"MATT, ARE YOU Ok." he said again.
My head was still spinning. What happened? I was sure my dad was about to
beat me to death. I started coming around a bit. Things starting to make a
bit of sense. But not much.
"Hi, police please." I heard Jamie say.
"Noooo," I tried to say and shake my head but that really hurt. I just
groaned. My chest really hurt, my face hurt, the back of my head hurt.
He finished talking to the police and asked for an ambulance, I stopped
him.
"I'm OK." I said. He kissed my forehead, ow, it hurt.
The police showed up minutes later. They asked what happened. Jamie
explained what he had seen. The officer asked if that was right. I just
looked at my dad. Laying on the floor, unconscious, looked like Jamie had
hit him with a truck. I said Jamie was right. They tried to call an
ambulance again for me, I protested and gave Jamie puppy dog eyes.
"Look, I'll take him home with me, my parents are doctors." he said. I
looked at him confused.
"The ambulance was for him actually." the officer said points at my dad.
"Oh," Jamie said.
"I'll take you to your place," the officer said. "my partner will stay here
until the ambulance arrives. But I need you to come to the station tomorrow
and make an official statement. You are in no fit state to do it now. But
come down about 2pm."
We left with the officer; Jamie helped me into the back of the car. And he
drove us home. We arrived outside Jamie's parents' house, blue lights
flashing. His mother was outside like a flash. She looked relived as Jamie
was let out of the car, but horrified when she saw me. Jamie and the
policeman helped me out, I struggled out.
"What the bloody hell happened!" she screamed at Jamie.
The officer started talking. "we were called to a domestic violence scene,
this young man (pointed at me) and his father had an incident. This young
man (pointed at Jamie) managed to subdue him and save Matthews life."
She hugged Jamie, and then hugged me, which hurt. We made our way inside.
"Why haven't you gone to hospital?" she accused.
"I didn't want to go, Jamie said you were doctors." I replied as we entered
the kitchen, Jamie's dad jumped up and started helping too.
"DOCTORS!" she screamed at Jamie. "You father is a vet and I am his nurse."
"Yet??!!" I said to Jamie.
"They didn't ask what type of doctor!" he said grinning. I couldn't help
but start laughing.
"Don't make me laugh, of hurts." I said chuckling. "Owwww."
Everyone got the giggles for a bit.
"Matt take your shirt off so I can check you ribs." Jamie's dad said.
I took my shirt off and there was a gasp from each of them as they saw the
new bruise on my ribs. Plus a couple if scars/older bruises. He started
feeling my ribs, hitting a painful spot caused me to draw in breath and
wince a bit.
"Well, good news is that none of you ribs seem broken amazingly." Jamie's
dad stated.
"I'm quite tough," I said with a smile.
"Tougher than you need to be I feel. How long has your dad been hitting
you?" he asked.
I just looked down at my feet.
"Ok, don't worry about answering that. You need some new clothes. You've
got blood and all sorts on these. Do you want me to take you home to get
some? I'll drive you there and back here again." Jamie's dad said.
"I don't really want to go back for a bit to be honest." I said.
"I'll go with you dad." Jamie said. I gave him my key. "I think I can
remember where it was!"
"Bloody better do." his dad said punching him gently on the arm.
"While you are gone, get some food, I know we normally go out on Fridays,
but let's get the food to come here." his mum said.
"I don't want to be a bother, if u want to go out, I'll stay on my own." I
said.
"Don't be silly, we're not going to go out and leave you here. They can get
something. Just make it nice!" she said, "While you are gone, I'll make up
a bed for you to stay in."
"He can stay with me." Jamie said, without thinking first. He got glared at
by both his parents. "oops." was all he said after.
His mum piped up, "I don't think so young man. If Matthew is stating for a
while, then there will be ground rules, one of which will be not sharing
the same bed!"
Jamie went bright red. God it was cute, and funny!
I just picked up on something she said. "staying here a while?" I asked.
"We can't send you back can we. We'll let you stay until this is all sorted
out. Just abide by the rules." she said.
"Yes ma'am." I said with a smile, which hurt.
She looked at me, as I had said ma'am, then just smiled.
"You too get gone, Matthew, go get cleaned up."
"Gone!" Jamie dragged his dad out the room.
I went into Jamie's room, he followed and shut the door.
"I'm sorry I didn't get to you quicker." be said as he hugged me.
"Owwww," I said as he gripped. He jumped back.
"Sorry!" he said, then kissed me on the lips, god this was surreal. I
kissed back.
"JAMIE!" I heard his dad shout."
"Coming!" he shouted back. "I'll see you in a bit, anything you want me to
grab?"
"Err, laptop, and there is a bag under the bed, pre packed with everything
I'd need." I said.
"Pre packed?" he said.
"Well, you know, just in case I decided to walk out one day." a tear came
to his eye. He kissed me again.
"No one will hurt you again, ever, I promise." he said as left the
room. Which brought a tear to my eye.
I got showered, a long hot one. I got out and just had a towel around
me. Drying off. I sat on Jamie's bed. Thoughts running through my head. The
past few days, the past years. Tears started rolling down my cheeks. I
started sobbing. Jamie s mum must have heard. She came in and hugged me. A
hug only a mother can give, even though she wasn't my mum, it still
worked. The kind of hug that soaks you up, that pulls out the pain. I just
lost control and sobbed in her arms, she didn't say anything, she didn't
have too, she just held me. Jamie and his dad returned. I could see them in
the door way to Jamie's room, he went to come in, his dad stopped him,
pulling him out and closing the door.
I could hear Jamie talking to his dad. I just stayed there being hugged. A
few minutes passed and I got myself under control.
"Feel better?" she asked.
I sniffed my nose, "kinda, but not really."
"I'll get your stuff, your bedroom is this way." she showed me to another
room. Fairly neutral colours, but a double bed, and my stuff was on the
bed. She left me alone. Any I got changed, fresh clothes felt much
better. Jamie had grabbed a good selection. And my laptop was there too,
damn he was good!
I went back downstairs. I'd cleaned myself up, fresh clothes, done my hair,
put my eye-liner on, made a bit of a fuss of myself, which felt nice to
do. I'd done my hair so it covered the bruised side of my face (you don't
know how often I'd done that!)
"Wow, you look like a new person!" Jamie's mum said. "come eat,
unfortunately they got KFC."
"Unfortunately??" Jamie said as he tucked in. There were 2 massive buckets
of chicken.
"It's a good choice" I said.
"See, I was right," Jamie said eating more chicken.
"Well that's OK then!" his mum said.
Not a lot was said as we tucked into the buckets. Jamie, eating more than
his fair share kept eating, how he kept that skin body of his I'll never
know! When is was all finished, we retreated to the lounge and they put the
TV on, I sat next to Jamie. I wanted a cuddle but it was kinda
uncomfortable with his parents there, so I put feet up on the sofa and
leaned towards him, we were close but not touching. He put his arm around
my shoulder, I just took that as a sign and leaned in properly putting my
head on his shoulder and my hand on his thigh. He put his hand on top of
mine.
We stayed like that while we watched TV. Wasn't much good on, and I was
feeling sleepy, I snuggled right up to him and closed my eyes.
"Jamie, you don't half pick them." his mum said to him.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Well, lots of things!" she said. "he is very good looking, polite, a nice
boy. But he has a lot of issues. The father thing being the biggest. He
needs a lot of love."
"I know the father thing I didn't realize about, I knew other things had
happened to him. I didn't even know he was gay, actually I don't think he
knew, until we ..... Kissed." Jamie realised what he had started saying.
"You two have had sex?" his mum asked.
"Muuuum." Jamie said in a whiney tone, "you can't ask me that!"
"I know the answer now though don't I. Was he your first?" she paused,
"actually I don't think I want to know."
"He is the first, the only. Mum he makes me feel funny, like now, look at
him." Jamie was absent mindedly stroking through Matt's hair. "I can give
him lots of love, I can protect him from all the nasty things that
shouldn't happen to people. I want to be with him."
"Hmmm, first love. How I remember those feelings." Jamie's mum said, as she
looked at her husband. "you too need to be careful. If he is here for a
while, as I think he might be, there will be no sex. I can see why you feel
the way you do."
"Ok mum, anything, I just want to be with him." Jamie said.
I stirred and awoke feeling Jamie stroking my hair.
"If you are tired honey, then go to bed, it's OK." Jamie's mum said.
I looked at Jamie and he smiled and nodded. I got up and groaned as my
muscles protested against the move. Jamie got up and walked me to bed. We
said our good nights, and kissed, a long passionate kiss. He then walked
out closing the door behind him.
I undressed down to my boxers. My ribs were really red and bruised
now. Must have been one hell of a drop kick my dad did. I turned the light
off, and slipped into the cool covers.
I drifted off into a fitful sleep. I was waking up from nightmares. Some
about my dad, some about being raped, and then dreams about being held by
Jamie, feeling everything was safe.
I was having a bad nightmare; I sat up with a start. Realised it was a
nightmare and lay back down.
I hear the door start to open.
"Are you OK?" I hear Jamie's voice.
"Kinda," I said. He came in, shut the door behind him and slid into bed
with me and held me, I rolled over put my head on his shoulder, my arm
across his chest and my leg over his. I felt him kiss my forehead.
"You're mum said we couldn't sleep together," I said in my half-awake
voice.
"It's ok, you just sleep." he said back to me. I snuggled in to him and
went back to sleep.
I didn't have another nightmare that night.
I woke up, still sprawled across Jamie's body, he was on his back still
stroking my hair. He was talking to someone. My head came about and things
starting to become slightly clearer.
"Morning sleepy head." Jamie said.
"Morning Matthew," his mum said. Bugger, we'd been caught in bed
together. She obviously saw the slight panic in my face. "It's OK honey, I
let Jamie stay in there with you. We heard you shouting in your
sleep. Jamie told me what happened to you, I'm so sorry, that shouldn't
happen to people. You have to report your gir-ex-girlfriend."
I went quiet, tried to hide behind my hair and Jamie.
"I don't know what to do." I said.
"I tell you what. I'll take you to the police station today, you have to go
about your dad anyway. We'll talk about it then. I promise I won't say
anything to them unless you want me too." she said.
"OK." I replied, "Thanks."
"You are welcome honey, I'll leave you two alone." she said and closed the
door.
"What time is it?" I asked Jamie.
"Half eleven, loads of time." he said.
"I'm scared about going to the police." I said.
"Don't be, I'll come along if you want. But mum will be there, she'll make
sure you are OK." he said.
"Why are you all so nice to me?" I asked.
"Because...." he said.
"That's not an answer!" I said.
"OK, well my parents are vets, you have to have a lot of compassion to deal
with animals, and think how many stays they have dealt with, I guess I just
get it off if them." Jamie said.
"So that makes me a stray?" I said smiling.
"Not exactly, but I did find you on the street!" he said. "you are someone
who needs something extra from me, compassion, help, love."
"I don't need anything; I've lasted this long without anyone." I bit
back. "Wait. Love? You love me?"
"You do need help, even if it's just someone to stand there, be quiet and
hold your hand. And I don't know, you make me feel funny inside, I look at
you and my stomach lurches, and my heart rate picks up." he replied. "I
don't know if that is love, I'm only 16, I don't know enough about that!"
I lay there in silence, enjoying the sensations of his skin against mine
and his hand stroking my head, we'd said enough, for now.
I just had to get my head around this, but first I needed to get this
police thing done first. Could I send my dad away forever? But if i could
wake up like this every morning, then maybe being honest about what he had
done to me was the right thing to do.