August 22, 2008

Jonathon James watched his sister, Virginia, walk down the aisle. He stood next to his best friend, Justin Jackson. Justin was grinning like crazy. When Virginia reached the front of the church, Justin took her arm from her father. Then the wedding proceeded. Jonathon had tears in his eyes by the time the pastor said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife…You may kiss the bride.” Jonathon sighed and looked over at the maid of honor, Tara Jefferson, Justin’s twin. His high school love had recently married Cameron Jefferson. He was so happy for his sister, his best friend, and even Tara and Cameron, but who was left for him?

♠

Later the next day, Jonathon was sitting on his balcony, when he saw a girl crying. He ran down to see what was wrong. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that it was Elizabeth Martin. Fresh pain assaulted Jonathon, as he watched her cry. He still remembered that day two years ago, like it was yesterday. His heart twisted painfully as he walked toward her. “Lizzie? Are you okay?” he asked gently.

She looked up at him and shook her head. Jonathon bent down and put his arms around her. He rocked her back and forth, while murmuring soothing words to her, against his heads advice. You’re gonna get sucked in again…Don’t let her have power over you…Stand firm. But as soon as he’d looked into her tear filled eyes, his resolve had disappeared. After her crying had stopped some, Jonathon asked her gently, “What’s wrong, Lizzie?”

“Vincent.”

“Vincent?” Jonathon asked curiously.

“He told me he l-loved me, th-then h-he…”she trailed off and lifted up her shirt.

            Jonathon looked away embarrassed, but then he looked back, curious. There was a huge gash made by a sharp object that Jonathon didn’t want to figure out what was. Though he figured it was pretty sure it was a knife of some kind. It wasn’t bleeding, but it looked recent. He gently traced the scar. It started at the base of her neck and ran parallel to her spinal cord and stopped below her bra strap.

Jonathon felt anger bubble up inside of him, but he suppressed it, when he asked Elizabeth, “Lizzie, why would anyone do this to you?” His fingers were still on the scar. Elizabeth tugged her shirt back down, forcing Jonathon to move his fingers. Then she faced him. “I wouldn’t ‘love’ him. Don’t want your pity,” she ordered sternly. Jonathon smiled. She always could read my thoughts. “I made a choice. I do feel that it was the right choice, but he was drunk, plus he was using drugs too.” Her eyes shined with unshed tears.

Jonathon carefully folded her in his arms, conscious of her scar. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in. She still smelled like vanilla. Jonathon smiled at the thought. This is your ex-girlfriend, boy. Get it through your head. He bit his lip and said, “Lizzie, how could you stay with him, if he treats you like this?”

She smiled into his hair. “He only treated me horrible when I disobeyed him or if he was angry.”

“Lizzie, no one deserves that kind of treatment, especially not you.”

Elizabeth pulled back in surprise and looked searchingly into Jonathon’s eyes to see if he was being sarcastic. She only found total honesty in his eyes. “H-How can you, of all people, say that?” she asked confusion written plainly on her face.

            Jonathon took a deep breath; then he took the plunge. “You did hurt me, probably more than you know,” or will ever know, “but I loved you Lizzie. Not a single person on earth deserves to be treated like this. Come on, Lizzie.” Before she could protest, he scooped her up into his arms and brought her into the two bedroom apartment that he had shared with Justin. Jonathon gently placed her on Justin’s bed and backed away when he saw the frightened look in her eyes. “Lizzie, has a doctor looked at that? It looks inflamed.”

She looked away from him at the blank white wall. “No, I didn’t—don’t,” she corrected.  “Want to explain it.”      

         “Come on, Lizzie,” he said pulling her off the bed.

            “Where are you taking me?” she asked fear evident in her eyes and voice.

            “To the doctor.” He held up his hand to stop her protest. “I’ll field his questions. Trust me.”

            Lizzie nodded her head slightly, and they headed out.

♠

            Trust me. Trust me. Those two little words that Jonathon had said kept bouncing around in Elizabeth’s mind. Can I really trust him? She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He had taken her breath away, when she’d seen him. His dirty-blond hair had shimmered in the sunlight and those hazel eyes sparkled. She remembered everything about him. There were a few changes, like the very subtle whiskers on his face. He still smelled of the outdoors, and that cologne she loved. When he’d held her in his arms, she almost felt like they were still sixteen, almost. Then the reality check had come. She’d given him up. More like you pushed him away, so far that he gave you up. She had hurt him deeply. She had to accept that fact.