I lay down on the couch, my body spread out wide. I have cuts and bruises of bloody nose, and a bloody lip. Jake snarls and sits on the edge of the couch, his large hand reaching out to grab my arm and pull me towards him. “What the fuck happened to you?! Who did this to you?!” His grip tightens, causing pain to shoot through my arm.
“Your brother,” I whimper, “please let go of me..” Jake’s face contorts in a mix of jealousy and rage, his voice trembling with barely contained fury. “My brother?! He did this to you?!” he stands up, pulling me with him, his arm wrapped around my waist possessively. “I'm gonna kill him.”
I nod. “He came by the house looking for you, and when I said you were out he lashed out on me.” He releases me briefly to grab his car keys, his mind made up. He storms out of the house, while I follow behind him. He gets in his car, with me sitting silently in the passenger seat. He drives to his brother's house, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.
“Don’t cause a big fuss,” I whisper, “I don’t want you getting in trouble.” He slams his fist on the steering wheel, not even looking at me. “Shut up. I'll handle this my way.” He pulls up to his brother's house, slamming the car into park and jumping out. I follow him reluctantly, my body aching from the earlier assault.
He sees my action out of the corner of his eye. His brother opens the door, unshaven and shirtless. He smirks when he sees me. "Jakey boy," his brother greets mockingly. Jake sees red. "You touch my girl?" He growls dangerously. Blood drips from my lip. “Guys, let’s-“
Cutting me off with a vicious glare, Jake shoves past his brother into the house. The door slams open, revealing beer cans and empty chip bags strewn across the living room. Jake grabs his brother by the throat, slamming him against the wall. “Listen up, you piece of shit.” I grab Jake’s arm. “Be careful, please don’t get in trouble.”
He shakes me off, his eyes never leaving his brother's face. “I’ll do whatever the fuck I want. This is between me and him.” He squeezes his brother's throat tighter. “You ever lay a finger on her again, I'll fucking kill you. Understand?”
I slap Jake across the face. “Jake! Enough!” He stands there, his chest heaving with anger and pain. He looks at his brother, then back at me. Without a word, he turns and walks out of the house, slamming the door behind him. I follow him out to the car, feeling guilty and confused. “Get in the car,” he spits.
As I slide into the passenger seat, Jake slams the driver's door shut and speeds off, tires screeching. The silence between us stretches, thick and tense. He grips the steering wheel like he wants to snap it in two, his jaw clenched tightly. “You actually slapped me,” he mumbles.
“I had to,” I let my head drop, “it was the only way to make you stop.” Jake’s voice tightens with emotion, “You hit me” He pulls into the driveway of an unfamiliar house, turning off the engine. He sits there for a moment, his eyes staring straight ahead. Then he turns to me, his face unreadable. “Come inside.”
“Where are we?” I whisper. He doesn't answer immediately, leading me into the house. It's a small, neat place, not his usual apartment. He walks straight to the kitchen and grabs an ice pack from the freezer, tossing it to me. “Hold this on your lip,” he interrupts before I can speak further, “and take off your shirt.” His tone is flat, cold. I hesitantly lift my shirt over my head, revealing the bruises on my stomach and sides. He stares at them, his face pale.
He watches me lie down, his gaze roaming over the bruises marking my skin. With a sharp inhale, he kneels beside the couch, gently pressing the ice pack to my swollen wrist now that my shirt is off. His eyes, usually flashing with anger, are now dull with a haunted look.
“Jake” I yell, “I’m sorry I hit you okay? It was the only way to stop you.” He pauses, his hands on the belt, and looks at me with a mix of anger and pain. "You think I give a damn about that?" he snaps. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Do you see these bruises on you?" He gestures to my body. He loosens the belt around his waist, letting it fall to the floor with a soft clink against the linoleum. He leans against the kitchen counter, his eyes distant as he contemplates his next words. “I took care of it this time...“
“Then stop doing that,” I growl, “I can take care of myself.”
“That's exactly the problem," he says quietly, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "You shouldn't have to take care of yourself against me. Jesus, you just..." his voice breaks slightly "You just slapped me across the fucking face." he moves closer.
“And I’ll do it the fuck again.” I raise my hand at him. “Someone needs to control your anger.” He catches my wrist before I can lift my hand any higher, his jaw tightening. For a moment, his grip is almost painful, his control hanging by a thread. "Don't you fucking dare." His voice is barely above a whisper, but there's a clear warning in it.
Jake stares me down, his eyes blazing with a mixture of pain, anger, and the desperate need for control. His thumb brushes over my wrist, the gesture almost tender. Slowly, he lowers my hand, his grip loosening but not fully releasing. “You don’t control me,” I growl, my hand still raised, “and if you try to I’ll put you in your place.”
At my defiant words, Jake's face contorts with a mix of emotions, his control slipping further. He suddenly pushes me against the wall, his body caging me in. His hand still gripping my wrist, he slams it against the wall, his face inches from mine. “Let go,” I growl, then use my free hand to slap him again. “I’m warning you.”
This time, he doesn't seem to react to the slap, his mind too consumed with his own turmoil. He presses his body against mine, holding my wrist firmly against the wall. With his free hand, he reaches up and grasps my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Look at me...”
As I look into his eyes, I see a storm raging behind them, his pupils dilating and pupils twitching as they lock onto mine. Jake stands silently, their redness glowing white and red hearts of gold's eyes shine with an intensity that suggests he's on the brink of breaking.
His jaw works silently, his eyes dropping to my lips and then back up to my eyes. He sees my growling expression and realizes how close I am to snapping too. Instead of letting me go, he pushes my wrist higher up the wall, making me wince.
I grid my teeth together, then I snap. I kick his gut hard. He doubles over with a deep "Oof," his body colliding with the kitchen island. "Son of a bitch!" He straightens up slowly, cupping his stomach. He sees red. His eyes snap to me. He's never seen me so angry. I raise my fists to my face, standing in the fight position.
Jake pauses, noting my fighting stance. Despite his stomach ache, a slow smirk spreads across his face, almost impressed. "Well, well," he drawls sarcastically, rubbing his gut. "Look who finally grew some balls." He takes a step forward, but hesitates, remembering my vicious kick. He sees my body ready itself for another attack. My muscles are taut, my eyes focused. He realizes something - I’m not backing down. I’m not scared. His smirk drops slightly. He tests me. "Asshole," He growls softly. He sees my fists tighten. "Bitch."
My voice deepens, “don’t test me.” He watches as my voice deepens, a threatening tone laced within the words. His smirk drops completely, replaced by a cold, calculating look. He's not used to me speaking to him like this. His hands slowly clench into fists. "Or what?" He challenges.
I jolt towards him, roundhouse kicking him in the gut and jumping backwards out of his reach. He crashes onto his back, completely caught off guard. The impact leaves him winded, eyes watering from the pain. He props himself up onto his elbows, staring at me with a mixture of fear and respect for the first time in our relationship. "Fuck..." His breathing is ragged.
Jake stares up at me, a new wariness in his eyes as he slowly pushes himself to his feet, one hand rubbing his sore abdomen. He sees the venom in my eyes and the way my muscles remain coiled, ready to strike again at the slightest provocation. “Are we done here?” I growl.
Jake straightens up slowly, eyeing me warily as he considers my question. He knows he can no longer dominate me physically without facing repercussions. A grudging respect flickers in his eyes as he realizes the dynamic between me has irrevocably shifted. "Yeah." He nods, his gaze lingering on me for a long moment before he turns away, his movements stiff. He heads for the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. Without looking back, he speaks, his voice barely audible. "I'll...I'll be out late tonight."
“Why?” my voice rings from the living room. He pauses at the door, his hand still on the knob. He doesn't turn around immediately, as if gathering his thoughts. Finally, he speaks softly. "I need some space." He turns to look at me briefly, his expression unreadable. "Don't wait up."
나는 소파에 누워 몸을 쭉 펼쳤다. 나는 상처와 타박상으로 코피를 흘리고 입술에 피가 흘렀습니다. 제이크는 으르렁거리며 소파 가장자리에 앉았다. 그의 큰 손이 내 팔을 잡고 나를 자기 쪽으로 끌어당겼다. "도대체 너한테 무슨 일이 일어난 거야?! 누가 너한테 이런 짓을 한 거야?!" 그의 그립이 더 조여져 내 팔에 통증이 퍼졌습니다.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdaH7UaEVa
“네 형님, 제발 저를 놓아주세요..”라고 속삭였습니다. 제이크의 얼굴은 질투와 분노가 뒤섞여 일그러졌고, 그의 목소리는 간신히 분노를 담아 떨리고 있었습니다. "형님?! 그가 당신에게 이런 짓을 했다고?!" 그는 자리에서 일어나 나를 끌어당겼다. 그의 팔은 내 허리를 소유하려는 듯 감싸 안았다. "나는 그를 죽일거야."22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qc5naDRyw
나는 고개를 끄덕인다. “그 사람이 당신을 찾으러 집에 들렀는데, 내가 당신이 나갔다고 말하자 그는 나에게 화를 냈습니다.” 그는 마음을 정하고 차 열쇠를 가져오라고 나를 잠시 놓아주었다. 그는 집에서 뛰쳐나가고, 나는 그 뒤를 따라간다. 그는 차에 탔고 나는 조수석에 조용히 앉아 있었다. 그는 운전대에 손가락 관절이 하얗게 얹힌 채 형의 집으로 차를 몰고 갑니다.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyM12gX9l9
“큰 소란 피우지 마세요.” 나는 속삭인다. “나는 당신이 문제에 빠지는 것을 원하지 않습니다.” 그는 나를 쳐다보지도 않은 채 운전대를 주먹으로 세게 내리쳤다. "닥쳐. 내 방식대로 처리할게." 그는 형의 집으로 차를 세우고 차를 공원에 들이박고 뛰어내립니다. 나는 마지못해 그를 따라갔고, 이전 공격으로 인해 몸이 아팠다.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7a1gxwqkA
그는 곁눈질로 내 행동을 본다. 그의 형은 면도도 하지 않은 채 셔츠도 입지 않은 채 문을 연다. 그는 나를 보고 히죽히죽 웃는다. "Jakey boy." 그의 형이 조롱하듯 인사한다. 제이크는 빨간색을 본다. "당신이 내 여자를 만졌나요?" 그는 위험하게 으르렁거린다. 내 입술에서 피가 뚝뚝 떨어졌다. "얘들아, 가자-"22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsnNAVH5Us
악랄한 눈빛으로 나를 막은 제이크는 형을 지나 집으로 밀어넣는다. 문이 쾅 열리더니 거실 여기저기에 흩어져 있는 맥주 캔과 빈 칩 봉지가 드러났습니다. 제이크는 형의 목을 잡고 벽에 세게 밀쳐냅니다. "잘 들어라, 이 쓰레기야." 나는 제이크의 팔을 잡았다. "조심하세요. 문제가 발생하지 않도록 해주세요."22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkm7toH1qTd
그는 나를 흔들어 놓았고, 그의 눈은 형의 얼굴에서 한 번도 떠나지 않았습니다. "내가 원하는 건 뭐든지 할 거야. 이건 나와 그 사람 사이의 문제야." 그는 형의 목을 더욱 꽉 쥐었다. "다시 그 사람에게 손가락질을 하면 내가 널 죽여버릴 거야. 알겠어?" 22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEijxyomEdV
나는 제이크의 얼굴을 때렸다. "제이크! 그만해!" 그는 거기 서 있고 그의 가슴은 분노와 고통으로 들끓고 있습니다. 그는 자기 동생을 쳐다본 다음 다시 나를 쳐다본다. 그는 아무 말도 없이 돌아서서 문을 쾅 닫고 집 밖으로 나갔다. 나는 죄책감과 혼란스러움을 느끼며 그를 따라 차로 나갔다. “차에 타세요.” 그는 침을 뱉었다.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQL01u0Ez8
내가 조수석에 앉자 제이크는 운전석 문을 쾅 닫고 속도를 내며 타이어에서 삐걱거리는 소리를 냈습니다. 우리 사이의 침묵은 두껍고 긴장되어 늘어납니다. 그는 두 개로 꺾어버리고 싶은 듯이 운전대를 꽉 쥐고 턱을 꽉 쥐었습니다. “당신은 실제로 나를 때렸습니다.”그가 중얼 거립니다. 22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXGHbl4i0M
"그래야만 했어요." 나는 고개를 숙였습니다. "그것이 당신을 멈추게 하는 유일한 방법이었습니다." 제이크의 목소리는 감동으로 단단해졌습니다. "당신이 나를 때렸어요." 그는 낯선 집의 진입로로 들어가 엔진을 끕니다. 그는 잠시 거기에 앉아 눈을 똑바로 바라보고 있다. 그러다가 그는 읽을 수 없는 얼굴로 나에게 돌아섰다. “들어오세요.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7pZitFfhq
“우리는 어디에 있나요?” 나는 속삭인다. 그는 즉시 대답하지 않고 나를 집으로 인도했습니다. 평소 그의 아파트가 아닌 작고 깔끔한 곳이다. 그는 곧장 부엌으로 걸어가더니 냉동고에서 얼음주머니를 꺼내 나에게 던졌다. 내가 더 말할 수 있기 전에 그가 끼어들었습니다. “그리고 셔츠를 벗으세요.” 그의 말투는 단조롭고 차갑다. 나는 머뭇거리며 셔츠를 머리 위로 들어올려 배와 옆구리의 멍을 드러냈다. 그는 얼굴이 창백해진 채 그들을 쳐다본다.
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