"It hurts"

Grace was becoming impatient with Jade's attitude. She had locked up herself in her room and had refused to come out, not even for breakfast or dinner. She slightly knocked on Jade's door before using the spare key to open the door as she walked inside.

She flicked on the light and found Jade sitting on the side of her bed in stupefaction.

"Jade" She called out sofly as she walked closer to the bed.

"Jade you have to talk to me at some point you know that right" Grace, Jade's mother said in a soft tone as she sat down on the edge of Jade's bed.

She couldn't deal with Jade's silence anymore. Jade had been all taciturn. She had barely eaten neither had she stepped out of her room talk more of the house. She hasn't even been to work, which was unusual.

She still hasn't forgotten how Jade had returned home drenched with her eyes swollen when she came back from the hospital. She had locked herself up and barely opened the door to take her meals, even when they were delivered to her.

All her attempts to make Jade open up to her had proved futile. Jade had been in her room with her windows shut and had remained on the same spot. If truth be told, she was nearly looking like a mummy.

"I know something is wrong. I can tell when something bothers my daughter" Grace added when Jade remained silent as she looked outside the window with nothing in view.

Grace couldn't handle Jade's sulky mood anymore. She had made a resolve to make her reveal what her problem was today or she'll keep badgering her till she budged. Her daughter has always been a cheerful and vibrant girl. But now, she had barely said a word or revealed a smile.

"I'm sorry for hitting you. I really didn't mean to. I...I was just upset" She apologized when she thought that might be the problem, but who was she kidding, Jade had never been that petty. But what else could she think of?

Grace frowned when all she got was Jade's silence. She angrily got up from the bed, "This must be about Cale right?" She asked when this realization dawned on her. "Did he hurt you? Did he cuss at you? Hold on, did he break up with you?" Grace scowled when she saw how Jade's emotions flickered as her eyes welled up in tears. How could she not have thought of this possibility?

"That bastard!! I'm going to kill him" Kevin yelled angrily as he flung Jade's door open before stepping in, startling both Jade and Grace. He had been peeking through the door, anxiously waiting to know what the problem was. He tried calming himself down when his mother glared at him in a way that said 'would you keep your voice down'.

Kelvin wasn't used to seeing his sister looking this sad, dishelved and broken. He had stayed at her door for a few nights when she sobbed silently not knowing whether to go in and console her, in as much as he wanted to, her door was locked. He knew she'd eventually talk about it, but the wait was devastating.

Jade raised her head up to look at her mother and little brother who were impatiently waiting for her to say something and she broke down with tears rolling down her eyes. Grace couldn't bear to see her daughter like this, as she hurried over and pulled her into a tight hug.

Jade buried her head on her mother's shoulder as she sobbed loudly. Kelvin's eyes slowly turned misty with tears. The last time his sister had cried this much was when their father died.

"It's okay princess, stop crying" Grace comforted her, with Kelvin standing beside her with his hands patting her back.

Jade gasped for air as she recalled the horrendous sight at the hospital. She took in deep breaths as she tried really hard to recompose herself, "Mo...m, it... hurts. It hurts so much...that I can't breathe" Jade said as she continued to sob with her hands around her mother who hugged her tightly. She continued...

"You were right. You were both right. Cale isn't good for me. He is a cheat" She said as her dam of tears broke again and tears rolled down her eyes.

"Shhh...it's okay" Grace said in a low and sad tone as she patted her hair. Her heart bled for her daughter's misfortune. She had not expected much from that slyful and incompetent moron who had been milking her daughter dry and using her non-stop. She had always known he was not good for her. She had hoped Jade's eyes would be open to the kind of person he was, but she didn't expect it to be this way.