Part 17 (2/2)

My eyelids felt like sandpaper sc.r.a.ping against my eyes as I opened them to bright sunlight streaming through the window. Instantly I became aware that I was not alone, turning slowly I took a sharp breath in at the sight of Jonah sitting in my desk chair staring at me. His beautiful face was battered, his lip was split, his eye was swollen, and a large cut across his cheek and dried blood all down his face and neck.

Jumping into action before I remembered I was done with him I had his head in my hand, my fingers feeling around the cut and bruises making sure I couldn't feel anything broken. Looking me in the eyes his hand came up holding my hand against the side of his face that was banged up. ”What happened to your face?” I whispered.

”I got in a fight with Vinnie.”

Like he'd physically pushed me my hand fell away and my b.u.t.t hit the bed. ”What are you doing here?”

”I need to explain.” Jonah said softly his tongue licking at the split across his lip.

”You need a doctor.” I frowned shaking my head; he needed stiches in the cut across his cheek, to change out of his wrecked suit and to get some sleep. What Denny had said last night about us being self-destructive when we got our feelings hurt, Jonah was making that statement more than true. And d.a.m.n him I loved him too much to let him be self-destructive. ”Will you see a doctor if I let you explain?”

”Yes, I'll call my doctor if you let me explain everything.”

Nodding my head Jonah leaned his elbows on his knees letting his head drop slightly. ”You have to understand this all started because of the accident that took my parents and sister. After they died I was left with nothing, my parents had no wills and no money. My mother had me when she was only seventeen, her parents would have nothing to do with her or my father. With no family or money and a baby on the way my father went to work for Vinnie.” Jonah's voice was tight, his knee was bouncing shaking his whole body and he refused to look at me. ”When I turned eighteen I had nothing, I'd been living off Vinnie since I was thirteen, pride started to creep up on me, I was embarra.s.sed I had nothing. So the day I graduated high school Vinnie came to me and Denny and said he was done paying our way that we had to get out and start on our own or we could come into the family business. Vinnie sealed the deal when he told me he wouldn't let me end up like my father living off of someone else, that a man should take care of his own family not let his brother do it for him. At the time Denny and I had no idea the family business was a drug business we thought Vinnie made his money off the club. When we found out what the business really was I should have walked away but I took a risk telling myself it was ok I'd just stay a little while make some money then move on.” Finally looking up at me Jonah moved on to the bed cupping my face in his hands, ”I hate the risk and choice I made that led me to working with Vinnie but I can't change the past Olivia. Isn't there something you've done or a risk you've taken that you wished you hadn't that you would give anything to take back?”

G.o.d yes I'd done something just as stupid, I'd taken a risk I wish I'd never taken and if Jonah ever found out I wish he would understand that I'd made a mistake I'd do anything to take back. Was Jonah's risk really that different from mine? Not really my risk had gotten Alex killed, it was just as bad as Jonah's but the heart of the matter was what I did was something I would never do today, what Jonah did was something he still did today.

”What do you do for Vinnie?” I asked my voice free of emotion.

”I work the money.” Jonah answered, shame heavy in his voice.

”Do you like your job?”

Shaking his head Jonah closed his eyes, ”I hate myself for working with Vinnie. So no Olivia I do not like my job.”

”So why do you still work for him?” I yelled louder than I meant too.

”I'm trying to get out Olivia. I've wanted out since I started and I'm ashamed to say that it's only recently that I've really been trying to get out. It shouldn't have taken so long but it was your risk to love me that made me see that working for Vinnie was not worth the risk. What happened last night happened because I told Vinnie I wanted out.”

Jonah hated what he did for Vinnie I knew that and I could see it because I finally figured out why he got that haunted look on his face. Vinnie had played on an innocent boys mind and guiled him into a business he new nothing about, I didn't blame Jonah for this, I understood. But did hating what he did and trying to get out now matter when the bottom line was he had and still worked in a drug business, a business that had destroyed my life and many others.

Searching my face Jonah dropped a hand to my heart, ”What matters to you most in this world Olivia?”

What was the most important thing to me the answer was simple. ”You. Love.” Strip everything away but leave me one thing I couldn't live without and that was love. I thought I understood why Mason chose not to feel but that was just in the heat of the moment because without love I was left with nothing.

Was our love enough to find the middle ground between right and wrong?

Was there even a middle ground between right and wrong?

”I need time Jonah.”

Pulling my face closer he kissed my forehead gently, ”Call me when you can.” He whispered against my skin leaving me confused and heart broken.

”It's about time you ended things with him.” Darcy hissed from the door.

”I bet you're a happy little person today thinking I'm gone so Olivia will never have to know.” Jonah snapped jumping off the bed to face off with Darcy.

”Know what?” What else could I possible not know?

”That call you got from Alex came from your apartment Mason tracked it.”

”How did you know I got a call from Alex?” I asked shocked.

”And you think I made that call, right Jonah?” Darcy yelled her cheeks turning as red as her hair.

”Yeah, because you did.” Jonah shouted back.

”Hate me all you want Jonah but I did not make that call.” Darcy said lowering her voice.

”Then who did?” Jonah shot back.

This was a pointless fight I knew who made that call and it sure as h.e.l.l wasn't from my apartment. ”Shut up and get out both of you.” I screamed so done with all this s.h.i.+t.

They both started to argue back, fine if they wouldn't leave I would leave. Getting off the bed I stomped past them locking myself in the bathroom.

Sliding to the ground I let the tear come once again.

Chapter 18.

The sun was gone and dark clouds had turned the sky to a deep grey as I tried to run my pain away the heavens opened soaking me to the bone. If ever there was a moment to say the f-word over and over again, now was the time.

Turning around I headed home and of course just as my apartment came into view the rain stopped.

Just freaking great.

The last three days had been a living h.e.l.l and anything that could go wrong did but all that was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. I hadn't realized how much room Jonah had taken up in there until I walked back into my bedroom to find him gone.

I didn't have an answer for anyone nor was I talking to anyone, my parents had called a hundred times from whatever vacation they were on now but I'd ignored every call. Darcy had taken off to G.o.d knows where but she'd called every morning and night, I hadn't picked up one. Even Mason and Denny had called once or twice. Only two people in my life hadn't called, Ty who still p.i.s.sed at me so he wouldn't call and Jonah who I'd told not to call so he wouldn't call either.

So far I'd picked up my cell almost every hour dialing Jonah's number only to hang up just before it started to ring because I didn't have an answer for him.

As I got closer to my door a stunning woman got out of her car jogging towards me. When she was standing in front of me I felt my ego take a hit, she was beyond the word stunning, straight bleach blonde hair ran perfectly down to the middle of her back, the lightest hazel eyes I'd ever seen and a model's body, just to be cruel.

”You don't know me, my names Rachel, I use to be a friend of Denny's. My father kind of let it slip that he ran into Denny on a call out. I bribed his partner to give me your address. That sounded a lot less creepy in my head. I'm sorry its just I need Denny to have this.” Rachel said handing me a yellow envelope her smile turning to a frown. ”I can't give it to him myself, could you give it to him?”

”Uh sure.” I said still trying to catch up, the girl talked really fast and I wasn't sure how I was going to get this to Denny without running into Jonah.

Smiling at me a piercing cry came from her parked car just a couple of steps from us. ”That's my cue, thank you for this.” She shouted over her shoulder as she opened the back door revealing a crying baby. ”Shh sweet boy mama's here, that wasn't a very long nap now was it.” She cooed to the baby. ”Oh wait your flowers.” Rachel yelled turning back to me.

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