It continued the rest of the week. Complimenting my hair, my cooking, kissing my hand or cheek whenever could.

My mother had returned home, but things were still tense. So tense, they never even noticed when I packed an extra bag and didn't return home that night. I decided to stay with Jay to help him around the house and in case he dad showed up again.

But the way he was acting, was starting to scare me. He was rugged and tough, not soft and cuddly.

At school, he didn't act differently, much. But there were more kisses, hugs and holding hands (however we could with the crutches).

One night, after Jay got the big casts off and was with removable splints, we were playing video games in the living room.

He was sitting on the couch, comfortably, but I was jumping on the couch, yelling as my character got closer to dying.

I watched Jay's character's power go up and mine go down so I covered his eyes tried to throw him off.

"Hey!" He pulled my hand off his face and tried to stick it under his butt.

"Ew!" I squeaked and pulled away. Then I watched my character fall over and his do a victory dance. "Damn it!"

He laughed and put the controller down. "I win." He smirked.

"Yea yea." I rolled my eyes. I pull the controller down as well and put my chin on his leg. "What do you wanna do now?"

"This?" He pulled me up and against his lips.

I was used to it, he seem to enjoy making out a lot more than usually lately.

This time, he was more aggressive, pushy, needy.

He pushed himself off the chair so he was slightly above me, pushing me into my legs that we folded under me.

I winced in pain, so he pulled away and half gently pushed me back on the chair.

He shifted so his face was hovering over mine, most of his weight on his good knee.

He kissed my lips, my cheeks, my neck. He moved his hands so they were pulling at my shirt and my bra. He was moving so fast and hard, I became scared. I felt like I had no control over what was going on.

"Jay, stop." I said as he kissed my neck.

When he didn't stop, I repeated myself again, louder. "Jay, please. Stop."

He wouldn't stop. I could feel tears forming in my eyes from fear. I couldn't breath. He grabbed the end of shirt and began to pull it up. Before he could get past my rib cage I managed all my strength and pushed him off of me. "Stop!"

I sat up quickly and dove off the couch, using my hands and feet to moved all the way to the tv stand where I pulled my knees against my chest and tried to control my breathing and tears.

"Ellie..." He said looking at me, hurt and confused.

"Don't say anything." I said though my deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, I don't..." He shook his head. Was he... Crying?

"I don't know what's wrong with you." I said standing up and whipping my eyes. "The last week you have been acting so weird. With all the kissing and endearments and... I don't know. But I'm scared. I don't like this Jay. I want the old Jay back."

"I'm so sorry." He shook his head. "I- I..."

"Just... For the rest of the time, I am just here to take care of you." I moved towards the door. "That's it."

He got up and moved towards me. "Ellie wait-"

"No." I put my hands up. "Don't. Just don't."

I waked out and ran up to the bathroom. I closed the door and leaned up against it. I slid down on my back until I was sitting against the door, crying.

I was scared. He was acting differently. I was scared he was turning into his dad, pushy and demanding.

I was scared he would turn into my dad hurting me when ever he got close.

I cried into my knees for a bit before I realized there was a pain on my side.

I stood up and looked in the mirror. My make up was smudged, I looked like a raccoon. My hair and clothing didn't really help, i was wearing one of his t-shirts again, but I was wrinkled and my hair was sticking up in weird places.

I lifted up the shirt and looked at my skin. On the side that hurt, there was deep red marks along it. I guess when I pushed him away, his nails raked across my skin.

I decided to take a shower, when I heard a soft knock at the door.

"Ellie..." I could barley hear his voice. "Please... Open the door."

"Jay, go away, please." I called back.

"Can we talk, please?" He begged from the other side of the door.

I looked at myself in the mirror. My face was pale and blotchy, and now I was only wearing the t-shirt.

I opened the door a little bit and looked at him.

He looked worst than me, he had been crying as well. His hair was standing up everywhere on his head again.

"What do you want?" I asked quietly.

"I'm so sorry- I - I don't know- why.." His voice trailed off as I watched him start to cry again.

I have never seen him like this. The rough exterior had be cracked and all of the soft interior was leaking though.

"Please just explain what is going on with you. You're acting so differently." I pleaded.

"I'm scared. I got into a crash that should have been life or death. I got off with a few broken bones." He started. "I woke up feeling amazing, then I almost lost you."

His brown eyes pleaded at me. "I'm sorry. I don't know. I don't want to lose you. Almost dying made me realize that you are worth everything."

I looked at him. I didn't know what to say. Scared. To lose. Me of all people.

So naturally I had the best response to that.

"You big sap." I laughed. I opened the wider and wrapped my arms around him. "I'm right here. You're alive. Stop being scared. I won't leave. Just stop acting like this. You're starting to scare me."

"I know. I know." He mumbled into my hair. "I realized that, and then I realized that's what my dad did and destroyed himself. He tried to fix everything going on between mom and him and me and..."

His hands gripped me tighter. "I don't want that."

"I know." I whispered.

We stood like that for what felt like forever, but I didn't mind. Everything felt right again.

I took a deep breath of his cologne mixed with whiskey. His face was covered in short scruff that poked my face. His hair had grown out, so when you ran your fingers though it now, your fingers disappeared.

Finally, I kissed his cheek and pulled away.

"Next time though, just ask okay?" I said. "And no scratching."

I lifted up the shirt (at least I still had my underwear on) and showed him the marks.

"Oh god I'm so sorry...." He ran his fingers along them. I shivered under his touch.

"Trial and error." I nodded and grabbed his hand.

"Mostly error." He smiled sadly.

"Forget about it." I pulled him into a hug.

The next few days, things finally fell back into place. He got back into the swing of things, talking and making fun of his friends. I finally got a chance to speak to Mia again.

"Are you a little more okay with this now?" I asked.

"No. But I hate not talking to you." He frown and pulled me into a hug.

"I know." I sighed. "I'll promise not to bring up Jay, or invite him when we hang out. Cool?"

"Sounds good." She smiled and pulled away. "Now, lunch?" She patted her stomach.

"Let's go." I laughed and we walked to the cafe.

That day after school, while we were on the bus, Jay was telling me about much his bike would cost to fix.

"I think I can afford it. Weekend shifts at the garage, I think I can do it." He nodded.

"Yea." I replied. "Just don't hurt yourself. You aren't fully recovered yet."

"Of course not." He kissed my forehead. "You worry too much."

"Only because I still care." I shook my head.

After he got the clearance from his doctor two weeks after that, he started working in the garage in town and started repairing the bike.

What I could figure out, the frame was folded completely under the engine, all of the lights were shattered and there were various pieces missing from the rest of the bike.

I told him that there was nothing worth saving, but he kept working on it, saying he had to rebuild his baby.

Over the time he was working, I had moved into the basement of my house. It had his own kitchen, exit and bathroom. I recently got a job, I could supply for myself. I didn't have to associate with my family at all anymore. I even finally got my own car.

One night, I came home a little late, it was summer and I was working full day shifts.

There was a message on my phone saying to meet Jay at his place at around 9. It was 9:30 now, but he left another saying come whenever, he forgot I was working.

So I looked at myself in the mirror, decided to take a quick shower, put on jeans and a t-shirt and headed out.

I got to Jay's house and rang the door bell. He answered the door and handed me a rose.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Since we have barely seen each other lately, I decided to do a little something for you." He gestured for me come in. He was wearing dress pants and a shirt, not something you normally saw on Jay Stevenson.

I handed him the rose. "I told you, there is not much need for this. I'm here. I'm with you." I held his free hand.

He handed me the rose again. "I know. But it's something to say thank you."

"Fine." I took the rose and followed Jay though the house.

He lead me to the dinning room where their were just candles lighting the room, fancy dishes were placed on opposite sides of the table.

"Wow." I breathed as Jay walked over to one of the chairs and pulled it out for me. I sat and he took a seat across from me.

In the middle of the table, there were mash potatoes, loose corn and noodles. On our plates were slices of pot roast with lots of gravy.

"This looks delicious." I smiled at him.

"Thank you." He smiled back and handed me the bowl of corn. "Drinks?"

He handed me a bottle of beer.

"Classy." I laughed.

A few hours later, after an amazing dessert of store bought cheesecake, we were sitting on the couch watching some bad TV movie I can't remember the name of.

Somewhere during the movie, I put legs over his lap and laid flat on my back.

Shortly after, he got bored and started to place kisses on the skin that the rips on my jeans exposed.

I gigged as I felt his warm breath and turned to look at him. He looked at me and cocked his head to the side, as if asking if everything was okay.

I smiled and nodded. Jay reached for my hand. He pulled me up into his lap and grabbed my neck to pull me in for a kiss.

I laughed as I pulled away and he put his forehead against mine.

"You're beautiful." He whispered.

"Why the sudden flattery?" I asked.

"Just take the compliment." He shook his head.

"Fine. Thank you." I laughed as I went back down to his lips and kissed him again.

We just started to get more into it, when my phone stared ringing across the house.

I groaned into his mouth and pulled away. He laughed and ran his fingers though his hair that I had already messed up. "Next time, groan after you pull away."

"Gotcha. Or maybe next time I won't pull away." I winked and got up.

I dashed for my phone before it could stop ringing, not seeing who it was.

"Ellie? Your mother is gone again and I need to find her, there are people coming over to evaluate the kids." My dad's voice boomed over the speaker.

I sighed. "Not my problem Dad. Keep track of your own goddamn wife." I said and hung up. I could say whatever I wanted. He wouldn't see me for the next 2 days, and probably forget.

I pushed the phone in my pocket, but as I turned around Jay wrapped me in a hug and kissed my lips again, lightly this time.

"Yes?" I asked, taking a little longer to recover from the kiss.

"Let's go upstairs." He said, but gave me a questioning look.

It took me a moment to answer.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "I'm good. I want to. But only if you're on board."

I smiled. "Lead the way then."

He smiled and grabbed my hand. He pulled me upstairs into his room which was slightly cleaner than I remember it.

He closed the door behind us and cup my face in his hands to kiss me again. I rested my hands on his chest, but as the kiss got more passionate, I gripped the shirt in my hands.

After a few seconds, I decided I would make a move, so he would know I'm good. I fumbled to unbutton his shirt and I couldn't get even the first button undone.

He started to laugh, so we pulled apart. "Lemme help."

He unbuttoned the shirt completely and waited until I pushed it off his shoulders, exposing his well toned, muscled torso.

He reluctantly reached for the hem of my t-shirt, a look of crazy concentration on his face.

I gently took his hands and placed them under my shirt. "This time, I'll be the one scratching you."

"I hope that's a good thing?" He laughed.

"Yes." I laughed and that's when his hands and lips attacked. He pulled off my shirt, pulled my hair out of the bun it was in. He only broke the kiss when he wanted to look at me.

I became shy and self aware as his eyes skimmed over my bare stomach. I consciously put my arms over my tummy and bit my lip.

He looked at me and pulled my hands away.

"Would you stop it?" He said. "You look amazing."

"You really know how to encourage a girl." I made a face at him.

"Yes." He nodded. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me against his bare chest.

He kissed me again then pushed me on to the bed, hard enough so I would fall, not enough so I'll get hurt.

I watched him unbuckle his pants and the rest was a blurry, sweaty, ecstatic, electric mess.