answer but Jessica stayed silent staring at the wall behind her.

"Damn it Jessica answer me! Evidently whoever you where with found it necessary to use force."

Jessica turned back in her seat angered at Sarah's assumption about Danny. she thinks he beats me? that's just grate. she tossed her hair the warm lights catching her eyes sending a glimmer threw the mirror.

"Oh Sarah don't be ridiculous! it was the god damn shiftier. He would never hit me!" She placed her hand over her mouth realizing what she had just said. damn it why cant i think before i speak? she bit her lip looking at Sarah her hazel eyes starting to swell at the thought of Danny being angry with her for what she just said.

"What do you mean he would never hit you?" She was lost one story after the next it wasn't connecting to her. "Are you admitting you where with someone?"

Jessica hesitated not knowing what to do. She jumped as a knock came to the door. They both looked at each other.

"Come in." Jessica breathed feeling relived that someone would brake the conversation. The door opened slightly and Danny stepped in looking to Jessica and smiling. Jessica cleared her thought placing her hand on her chest and motioning to Sarah with a toss of her head. Danny looked to Sarah giving her a surprised look.

"oh uh... hi Sarah." He nodded to her casually.
"hello Danny." She returned the nod and looked to Jessica who had been watching Danny with a look of terror on her face.

"I uh...think I'll give you two a minuet. Jess I'll be back to finish your hair." She pushed past Danny and out of the door clicking it shut behind her. Danny walked to the door closing it tight and locked it. He turned to Jessica now standing behind the beige love seat running the tips of her long fingers across the soft material.

"What's wrong baby doll?" He stepped towards her trying to make her feel at ease.

"nothing...its just...look." She pulled her hair back again holding her head to one side so he could see the marks he had left in her. "There's more." She dropped her hair and tugged at her sweater. Danny walked closer to her placing his fingertips on the bruises. Jessica took a short breath at the touch of his cold fingers on her chest.

"Did she see them?" Danny questioned leaving his head down his gaze tracing her shape.
"Yes, she was asking a lot of questions. She seen the bruise on my thigh and she thought...." She stopped in fear of Danny's reaction. She looked to the floor crossing her arms across her chest.
"She thought what?.... You can tell me baby." He brushed his hand along her check and pushed her chin up to meet him.
"She thought.....you...beat me." She waited for Danny to explode in anger at her, but he only looked at her. His face plain and strait.

"Jess?....why are you so afraid of me?" He let her take a step back from him. She looked away from him avoiding his question.
"You know I would never hurt you. I would never so much as say anything to you that I thought could make you feel threatened or helpless. I love you Jessica. Do you know that?"

Jessica covered her mouth trying to hide her sobs from him. She knew that he loved her and would never hurt her, and she felt the same about him. He was all she ever wanted to be loved, to be wanted. Something in her just couldn't let herself fall with him. Danny walked closer to her putting his hands on her waist and leaning his chin onto her forehead. He kissed her softly letting his lips linger on her skin. He breathed in her sweet scent filling him with feelings he knew he couldn't act on now.
"I think we should go away for a while. Just you and me."
Jessica looked up to him letting the thought go threw her mind. She nodded. Bringing her body closer to him she wrapped her arms under his and pulled him tighter to her.
"Danny?... I do love you."