Head On Collision

Alex’s POV

After Jack gives me the pain killer, we lounge for a little while until he kisses me goodbye before he goes to work at the hockey rink. He won’t be home till around seven thirty tonight due to the fact that he has to stay late tonight, the boss wants to talk to him.

All I can hope is that it’s good news, like a promotion, but I can’t expect anything because if it’s bad news, I’ll be the one to blame and get hurt.

Before he left he told me I could have Martin over but he has to be gone before he gets home.

That’s Jack’s rule so I have to follow it.

I text my friend and ask him to come over if he wants to. He tells me he can and that he’ll be here as soon as he can.

*Time lapse thirty minutes*

The doorbell rings about half an hour later, and my tall, shaggy brown haired friend is at the door just waiting to come inside.

“Hey Alex. How’s it going?” He asks me as I let him in and we go to sit on the grey sectional couch Jack bought from Value City Furniture.

“Jack and I are doing fine.” I tell him, avoiding what he really means.

“Alex, you know what I mean. Now are you okay?” Martin questions me with his left eyebrow raised.

“I’m fine, I’m perfectly fine. Would you like anything?” I respond, still trying to avoid what he wants to respond.

“I’d like for you to tell me what’s wrong. Did Jack hurt you last night?” The older one of us says, prying to get a response from me.

“Yes, he did.” I sigh, bowing my head down in shame.

“Alex, do you know why he does this?” Martin puts his arm around me, rubbing my back.

“Because that’s how he shows his love. He cares about me.”

“No, he does this because he enjoys seeing you be beat half alive. He gets joy inflicting pain on you. Why did he do it yesterday?”

“I forgot to clean the house. It wasn’t spotless like he likes it.”

“Let me talk to him.”

“Martin! Please don’t do that. It’s not necessary!” I cry.

“Yes it is, he needs to know it’s not okay to do that!” My only friend stands up, yelling at me and I
cower in fear.

“Go away!” I cry harder.

“Ugg, Alex you don’t think I’m going to hit you do you?” Martin instantly calms down, apologizing that he scared me.

“Please d-d-don’t!” I scootch away from him and go to the other side of the couch.

‘Alex, I’m sorry. I should've done that. I know how you are.”

“So I’m just a charity case?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Sure sounds like it.”

“Do you just want me to go home?”

“Please don’t go, I’m sorry for being pathetic.

“You’re not pathetic, just damaged.”

“Can you help me cook and clean before Jack gets here?” I whisper.

“Of course I will. Now where do we get started?” Martin asks me and I tell him so we can work together.

*Time lapse ten hours later*

Ten hours pass from when Martin was here around nine, he left around five thirty and I’m now finishing up the last bit of dinner before Jack gets here.

It’s a Tuesday so I had to make Mexican food. We always theme our foods so we can always have a new culture every night. Mondays are Italian food, Wednesdays Polish, Thursdays French, Friday is Chinese, Saturday Greek and Sunday is German night.

The tacos are lined up next to the tamales and tortillas. For dessert I made churros and postres.

I had to make it perfect enough just so that Jack hopefully wouldn’t be mad for when he got home.

Just as I’m setting up the wine glasses, Jack comes into the house.

He doesn’t say a single word, just walks into the room with a big grin and comes running over to me, spinning me around in a circle.

“You’ll never believe what happened at the meeting!” My husband says after placing me back on the sparkling white tile floor.

“What?” I act all cheer like and I am happy. If Jack’s happy, then I’m happy.

“I got promoted!” He says, then pulling out a chair for me to sit in like the gentleman he can be.

“That’s great!”

“I’m not assistant coach anymore. They made me full!”

I don’t say a word, just get up from my seat and give him a big long hug, Jack not giving it back to me so I pull away carefully, scared to see if he’ll be mad at me.

“Jack?” I ask as he stares at me in shock.

“Just startled, that’s all. Now come back here.” He tells me, then bringing me down on his lap like a small child.

“I love you babe.” He tells me, holding me close to his chest to let me know that it’s one of his good nights.

But that just warns me for tomorrow. You don’t get two good days in a row. This is just braving me for the storm tomorrow…

Jack puts some food on the plate between us and then starts to dip the tortillas in the salsa and guacamole, just the way I like it.

I take it from his hand and he continues to do that every other time, except dipping his in only the queso.

He tells me what happened at work and I listen carefully, not wanting to interrupt to get him angry.

Then I go on to tell him that Martin came over and he instantly tensed up.

“He didn’t say anything bad about me did he?” Jack glares deep into my toffy eyes.

“He wanted to talk to you.”

“And you told him no?”

“Just like you want me to.”

“Good because I don’t want to hear him rant to me like he did before on love. You remember that day don’t you?” He asks, then bringing me closer to him and rubbing his thumb against the scar hidden behind my bangs.

“Yes.” I whisper, hiding my face in his neck and remembering the painful memory.

It was a Friday night, Jack came home early from teaching hockey and Martin was still at the house.

I told him to leave, but he didn’t go. Instead, staying at the house and demanding to talk to Jack, not taking no for an answer.

“Alex! Darling, I’m ho-.” He cut himself off, glaring at Martin as he sees him sitting on our living room.

“Why are you here.” Jack says, gritting his teeth together.

“You treat Alex like a toy Jack! You don’t love him!” Martin defends himself.

“I do love him!”

“Then act like it!”

“I do!”

“Jack stop, you’re being unreasonable right now!” I speak up from my corner that I sit in.

“Alex, this is my fight. Not yours.”

“Let him talk! He has a voice!”

I do nothing but walk up and hide behind Jack.

“Really Alex? Why are you hiding behind him?” Martin yells at me.

“He loves me! I love him!”

“That’s a load of shit, you know he just does this because he likes to see innocents like you in pain.”

“Leave!” I cry, still standing behind Jack.

Martin listens to me and walks out the door, not afraid to slam it and make the whole house rumble.

“Alex. Why was Martin here when I came home.” Jack drags me in front of him, then shoving me to cold, hardwood flooring.

“I told him to leave before you came but he wouldn’t listen to me!”

He doesn’t say a word, just kicks me hard and doesn’t stop for what seems like forever.

But then for a single moment, he stops and I think everything's over.

Jack’s gone.

And that’s when I see him back, with a knife, thinking he’s just gonna end me for all.

I feel the blood on my forehead.

It’s deep.

And then a few more blows and he’s done with me, just drops the knife and leaves me out to
what I think is to die.

I just lay there, waiting for someone to come save me.

All I do is cry and once I think I’m able to move, I crawl to the couch, getting my twenty year old body to where I can rest.

Once I get on the couch that’s when Jack comes down the stairs with a first aid kit and arms wide open.

I get excited, knowing he’s come to save me.

“I’m sorry Lex, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He says, getting out a bandaid for my cut on my forehead.

“You only do that because you love me.” I tell him and kisses the cut on my forehead as I look up at him with innocent eyes.

“You’re my little, all American boy.” Jack tells me and we continue eating dinner in a peaceful silence.

Notes

I hope you like this chapter, you can thank Carrie Underwood's music for the idea and making me motivated.
If anyone can guess where the title is from (but I changes a word) and the ending sentence and tell me in the comments. You'll be 20% cooler!
Till darkness completes us,
Sarah's Butterflies