Enemies to Lovers {Jason X Salim}

F I V E - A Never-Ending War

"I di-didn't do it!" I stuttered, holding the side of my face, as searing pain spread throughout my right cheek.

He towered over me; menacingly, "Don't lie to me, boy!" he snarled, with narrowed eyes.

"I–I'm n-not lying!" I tried to explain, my voice completely broken from the constant screaming.

"MORE LIES!" father spat, as he grabbed a fist-full of my hair; forcing me to look him in the eyes.

"You—KISSED HIM, didn't you?!" father shouted in my face, as droplets of saliva landed on my skin.

"I didn't. I didn't. I swear!" I tried to explain, but my voice was almost nonexistent. My father looked furious.

"It's a sin to do those things with another man!" he spoke, barely a centimetre of space between our faces. "ADMIT WHAT YOU DID!"

"I didn't kiss him! I held his hand, but that's all! I swear. I didn't do anything else!" I pleaded; then suddenly, I was thrown across the room, into a wall. I felt something crack, followed by burning sensation in my arm and shoulder, from the impact.

"YOU DISGUSTING, PATHETIC, PIECE OF CRAP!" Father screamed, as he grabbed my head in his hand, and pushed it against the wall, HARD.

My head was pounding, my nose was bleeding, and my body was in agony.

"Dear, that's enough!" mother had intervened, but father refused to listen.

"He needs to be taught a lesson!"

"M-mom," I managed, and that was enough to get her attention.

"Haven't you done enough, already, Marcus? He's bleeding!" mother pointed out, as she tried to approach my weak form. I could barely make out her figure, as I looked through blurred vision.

"GET OUT!" father had said, as he grabbed mother's arm and forced her out of the room. "DON'T INTERFERE!" he shouted; slamming the door shut. He stuck a chair up against it, to stop anyone from coming in.

I faintly heard mother pounding on the door, as she yelled for me to be let out.

"Don't worry, I'll beat the gay out of you." Father spoke in a low, violent tone, as he pulled his belt from his pants, and cracked the leather along my arm, and part of my back. I screamed in pain, as more hot tears spilled from eyes, and down my cheeks.

"NO! PLEASE STOP! PLEASE!" I begged, as I was repeatedly whipped with his belt.

My whole body burned, as I lie in a fetal position; the hard slap of the leather, pierced my skin, and drew blood.

"You'll never touch another man again, you hear me? You will NOT bring shame upon this family!" 

My head was spinning, as the pain took over, and I slowly fell unconscious.

"JASON! WAKE UP! COME ON! PLEASE WAKE UP, JASON!" a voice shouted, as my eyes snapped open. I sat upright, taking a deep inhale of breath, which led to an uncontrollable fit of coughing.

"Oh, thank, Allah!" Salim said, pulling me into a bone crushing hug. "Are you okay, babe?" he asked, wiping a few beads of sweat from my forehead.

Once my coughing fit had subdued, and my breathing steadied; I leant against the headboard of Salim's bed, bringing my knees to my chest.

I was partially aware of everything going on around me, but still felt rather groggy.

Salim sat to my right, shirtless; the moonlight dancing silvery shadows across his bare body. He was divine in this lighting.