Lullabies (Jalex)

Chapter Sixteen

Trigger Warning

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I was watching Alex pack things so he could stay with me. I looked around his room. The horrid mess. His mom was completely crazy. I felt so sorry for him. I knew he wasn't strong enough to get through any of this. Emotionally and Phiscally.

Alex threw a few things onto his bed making them land next to me. He was walking around slowly and limping.

"It's June 20th and I'm wearing a hoodie and pants." He said digging through the pile of things that belonged on his shelf.

"Let me see your leg, babe. Your limping, a lot." I said reaching for his hand. He unbuttoned his pants and showed me a cut from the bottom of his boxers almost to his knee. "Is that from your mom?" I asked him. He shook his head. Alex kind of made a choking notation. "Alex." I said softly. "Did you do this?" He nodded.

"I'm really sorry." He said wiping a tear away.

"Why?" I asked him.

"I was alone." He whined. "My mom left my dad. Hit rock bottom, and dragged me along with her."

"Is this all?" I asked him. He shook his head. He took off his hoodie and shirt. He showed me his right inner arm, his hips, and his rib cage. "How old are these?"

"March." He said putting his clothes on.

"Please, don't do that." I said kissing his arm. "Please." I saw tears fall down his face.

"I won't." He said sitting on my lap and wrapping his legs around my hips. He kissed me.

"I really love you." I said leaning back and pulling him with me. "A lot." I kissed him.

"I love you." He whispered. He kissed me and rolled over.

"I love you." I kissed his neck. "How does your rib feel?"

"Okay." He put his hand over it.

"Are you ready?" I asked him. He sat up and shook his head.

"I wanna stay here for a little." He said, "If thats okay?"

"I don't care. I need to get gas in my car after we leave." I told him.

"Can you help me get some stuff? I'm too short." He laughed a little. I nodded and kissed him. I followed him into his closet. He pointed to a pile of shorts on the top shelf. I grabbed the entire pile and gave them to him. "Thank you." He said hugging me.

"You are being different." I said kissing the top of his head, "But, I really like it."

"I realized how much you mean to me." He said moving his head so I could hear him. "And that, I'm in love with you, Jack. I can't lose you."

"Come here." I said picking him up. I sat down on his bed and started kissing him. "Fuck, I can't tell you how much I love you." I whispered to him. He kissed me again.

"Kiss me." He said pressing his lips against mine.

-----

Alex was on the phone with the police. He was crying a little and sitting in my car. I pulled into the gas station as soon as he got the call. I was paying for my gas when he got out of the car and leaned on my car waiting for me.

"What's going on?" I asked him as he ran into my arms.

"My mom doesn't have a trial, she is in jail for 2 years, because I'm not pressing charges. Also, the police told me, I don't go home until December to visit, but I get to finish school in Maryland with you. I don't even have to go back in December if I don't want." He hugged me.

"I'm not sure if your happy or sad?" I said hugging him back. He let go and smiled and ran into my car.

"I'm happy." He said, "I get to stay with you."

"Yay!" I kissed him, "Do you want to go have a picnic?" I asked him.

"Where?" He asked me.

"There's a lookout up in the mountains, about 5 blocks away from here, we can go get food and eat it there." I told him, "By food, I mean burritos and tacos."

"My mom never let me eat that. She told me it was bad for me." He said laughing.

"It is." I pushed his hair away from his eyes. He smiled.

"Can we get them?" He asked me.

"Yeah." I rubbed his hand with my thumb. I started my car and drove to a Taco Bell. We got 12 tacos and 6 burritos. Alex had Mt. Dew and I had water. I drove up to the lookout and got out of the car. I grabbed the sleeping bag from my trunk and laid it down. Alex got the food and our drinks and sat down. I grabbed my cell phone and sat beside him. He unwrapped a burrito and I stared at him.

"What?" He chuckled.

"Eat." I said taking a bite of a burrito. He took a small bite.

"This is good." He said taking another bite and talking with his mouth full.

"I love you." I kissed him with a mouth full of food.

"Ew, fuck." He pushed me away laughing, "I love you too." He said kissing me. "That's gross."

"I know." I laughed. Alex threw the wrapper of the burrito at me.

"Can I eat more?" He jokingly asked.

"Yeah." I said handing him the bag full of food. "I need to bring you up here for the sunset."

"I bet its beautiful." He said wrapping a taco. He took a bite of the crunchy shell and made a noise.

"Do you want to hear a story?" I asked. Alex nodded. "Last year at camp around the 10th, right before I got my lisence, Tay, Jenna, Zack, and Rian all snuck out and drove here to see it. I had to drive home in the dark because they were scared to. I didn't have a permit either."

"Did you get caught?" He asked.

"Rian and Zack were the last into camp. They did. That's why Rian wasn't at camp and Zack was so depressed."

"Who is Jenna?" He asked me.

"She sings, she left camp, she didn't like going." I said putting taco wrappers in the bag.

----

Alex and I sat at the lookout and talked all day. We left at 6. I took him to dinner before we went back home. We got home around 8. Alex and I brought in some bags for him to stay with us. My night was good until my dad walked in the door before my mom did.

"Jack, open the door please." He said knocking.

"It's unlocked." I said over the music. My dad opened my bedroom door and saw Alex and I sitting on my floor looking at guitar chords. My dad looked at him and walked out. "I'm sorry." I said hugging Alex.

"Its okay." He said, "I understand."

"He just doesn't." I closed the guitar book and picked up Alex's guitar. I played with the strings.

"Please don't be upset." He kissed me. "I love you."

"I love you too."