Jules knew how to fight, and she wasn’t just good at it- she was great at it. If she hadn’t, then she wouldn’t go around starting them against rapists. But, she was good at it. She was the one who taught her partner in crime to fight. However, every time she fought she was at risk. It was only a matter of time before something would happen. So, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when it did.
The guy they were fighting wasn’t anything to special, but he had somehow gotten a hold of a crowbar during the fight. He hit Ophelia with it first. He got her hard in the stomach and then he threw her across the room like a rag doll. Jules’s heart dropped. There was a loud bang and then a sharp cry. The cry sent shivers down her spine and her breath caught in her throat, oh god, Jules thought. Ophelia couldn’t get hurt, Jules couldn’t live with herself if that happened. She had been the one to bring in Ophelia, sure Ophelia had been the one to pursue her, but she had been the one to actually teach her. She shouldn’t have , she should have said no after the dead guy. She should have put a stop to it all. She should h-
The crowbar hit the back of Jules head and she fell to the ground. Her head was spinning and she couldn’t even register the pain. The crow bar came down on her again, this time on her back. Jules heard some crack as it came down again. The breath in Jules lungs was forcefully pushed outh as the bar hit her again. She couldn’t move. Her entire body felt like it was on fire as he hit her again and again. It felt like it would never end.
Then, it stopped. Jules could hear someone scream and the sound of metal hitting flesh. Jules still couldn’t move, her body seem to burn even more than it did when she was first hit. It was like the pain was finally settling in, and the shock was wearing off. She whimpered. She heard metal hit the concert. A hand touched her shoulder.
“Jules, oh god-” Ophelia’s voice hit her ears before everything went black.
-----------
Jules woke in a hospital bed. Her body ached, and it hurt to breath like her lungs were sitting on a box of nails and every time she breathed out they pushed onto her skin. Something warm was wrapped around her hand and she could vaguely make out a figure with blue hair next to her. Ophelia, her brain could barely registered the girl before she was out again.
The next time she woke, it was night time. No one was holding her hand this time, and Jules couldn’t help the disappointment that settled in her chest at that. The room was dark, and almost silent but you could hear the faint buzzing of the medical equipment and soft snoring. A girl with blue hair and a jean jacket was laying across several chairs with a textbook across her chest and a computer right behind it. Jules squinted at her, shouldn’t she have left by now? Then sleep overtook her again.
The third time she woke, it bright. The sun was shining through the window and there was more activity in the room than there had been any of the other times she woke. Ophelia’s hand was wrapped around her’s again, and Jules couldn’t help but think how comforting it felt. She wished Ophelia would never let go.
“-re you still here? I mean you are not even her friend, you just tutor her!” Jules could hear Kennedy rant. “And don’t even get me started on you holding her hand, what do you have a crush on her or something?”
Ophelia’s eyes never lifted from Jules hand. “I’m not leaving her. “ Her voice was raw and breathy. “You.. you didn’t see her, okay? You didn’t find her! You-” Jules squeezed Ophelia’s hand and the girl’s eyes snapped up to Jules’s. “You’re awake.” The words were filled with shock and relief. “Oh, thank god.” Ophelia’s voice cracked and she looked back down at Jules’s hand.
Kennedy brought her attention to Jules. “You’re awake! Thank god, I was so worried.” She said, walking over to Jules bed and then sitting on the edge of it.
The movement of the bed caused a sharp pain to pulse through her spine. She gasped and gripped Ophelia’s hand. Kennedy’s eyes widened. “Oh shit, did I just hurt you?”
“Yeah.” Jules rasped.
“I’m so sorry, I promise I won’t sit on the bed next time.” She told her.
Jules honestly didn’t care too much, the pain didn’t last for too long. “Okay.” She said, not up for starting a long conversation.
“Also, what the hell happened?”
Jules shrugged, or well tried to shrug but it hurt to move and came out looking like she twitched and was grimacing in pain. She didn’t feel like coming up with a lie yet. Actually, she felt like falling back asleep. Jules closed her eyes and let Kennedy’s voice lull her to sleep.
------------
The next time Jules woke, it was night time again. But, this time Ophelia was still holding her hand. Ophelia had a table pulled up next to her chair and was working on some kind of math it looked like.
“Hey.” Jules breathed out.
A smile worked it’s way onto Ophelia’s face. “Hey, you’re awake again. “ She said, looking away from her math homework.
Jules smiled. “Yeah, and you're still here.”
“I’m not going to leave. I- i don’t even want to let you out if my sight.” Ophelia looked back at her homework. “I just keep seeing you there with him hitting you and..” Jules could see a tear roll down Ophelia’s cheek. “I can’t leave you. I won’t.”
Jules couldn’t quite understand why Ophelia cared so much. They hadn’t know each other long, and Ophelia kind of forced herself into Jules’s life. Normally, Jules’s would have minded, but somehow Ophelia made it seem natural. Ophelia noticed Jules more than anyone had. She looked at her and saw something more than anyone had. She didn’t just see her as smart, pretty and kickass, she saw all of her. Her faults, her weakness, but also her strengths and her happiness. She noticed things that not even Kennedy noticed, and was able to get Jules to spill her heart out with the raise if an eyebrow. It was strange how easily they worked together. They seemed so different, yet Ophelia seemed to be the only one who understood her. And, Jules didn’t know why. She didn’t understand why Ophelia meant so much, but she never wanted Ophelia to leave.
Jules gave Ophelia’s hand a squeeze. “Okay.”
Jules took her hand away from Ophelia’s and raised herself up on her elbows to scoot over, her breath hitched at the pain it caused. Then she slowly lowered herself back down to the bed. She patted the space next to her. “C’mere.”
Ophelia’s eyes widened. “Don’t you remember what happened when Ken-”
Jules rolled her eyes. “I’ll be fine. Come on.” She told her.
“I don-”
“Ophelia.” Their eyes met. “Please.”
Ophelia swallowed. “Okay.”
Slowly, Ophelia climbed onto the small hospital bed with Jules. Jules gritted her teeth as the bed shook, but she didn’t care because it was worth it. “You are okay with me touching you, right?” Ophelia asked. Jules nodded, she was okay with Ophelia doing almost anything to her. Ophelia felt safe. Ophelia laid down her body pressed to Jules’s, her head on Jules’s shoulder, and her stomach pressed to Jules’s side. Jules relaxed into the warmth of Ophelia’s body immediately.
“Jules?” Asked Ophelia.
.
“Yeah."
"Please don’t get hurt like that ever again.”
“I’ll try.”
“You promise?”
“Promise?”
Ophelia held up her hand, her eyes held an emotion that made her look vulnerable- an emotion Jules had only seen when her mother had come around. Jules heart ached for her. “Pinky promise?”
Jules cracked a smile, and chuckled. The childish humor was so like Ophelia, yet she knew that the blue haired woman wasn’t joking. She needed the reassurance, what for, Jules wasn’t sure. But, as she looked down at Ophelia, who was looking up at her with her head on her chest, something inside Jules grew- an emotion that she couldn’t place. Her smile dropped, her face taking a more serious look. “Pinky promise.” Then, she wrapped her pinky around Ophelia’s, and the other girl let out a breath of air.
“Okay.” She said.
Ophelia’s pinky was still wrapped around Jules’s, she left it like that for a few minutes. Then, Ophelia laced her fingers through Jules’s, Jules breath caught in her throat. She glanced up at the blond. “This okay?” It was more than okay, Jules nodded. Ophelia smiled then closed her eyes, resting their entwined hands on Jules”s stomach. Soon enough, they both drifted off into sleep.
----------
“So, are you going to tell me what happened, now?” Kennedy asked.
Ophelia had left an hour ago to go to work, Harris had threatened to fire her again if she didn’t come in and Jules was not going to let her lose her job again. Ophelia whined about not wanting to let Jules out of her sight, but she glared her down until Ophelia gave in. However, because Ophelia wasn’t in the room with her she was religiously texting her and asking if her nurse had given her a certain medication yet -apparently she not only memorized Jules’s chart, but found out what each medication did and what they were made out of. And, at first Jules thought it was sweet, but it was getting a bit obsessive.
“I don’t really remember.” Jules told her. “It’s all just kind of a blur.”
Kennedy frowned. “Why would you call her and not me?”
“She was the last person I called, so her name was the first to pop up on my call log.” It was only a half lie, technically Ophelia was the last person she called because she called her before she left her apartment to go kick that douchebags ass.
Kennedy rolled her eyes. “Of course, she’s the last person you called. You are always with her and talking to her. I thought she was just your tutor, why do you spend so much time with your tutor?”
“Because she’s my tutor and I have a lot to catch up on.” Said Jules. “You’re being ridiculous.”
Jules understood that Kennedy felt threatened by the other girl, but she could really tone down the jealous. Even if Ophelia was just her tutor, they would still have to talk a lot and be together a lot because Jules was really behind on everything. Luckily, Ophelia could help her with ninety percent of her school work because the other girl had the IQ of a genius and had taken half the classes Jules was taking now. So, again it was only a half lie. Plus, Jules enjoyed Ophelia’s company.
“Can we talk about something else?” Jules asked.
“Yeah sure.”
---------------
Ophelia came back three hours later. Kennedy was still there, but somehow Nate had shown up too. Jules wasn’t exactly sure why he was here, she thinks he brought them lunch, but Jules was too busy panicking to remember what was going on. She hated him for making her so weak. Her mind kept wandering back to the other night with the crowbar hitting her back, and she replaced the guy’s face with Nate’s. The scene kept replaying in her head.
“Why is he here?” Ophelia asked, her voice was filled with malice.
“I think the real question is why are you here?” Kennedy snarked back.
Ophelia let out a laugh. “Whatever, but he needs to leave.”
“He doesn't need to do anything, right Jules?” Jules looked down at her thumbs, trying to distance herself from the conversation. “Really?” Asked Kennedy, offended. “You’re taking her side?”
“Out ya’ go.” Said Ophelia.
Jules kept her head down, not willing to watch them leave. “You good?” Ophelia asked her, as soon as they were down the hall. She shrugged. Ophelia’s hand wrapped around her’s. “I’m on your side, okay?” She nodded.
“Okay.”
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
Jukes swallowed the lump in her throat, and looked up to Ophelia’s sincere eyes. “Promise?”
“Pinky promise.”
--------------
Ophelia took Jules to her house as soon as she was discharged. Jules could barely walk because of the spine injury, but the doctor said with a few months of physical therapy, she would be fine. Jules was thankful for that.
“You never told me what happened to that guy.” Jules told Ophelia once they entered her house.
Ophelia awkwardly laughed. “Uh, what guy?” Walking her toward the kitchen.
“The one who did this too me.”
Ophelia looked down. “You don’t want to know?”
“Did you kill him?”
“Worse.”
“How?”
“He’s in a coma, they said he’s a vegetable now.”
“Oh.”
Jules didn’t know what to say. Ophelia had killed someone for her once, and now she’s put someone in a coma for her. “He hurt you Jules, and I wasn’t going to let him do it again.” Jules’s eyes met Ophelia’s and she couldn’t read the emotion in her eyes, but it was powerful. It made her feel like her heart was beating too fast, and like she was the only person in the world at that moment. “I would have killed him, but I heard you whimper and I wasn’t going to waste anymore time on him then to get you help.”
Jules doesn’t get it. “Why? Why would you do this for me?”
Ophelia looked down. “Um…” She swallowed. “Do you want ice cream?”
“What?”
“I feel like ice cream.”
“Sure…?”
“I have rocky road and mint chip. Pick your poison.”
“Rocky road.”
“Okay. Let me get that.” She started towards her fridge.
“Ophelia, wait.” Said Jules, and Ophelia paused.
“Changed your mind?” She asked weakly.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Ophelia looked down at her feet. “I.. um..” She looked for the words. Finally she took a breath. “I don’t have very many people.” She said.
Jules frowned. “What?”
“My parents think I’m a disappointment and try to ignore my existence and I’ve never been the type to make friends.But...” She paused. “I have you and Harris.” She said. “And that’s about it.” She sighed. “I can’t lose you. I-I love you.”
“Ophelia..”
Ophelia looked towards the fridge. “So, ice cream..”
“Ophelia…”
“Rocky road, still? Or did you change your mind to classic mint?” Jules sighed. This wasn’t getting anywhere. “I myself, like to mix ot up and put a little of both in the bowl, well not a little, more like a lot of both. Because, I mean, who only eats small portions of ice cream?” She rambled.
“Ophelia, stop.” She said a little louder. Ophelia’s eyes met her’s, scared. “I love you too.”
“Promise?” Ophelia quipped.
Jules gave her a smile. “Get over here and kiss me.”
Ophelia didn’t need to be told twice. She walked back over to Jules’s wheelchair and dipped down to kiss her. The kiss was soft and sweet. It didn’t last more than a few seconds. Ophelia rested her head against Jules’s.
“Pinky promise.” Jules whispered, and Ophelia cracked a smile.