Page 32 of Protective Love

"Sorry, I really don't want to interrupt, but I have to ask if you could keep it down a little bit."

"Well, there's no need to worry. I'm leaving now," Jess says, glaring daggers at me.

"Jess, come on. Wait a minute, please. Talk to me," I plead, wanting to know what's going on with her and why she's acting like this all of a sudden.

Her brows raise and she shakes her head as she turns away from me and walks towards the door that Rory's now holding open.

"The only way you'll stop me from leaving this room is if you get up out of that bed and stand in my way, but we both know you can't do that right now, Jay."

I grimace at her words as hurt seeps into my bones while I watch her walk out the room.

Rory tentatively walks further into the room, stopping at the end of my bed.

She rests a hand against my calf and gives it a gentle squeeze, prompting me to look up at her.

"Are you okay?" she asks, her smooth voice washing over me and somehow calming the turmoil growing inside of me.

I nod my head, even though I'm far from being okay.

"Yeah. Think I just need some sleep."

Her brows furrow and her head tilts to the side as her eyes run over my face, analysing me.

After a moment, she smiles at me sadly and then clear her throat and removes her hand from my leg.

"Okay. Well, I'm about to head home, but I'll come check on you tomorrow morning once I clock in."

We stare at each other, silence filling the room.

When she realises I'm not going to respond, she takes a couple steps back and turns towards the door.

"Goodnight, Rory," I mutter, closing my eyes and shutting out the world, prepared to lose myself in my thoughts.

"Goodnight, Jaylen."

Chapter Seventeen

Rory

"Girl, I'm honestly so mad that I'm not there with you to see all of this wild shit going on. It sounds like I'm missing out on so much drama," Chrissie says, watching me as I hurriedly get ready on facetime.

"I'd happily swap places with you in a heartbeat. The ride home last night was the most awkward situation I think I've ever been in."

"But you admit that you felt safer in the car with that scary motherfucker than you did on the bus, right?"

I huff and nod my head as I run a brush through my hair, wincing when the bristles get caught on a knot.

"Yeah, surprisingly I did. It's weird, Chrissie. I hardly know any of them, and yet I feel more comfortable around them than any other men I've ever been surrounded by, excluding Nathan obviously."

"Maybe that just goes to show that being away from here is helping you heal," she suggests.

I shake my head and laugh as I slip my shoes on.

"If that was the case, I wouldn't feel my body lock up every time someone's about to touch me, and I wouldn't have to calm myself down every time someone's behind me or walking past me."

"It's going to take time, but eventually, it won't be like that."

"Is there any update with things?" I ask, biting on the inside of my cheek, waiting for her response.