After Us (Next Generation #6) - J.M. Walker Page 0,66
him, a sob wracking through my body.
“Shhh…” With his arm around my shoulders, he guided me down the hall to the bathroom. We walked into the small room and instead of leaving like I thought he would, he shut the door and leaned against it. “Take all the time you need, Piper.”
I looked at the toilet, my bladder screaming for release.
“I’m not leaving,” Jaron said, tugging the thought right out of my head. “Tell me what happened.”
“I had to go to the bathroom. I didn’t think I would get a trigger, but something made me think of that night. It doesn’t make sense. Maybe it’s because I’m here. Maybe it’s because I’m with the same people as that night.” A sigh shuddered through me. “I thought maybe I was over it,” I told him, deciding to get used to the fact that he was there and went about my business. When I finished, I was washing my hands when his next words made me pause.
“How the hell do you expect to get over something like that, Piper? It could take years. And even then, you might not ever get over it.” Jaron came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my middle. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
I shook my head, pulling away from him so I could dry my hands. When I was done, I turned toward him. “Do you get triggers? Anything that reminds you of whatever happened while you were in jail?”
His jaw clenched, a sharp exhale leaving him. “Yeah. I do.”
“How do you deal with them?” I asked, leaning against the wall opposite him.
“I have you, Piper.” He took a step toward me. “You help me deal. I know I haven’t told you every nitty gritty detail of what I did but…” He closed the final distance between us, reaching out and locking my chin in his grip. “I love you and without you, I would have done far worse shit than I did.”
I swallowed hard. “Really?”
His gray eyes darkened, something flashing in his intense stare. A stare that I could get lost in if I ever let myself.
“Really,” he murmured, placing a soft peck on my forehead.
My eyes fluttered closed at the gentleness coming from him. “I’m here for whenever you want to talk about what happened.”
“I know.” He pulled away, putting some space between us, but it wasn’t space that I needed. No. I needed him. Every inch. Every dark stormy stare. Every smirk. Every word. I needed him to tell me that this was going to be okay. That we were going to be okay.
When I went to walk past him, he grabbed my upper arm. I looked up at him.
“Did someone tell you that you should be over it by now?”
“What?” I pulled from his rough grip. “No. God no. I was thinking it myself. But no, everyone has been wonderful and supportive. Even though I haven’t seen people as often as I’m sure I should have…it’s my own fault that I haven’t been around. And I don’t know what Ashton’s problem is. He was a dick before. He caused problems for your cousin and Luna but he’s dealing with Aiden.” My stomach clenched. “Not that it matters anyway. It’s no excuse.”
“Piper, listen to me.” Jaron cupped my face, forcing me to look up at him. “What you went through was traumatic. And you haven’t been able to hang out with your friends since. Luckily, as sad as it is, you never have to go back to your old place. A trigger can be caused from anything. You don’t have to be in the location of where the trauma actually happened for you to get one. But I wish you would have come got me.”
“You followed me,” I reminded him. “And I only had to go to the bathroom. I didn’t think something would happen.”
“Of course I would follow you. I followed you to Paris remember.” He kissed my forehead.
A shaky laugh left me. “I still can’t believe you did that, creeper.”
Jaron chuckled. “I followed you to the bathroom to make sure that you were okay. Seeing as saving your life means shit to some.”
“What?” I leaned back. “What does that mean? You did more than just save my life, Jaron. I don’t know who you were talking… you were talking to Ashton. Did he say that?”
Jaron’s jaw ticked. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters.” I pulled away from him. “God, he’s such an asshole. I just want…”