Forever

Chapter 9

"Em, baby, are you okay?" I heard a worried voice calling my name.

"Yeah, why?" I ask, confused.

"You were sweating, and..." he trailed off, and I looked down to notice my arms wrapped profoundly tight around his torso.

"Oh, um, sorry, I didn't notice that," I mutter, then wipe my forehead free of the cold sweat that had settled there, "I guess I had a nightmare."

"It's fine, baby, don't worry about that. You barely left a mark, but are you okay? You had a really hard day, yesterday."

I thought back to yesterday: Everyone whispering in the halls, then suddenly stopping when I passed. They were whispering about Justin too, since he got himself associated with me, and I was surprised how calmly he took it. He was used to being the one who others talked to about others, not the one who was gossiped about. He used to be one of those popular guys, and throughout the day, one of his friends would come up to him to say something, and look at me awkwardly, as if wanting me to leave. If this were a normal day, I would, hell, if this were a normal day, I wouldn't be there in the first place. Justin kept his arm securely wrapped around me, and tightened his grip, every time someone said something, or even looked at me disapprovingly. At one point, however, we had to go our separate ways, since we only had some classes together. At this time, Cara came up to me.

I remember her exact words were, "So what is a bitch like you doing fucking around with a guy like Justin?" I keep my mouth shut, not wanting to aggravate her more.

"No answer, huh?" At this point, she has me pinned to the locker, my shirt in her fist, "I don't like people ignoring me. Are you forcing him to do something, you ugly little slut?"

"Uh, I-I," I stutter incoherently.

"Hey, Cara, what are you doing to my girl?" I hear Justin's heavenly voice saving me from Cara's high dudgeon. Or he could be throwing me even farther into the pit of her hatred for me. Either way, I was touched by him caring for me, and my heart fluttered at him calling me "his girl".

"Your girl? Baby, you're mine. She walks up to him, pinning his wrists against the locker, and grinding her hips against his, kissing his lips passionately. He shoved her backwards, gently, not one to hurt a girl, no matter how bitchy the said girl was.

"Cara, when are you going to get it through your head, I don't like you. You're a slut, and I was an idiot to ever date you," following these words, he pushes me back against the locker, and strongly presses his lips to mine even more intensely than Cara did to him. His tongue trails along my lower lip, and I open willingly. She turns on her heel, and stomps away, angered by Justin's way of stopping her from harassing me.

I meant what I said yesterday, Em, you're my girl, and I'll take care of you, no matter what the cost is. He presses his lips to mine, gently, before yawning adorably, and rubbing my back, whilst telling me to get some sleep. I oblige, and curl up into a ball, him wrapping his arms around and proceeding to spoon me, and kiss my neck softly. Sighing contentedly, I close my eyes, and drift off to a deep, wonderfully dreamless sleep.

• • •

The next morning I woke up to the delightful smell of breakfast cooking, and Justin's strong, tattooed arm still wrapped tightly around me. I kissed his neck, biting at it slightly, then trailed my kisses down to his chest, where there was a big cross inked on. "C'mon, Justin, wake up," I whined.

"Mmm, give me five more minutes," he groaned, wrapping his arms around me again.

"Okay, then, we'll have to do it the hard way," I threatened, completely bluffing, "If you don't wake up, I'm going back home."

That woke him up immediately, "No! Okay, I'm awake!" he jumped up worried, "You can't go back there. Stay with me, baby." Getting calmer when he said those last words, he tore into me soul like a little puppy begging for food.

"I'm not going anywhere, Justin. I promise." He kissed my forehead after letting out a gust of air, and hunched over, relaxing completely at those words.

He pulled me to his chest, muscles tense and unmoving. I wrapped my arms around his bare waist snuggling in.

A few minutes later, I realized he had gotten me to stay in bed, and stood up, dragging him out of bed with me. Ignoring his protests, I dragged him downstairs to eat the breakfast Pattie had prepared for us.

"Thank you so much," I say to her, before she leaves us to our food.

"It's no trouble. Sorry if it's a little cold, I realize I'm awake before most people, especially in this house." She laughed, joined by me and a forced laugh came out of Justin, coaxed on with a shove from me.

We sat down at the bar in the middle of the kitchen, devouring the waffles Pattie had prepared for us. I must say, she was an excellent chef; I would love to have her cook for me every day.

After we ate out breakfast, Justin suggested I go shopping with Jazmyn, considering I'd be here for a while. I asked him where he'd be, as he hadn't mentioned his accompaniment.

"Planning a surprise," he responded, a smirk playing on his lips. "Buy anything you want, though, I'm paying."

"I can't do that, Justin. You don't need to buy me a bunch of stuff I don't need. I can just go back."

"No! Please, don't go back. You promised, baby." In the end, he got his way.

We finished up our breakfast, and notified Jazmyn of her pre planned day. She was pleased, of course. It was shopping. So I borrowed another complete outfit from her, at her request. I tried to tell her I could just deal with the one I had on yesterday. It's not like many people saw me in it. Except everyone at school, but they bully me anyway. That would just be a new reason, and I could care less if they used my clothes against me. I walked to the bathroom to put on the cream colored shirt, with a loose cut, and long sleeves, along with some so-dark-washed-they're-almost-black jeans. Then to finish the look, despite my protests, she gave me a pair of slightly heeled boots in a light beige color, with the heels and zipper running down the side colored in a darker brown. They weren't tall, going just above my ankle, not even by a centimeter.

After getting dressed, I put on the foundation to cover the huge bruise covering my entire left cheek. Then, we got in the car, and Jazzy drove us to the mall.