Happily Ever After // Jaden Hossler

this hurts

We arrived back at the airbnb after riding in silence. Every time I looked up someone was sympathetically staring at me. After everything else this year, I thought we were finally over everyone feeling bad for me.

I followed closely behind Jaden inside, and up to our room before he closed the bedroom door. I sat on the edge of the bed looking down at my shaky hands. Jaden handed me a t-shirt of his before starting to change himself. I lifted my dress off my body, slipping off my bra too. Jaden looked over and his eyes softened immediately.
"Y/N, there's bruises on your hips." He softly touched my bruised and I flinched involuntarily.
"Sorry." I cringed.
"Don't." He looked at my body intently, giving me chills. "Look at your wrists too, baby. I can't believe I let that happen."
"You didn't let that happen, Jaden. This isn't your fault."
"Yes it is. Every time I'm around you get hurt." He sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed with his face in his hands.
I sat down beside him, placing my hand on his leg gaining his attention.
"Jaden." He looked up at me. "What happened tonight would've happened whether you were there or not. To be honest, you saved me. Again. If you weren't there tonight, who knows what it would've escalated to."
"That doesn't make me feel any better. I don't want to think about what his intentions were."
"Then don't. But what's important is that I'm here right now with you, because of what you did. Not that I think violence is the answer, but you did what had to be done. Now can we please go to bed and sleep this shitty night away?"
A small smile formed on his lips before sliding his body up the bed and getting under the covers. I followed suit, cuddling up to him.
His body slowly released all tenseness as his arms wrapped around my body.
"I love you so much."
"I love you, my hero."
And with that, Jaden drifted off to sleep. But me, I was alone with my thoughts.