35 - Jessica

Jessica

"Matthew, I think my fist is fine now. Just hand me over that pack of frozen peas."

He closes the first aid kit and gave my hand another minute of perusal. "Are you sure?"

"For the hundredth time, yes, I'm very sure. Now, please, sit down. I need to look at your," I tried not to be specific, "face."

"Is it really that bad?" He sat down on the bar stool in front of me.

"Well," I gulped.

"Be honest." He reaches for the frozen peas and lays it gently on my hand.

I trace a finger to his jaw and visibly tensed.

"That bad, huh?" He smiles.

I chewed on my lip. "Yep. This is going to be one hell of a black eye."

"Really? It hurts a little, but I didn't think it's this bad."

"Well, you're lucky the punch landed mostly on your cheek, but a little unlucky that somehow it reached the skin underneath your eye." I reached for the ice pack and placed on the area where it swelled the most.

"So, it's not officially a black eye since it's just underneath the eye?"

"It's a black eye," I reply.

"Oh. Okay."

I applied a little pressure.

He winced.

"Sorry."

He chuckled. "It's okay."

We fell into a two-minute silence.

I sighed, deciding that this should be the right time to bring up the club fiasco. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

"I know. You could've handled everything yourself. You broke the guy's nose for heaven's sake."

I smiled. "The first punch was yours. By the time it was my turn you've already startled him."

"You don't have to make me feel better about it. We both knew what happened."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

He laughed softly. "I punched like a little girl."

I bit the inside of my cheek. "No, it was okay."

He nudges my knee with his. "Come on, let it out. I know you're holding back a laugh."

"I do not," I said with a feigned gasp.

He chuckled.

"Really, though. You didn't have to do what you did."

Matthew smiled. "You mean, embarrass myself?"

"No. You know what I mean. That bastard is not worth it."

He rolled his shoulders. "You are."

I faltered.

I searched his face for something that implies he wasn't being serious but found none. Then, I may have dabbed his eye too hard because he winced. "I'm sorry."

He chuckled. "It's okay." He gently clutches my wrist, allowing a distance between the icepack and his face.

I tried not to seem bothered by the idea that he willingly took a punch for me. But then he stares at me with his baby blue eyes, and they were so gorgeous.

"You okay?"

"Mm-hmm." I plastered on a big, fat smile. "You?"

Matthew laughs softly, his eyes going bluer.

My breath caught in my throat as I did the math on how long we can play this sweet little fun ride. And when I did come up with a specific number, I hate that my heart grew heavy.

I must've been quiet for too long because Matthew's gaze went weary. "Are you really okay?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"That guy was a jerk.," he says with a sharpness in his tone that I haven't heard before.

I shrug. "Yeah. You'll find there's plenty of them if you stick around longer."

"Now I know why you're so good at punching douchebags."

I managed a laugh. "Yep. I've been around them my whole life. I do get mixed up with a bad crowd a lot."

"Come on, that's not true. You have great friends."

I smiled. "I do. I can't escape scandalous gossips though."

"I don't listen to town gossip."

I laid the ice pack on the counter. "Oh, smart choice," I kidded. "Lucky for me then. You never heard a single gossip though?"

He shakes his head.

"What that jerk said at the club is not even the harshest one."

His brows creased questioningly.

"Wow, you never do listen to town gossips," I giggled. "My mom gets pissed when she hears anything about me through the grapevine. You know, people called me a home-wrecker once. I happened to sat next to this guy in his 50s. I think he was a college professor. He just found out that his wife had cancer. I could tell that he was so devastated. He talked to me about how wonderful his life had been with his wife. Then he got so drunk, so I helped him get into a cab. And then, the next morning I was an adulterer."

I have no idea why I was bringing it up, but the thought of parting with Matthew leaves a hollow in my chest that I maybe want to turn him off before it becomes too big a whole to fill.

He tilt his head to one side. Then to my dismay, he smiled. "I'm not interested hearing anything about you from a bunch of jealous strangers. All I know is you're the funniest and kindest person I've ever met. And as if that's not captivating enough, here you are looking so beautiful."

I could tell that the last sentence wasn't supposed to slip out because his eyes rounded in alarm.

"Well, not that it's the only thing that matters. You look beautiful right now. Well, not just right now—you're gorgeous all the time. But that's not what I'm," he faltered, his ears turning red, "like I said, it's a bonus." He sighed, frustrated with himself.

"I just think you're amazing all around." His ears turned even redder. "A thousand scandalous gossip will never change that."

I stared at him in awe.

Matthew Parkinson never judged me. Which makes me feel bad because I've been judging him since day one. It never occurred to me that he would be this guy with a cute, dimpled smile who turns beetroot red every time he feels embarrassed.

The worst part is, my judgments were wrong. So terribly wrong that when I see how wonderful he truly is it takes my breath away.

"I'm sorry. Did I make you feel awkward?" He scratched the back of his neck, his eyes scooting down to the floor. "I'll stop talking now."

I giggled. "God, you're so nice."

His gaze flits back to mine, a small smile on his lips. "Not anymore. I just punched a guy."

"Well, you did it for me so that makes you extra nice." I resumed dabbing the ice pack on his eye. "You even took a punch, so you're on another level of niceness right now."

He shakes his head. "It's actually been a curse."

I snorted. "How come?"

He hesitated for a moment.

"Come on. Enlighten me."

Matthew smiles shyly. "Well, being the nice guy doesn't always come with perks."

I look at him, suddenly confused.

"No one cares about how the nice guys feel. We always have our crap together no matter what, which makes us seem okay even if we're not. We don't want to be a trouble to anyone. But if I were to be selfish, I'll stop thinking about others and get whatever the hell I want." His brows creased at the thought of 'getting what he wants.' Like even the thought of it feels wrong.

I put the ice pack on the counter, suddenly so enlightened. "I never knew."

He shrugs, putting on a smile that made me realize one of his default 'I'm okay' smile.

It tugs at my chest. The thought of turning him away while I still can, suddenly sound so ridiculous. "If it's any consolation, I think cool guys suck. I think they might be boyfriend material to younger girls. But, once they grow up and mature, they'll find that that one nice guy they ignored in high school is a husband material."

Matthew chuckles, his blue eyes twinkling. "Thank you. That's nice."

"Don't think that I just said it to make you feel better, it's the truth."

He nods. "Noted."

I smiled.

He smiled back, his dimples poking a little. Even with the discomfort of his black eye, he managed to keep smiling.

I bit back a giggle.

He's the only guy I know who looks adorable with a black eye. All of a sudden, the hollow feeling that comes with the thought of our co-parenting coming to the end becomes a clear equivalence of something I hope stays harmless:

I'm having a silly crush on Matthew Parkinson.

Hi, guys! Wow, I think it's been over a month since my last update. A lot has happened and it's actually been a roller coaster ride. On top of that, I HAVE AN AMAZING NEWS TO SHARE! But first, here's the update on my life:

I'm working two full-time jobs now. I think it's the reason why I wasn't able to update for a while. I haven't intended on having two jobs at a time. I only wanted a part-time job and since I couldn't find any, I took a chance at being a full-time content writer. I didn't think because I thought I would make it. But, I did! The experience has been great and I'm learning a lot from editors.

But, my other job, I can't say that I enjoy it just as much. I think the major reason why I want to look for another job is because it's been exhausting. I think I could've dealt with more paperwork if they grant me a raise, but nope, I'm still at minimum wage. Now, my paperwork is piling up more and more--I'm exhausted all the time. I wanted out. And I think that if I have another job as a safety net, I can leave the job behind.

Anyways, the stress has taken a toll. I've been having chest pains. I went to see a doctor and had a few tests. The doctor says that I have costchondritis, which isn't really something serious. She says it's because of the stress and anxiety and she's prescribed me some pain killer.

The bummer though, is that I have high levels of cholesterol, which I have to keep monitored every month and which requires me to take maintance drugs.

Now, FOR THE AMAZING NEWS... I'M OFFICIALLY A WATTPAD CREATOR! I can't freakin' believe it. Thank you so much for you support. I've come this far because of you. From the bottom of my heart, I thank and love each and everyone of you.