Healing the Heart
JJ sat in her room, her mind reeling. Her boyfriend was in the hospital, and the doctors weren't sure if he was going to make it. JJ didn't know what to feel. She was scared, worried, and confused. How had things gotten so bad? She had been in love with him once, but now she didn't even know how she felt about him. On top of all that she had a confusing dream the night before and didn't know what to think about it.
Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. It was her parents. JJ sighed and answered.
"Hi, Mom," she said, her voice flat.
"JJ, we heard about your boyfriend. Are you okay?" her mother asked.
"I don't know, Mom. I don't know what to feel," JJ said honestly.
"Well, you should be feeling sad. He's in the hospital, JJ. You should be by his side, not moping around in your room," her father barked.
JJ flinched at his tone. Her parents were always like this, putting pressure on her and telling her how to feel. She knew they meant well, but it never helped.
"I'll go see him later, Dad. Right now, I need to be alone," JJ said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Fine. Just don't forget your obligations, JJ. You have a duty to your boyfriend," her father said before hanging up.
JJ felt a tear roll down her cheek. She didn't want to be obligated to anyone. She wanted to be free, to make her own choices. But right now, she couldn't even do that.
She sat in silence for a while, lost in her thoughts. She missed Emily terribly, but she didn't know how to reach out to her. They hadn't spoken since their fight, and JJ didn't know if Emily even wanted to talk to her.
Suddenly, JJ's phone buzzed. It was Emily.
"Hey, JJ. Can we talk?" the message read.
JJ hesitated at first, but eventually agreed to meet up with Emily. They decided to meet at a nearby coffee shop, and as JJ walked in, she saw Emily sitting at a table, looking nervous.
"Hey," Emily said, standing up as JJ approached the table.
"Hey," JJ replied, unsure of what to say next.
"I wanted to apologize for shutting you out and for yelling at you and also for what i said to you," Emily rambled, "I know I hurt you and I'm sorry. I was just had a lot going on and I didn't know how to deal with it."
JJ took a moment to process what Emily had just said. She was surprised to hear her apologize, but also relieved. "It's okay," JJ finally said. "I'm just glad we can talk again and I'm also sorry for pushing you to tell me that was wrong of me."
As they talked, Emily opened up to JJ about what had happened with Ian during their relationship. JJ listened intently, feeling angry on her friend's behalf. She knew that Ian had been a problem, but hearing about how he had crossed so many lines made her blood boil.
"I'm so sorry," JJ said, after Emily finished telling her story. "I wish I could have been there for you when you needed."
"It's okay." Emily said, giving JJ a small smile.
As they finished their coffee, JJ felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was happy to have her friend back, and she knew that she would always be there for Emily, no matter what.
But as JJ walked back to her dorm, she couldn't help but think about her dream. She couldn't shake the feeling of confusion that lingered in her mind. She didn't know why she had dreamt about kissing Emily, and she didn't know what it meant.
As JJ was walking into her dorm room, her phone rang. It was Emily, and she sounded panicked.
"JJ, I need your help," Emily said, her voice shaking. "Ian won't leave me alone. He's been showing up at my dorm, and I think he's been following me."
JJ felt a surge of anger and fear wash over her. She knew that Ian was dangerous, and she didn't want Emily to be in danger. "Okay, I'm coming over," JJ said, hanging up the phone.
As JJ walked over to Emily's dorm, she felt a sense of determination wash over her. She knew that she had to protect her friend, no matter what. When she arrived, Emily was waiting outside, looking scared.
"Ian's been following me all day," Emily said, as JJ walked up to her. "I don't know what to do."
JJ felt her heart race as she took Emily's hand. "We'll figure it out," JJ said, leading Emily inside. "I won't let him hurt you."
As they sat down on Emilys bed, JJ called the police. She explained the situation to the officer on the phone, and within minutes, a police car arrived outside. The police talked to Emily and JJ, and they filed a report against Ian.
The two of them chatted for a while longer, catching up on everything that had happened while they were on the outs. Emily told JJ about her new friend Spencer, and JJ filled her in on all the stuff that had happened with her boyfriend.
"I'm just glad you're okay," Emily said, looking at JJ with genuine concern. "You're too good for him."
JJ smiled at her, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. "Thanks, Em."
As they got ready to part ways, JJ's phone buzzed with a text from her boyfriend. She sighed and showed it to Emily, feeling her blood boil with anger.
"He's such an asshole," Emily said, scowling at the message. "You need to break up with him, JJ. He's not worth your time."
JJ nodded, feeling a sense of resignation wash over her. "You're right. I know you're right. It's just hard to let go, you know?"
"I know," Emily said softly. "But you deserve so much better than him. Don't forget that."
With that, the two of them said their goodbyes, and JJ walked back to her dorm, feeling a sense of peace settle over her. She knew that she and Emily were going to be okay, no matter what happened.
As JJ settled into bed that night, she thought about her dream from the night before. She couldn't help but wonder what it meant that she had kissed Emily in her dream. Was it just a fluke, or was there something more there?
She shook her head, trying to push the thought out of her mind. It was just a dream, after all. It didn't mean anything.
But as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but feel a sense of longing deep in her heart.
+++
JJ woke up early the next morning, her mind still clouded with thoughts of her boyfriend and their relationship. She sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes, feeling more exhausted than when she had gone to bed. She knew she needed to make a decision soon, but she just didn't know what to do.
She glanced over at her phone and saw that there were several missed calls and messages from her parents. She groaned inwardly, not in the mood for their overbearing behavior. She knew they were only trying to help, but it often came across as controlling.
With a heavy heart, JJ called them back. They were thrilled to hear from her, but as soon as she mentioned her boyfriend's hospitalization, their concern turned into a tirade of anger and disappointment towards her. They blamed her for his accident, saying that if she had been a better girlfriend, he wouldn't have been in that situation.
JJ's eyes filled with tears as she listened to her parents' harsh words. She knew they were wrong, but it was overwhelming. She tried to explain that she was struggling with the relationship, but they wouldn't listen. They just continued to berate her and make her feel like a failure.
As she hung up the phone, JJ felt more alone than ever. She didn't know who to turn to. Emily was the one person she had always been able to count on, but their recent fight had put a bigger strain on their friendship than JJ would like to admit.
She sat there in silence for a moment, feeling completely overwhelmed. It was then that she made a decision. She couldn't keep living like this. She couldn't keep pretending that everything was okay when it wasn't. She needed to break up with her boyfriend and move on with her life.
With a newfound determination, JJ got dressed and headed to the hospital to see her boyfriend. As she walked through the halls, she felt a knot forming in her stomach. She knew he would react bad to the news, but she knew it was the right thing to do.
When she finally reached his room, JJ was met with a barrage of insults and anger. He accused her of abandoning him, of not caring about him. But JJ didn't back down. She stood her ground and told him that she couldn't continue in the relationship any longer.
Her boyfriend was furious, but JJ didn't let it get to her. She knew it was time to let go and start fresh. As she left the hospital, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. It was a hard decision, but it was the right one.
As she walked outside, JJ took a deep breath and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her contacts until she found Emily's name. With trembling fingers, she dialed her number and waited for her to answer.
JJ waited anxiously as the phone rang. When Emily's voice finally answered, JJ felt a wave of relief wash over her.
"Hey, Emily," JJ said, her voice shaky. "I just wanted to tell you that I broke up with my boyfriend."
There was a brief moment of silence on the other end of the line before Emily spoke.
"That's great. Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
JJ took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. "Not really," she admitted. "I mean, I know it was the right thing to do, but it still hurts. And now I feel like I don't have anyone to talk to about it."
"I'm here for you, JJ," Emily said softly. "You can talk to me about anything."
JJ felt a lump form in her throat as tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered.
They talked for a while longer, with JJ telling Emily all about what had happened with her boyfriend and how she was feeling. Emily listened patiently, offering words of comfort and encouragement.
As they hung up, JJ felt a sense of gratitude and relief wash over her. She was so grateful to have Emily in her life, someone who cared about her and was always there for her no matter what.
But as she walked back to her dorm, JJ couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that filled her. She knew that breaking up with Will was the right thing to do, but it still hurt so much. And she knew, her parents will start calling her constantly, pressuring her to take her boyfriend back.
As she was laying in bed that night, JJ couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness and longing deep in her heart. She missed the comfort and safety that came with being in a relationship, but she knew that it was better to be alone than with someone who didn't treat her well.
With a heavy heart, JJ closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, hoping that things would get better soon.