The Professor's Daughter [Part 2 of 2]

12 | Mom Is Back

Leah's POV

Jennifer runs in the door seconds after me at full speed. I am frozen. Her face... it is worse than I have ever seen it before.

"Wh-What the hell? Where is that bastard?" I hiss, very angry with what I am seeing. "I left him. He did this early this morning, so I packed my things and left. I've had enough, Leah. He has pushed me around for far too long! I am so sorry I was not strong enough to do this when you kids were smaller, and I am so sorry for everything you have had to endure because of me." She says, now standing and coming closer to me.

As much as I love my mom and feel for her, I can't just forget everything. I have such a hard time with letting things go.

I turn back to Jennifer and walk to her and into her arms, leaning my head on her. Jennifer slowly brings her arm around me and holds me there. I know she is very confused right now. Moments ago I wasn't speaking with her.

I can't let my mom know that the life I have with Jennifer is sort of in shambles right now... not after running away like I did.

"It is a little too late for all of that. Where's my brother?" I ask her. "He went to your grandparents for the summer." My mom informs me. "I wouldn't have come here if I had anyone else, Leah. I know you and Jennifer are probably both furious with me... but I needed to see you so I could tell you..." she pauses and licks her bloodied lips, "I want to put him away."

-

Obviously, the moment I heard my mom say those six magical words, I jumped right on it. I called Danielle and she has been here since about 3:30pm talking to my mom about things. Five hours of legal talk, I have had my share and so has Jennifer so we slipped out of the room a few minutes ago.

Jennifer and I are in the bedroom with the door closed, and it is quiet. She keeps looking at me, but I won't look at her.

"Hey you." She says and comes to the bed where I am sitting. She sits beside me and I look at her tanned legs and nothing else. "Don't get quiet. I would rather have you screaming and cursing at me." "Jennifer, she looks awful." "I know she does, baby. But look, Danielle is smart... she can talk her through things and hopefully they can build a case against him." Jennifer says. I glance up at her use of the word baby. I let out a sigh and shake my head a bit.

"Jen, I miss us." I confess, hurt in my voice. "I do too, Le." She says. She opens her arms and I lean forward, falling into her chest. I need her right now. She is the only person I have who gets me and loves me regardless of the situation. I can't keep pushing that away.

She rubs my back softly and I start to cry and squeeze her tighter. She rocks back and forth with me and just lets me cry on her.

When I lift my head I giggle a little at the giant wet marks on her shirt from my tears and she uses her thumbs to wipe my cheeks off. "Look it." She whispers, putting her thumb and index finger on my chin. I look in her eyes and she has tears in them, "I am so sorry, Leah. I love you more than anything and I would give anything to take back every single shitty thing I have done to you in these past few days and weeks... I need you to believe me when I say that I will never do anything to intentionally hurt you again." Jennifer says. I see a tear slip from her eye and it makes me cry more. She rarely cries.

I look at her lips and nod my head before I kiss her very slowly.

Mid-kiss we hear a knock on the door, so Jennifer gets up and wipes her face off before she answers it.

I hear the conversation between Jennifer and Danielle.

"You okay? Is Leah alright? Poor girl."

"Yeah, its fine."

"Jennifer..."

"Dani, please don't pry. We are trying to work through it, okay?"

"Okay, okay.. tell Leah that her mom is going to be in a hotel for the night. It isn't safe for her to stay here. Her father knows where you live."

Jen looks at me and I shake my head, letting her know I don't want to tell my mother goodbye. That is too much emotion for one birthday.

"Dani." I say, loudly. Jennifer opens the door and Danielle looks inside, "yeah, baby?" "Thank you..." I say. She nods her head and winks at me disappearing into the hallway again.

The footsteps and mumbled voices fade and Jennifer comes back into our bedroom and pulls off her shirt and tosses it into the basket of clothes in the corner. I smile a little and watch her take off her bra and put on a new (dry) t-shirt to sleep in. She comes to bed and kicks off her pants before sliding into the sheets.

"Come here, birthday girl." She smirks. I grin a little and crawl closer to her and she touches my face, "you're beautiful, you know that?" Jennifer tells me. I smile a real smile and she licks her lips. "Take your shirt off and lay down. You need to relax." She says. I look at her funny and she shakes her head, "we don't have to have sex. Just a little massage..." she assures me. I nod my head and lay down on my stomach while Jennifer starts massaging my back.

Maybe I am exaggerating or being dramatic or something, but I don't think I can have sex with Jennifer right now. Sure, I may have forced myself to forgive her and let us start to get back on track... but I am absolutely terrified that I am going to look at her while we are being intimate and i'll see that look in her eyes again. I can't put myself in that position again, not now.