Feeling like the bottom of her stomach had flipped around, Katelynn licked her lips and tried to find the right words.
“It’s not that..I just didn’t want you to see the bruise and get worried…” She stopped short, remembering they had had this conversation before. “When I came to you before..like when I’ve been beaten up by Hot Flash..all I did was cause you worry and pain..and I’ve been trying so hard to stay away from villains and yet this one ran into me and..I failed to stay safe like I promised..I didn’t want you to get worried..”
It had more to do with that than helping Harrison out. If she hadn’t been smacked she wouldn’t have stayed away from him.
He groaned, and covered his face. “S-so any time you end up hurt you’ll run away from me, is that it?” he asks into his hands. “W-what if when we get married a-and you get pregnant. Wh-what happens then, when the time to give birth comes? Th-that will hurt. Will you run from me then, to keep me f-from worrying?” he asked, “D-damnit, Katelynn,” he lowered his hands from his face. “I d-don’t know how to feel now.” he admitted weakly, “I just. Don’t.”
“N-No..” she whispered, moving over to him and putting her hands on his forearms, her hands trembling over him. “I-I just..I guess I was wrong..to do that and I’m sorry..I just hate causing you to worry and yet show you I get hurt or avoid you it’s all I seem to do. I don’t know what to do anymore..how to stop making these mistakes..”
She swallowed, the trembles moving over her entire body and happy she wasn’t crying at least. She was too stunned to possibly.
“What do I do..? Either way I seem to lose..”
“I don’t know.” he whispered quietly, miserably. He just felt like an utter failure, again. He said he would always be there for her, to keep her safe, yet what had happened? She’d been hurt, and she’d run away from him to keep him from worrying. But he had worried all the same, about how she was doing. Was she safe? Last time she’d run off and he’d tried to call her there was no answer so he hadn’t even tried to call her. What kind of man was he? He shut his eyes, and shook his head. “I just d-don’t know…”
Jack slowly pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her. “Y… you have to tell me things. T-that you’ve been assaulted by someone, whether you f-feel you asked for it or not… I’m s-supposed to take care of you and if I c-can’t help avoid the confrontation a-at least let me help you get better afterwards… o-otherwise… wh-why are we getting married i-if I can’t even tend to you…? Katelynn I lo-love you so much but I’m so scared, still, that I’m n-not enough. And you r-running away from me only m-makes me feel that way more. So please… no more of this. Please.”
Jack Maple 