Page 115 of Promising You
He puts my sweatpants on me, being extra careful around my knee. I’m perfectly capable of putting them on myself but he wants to do it so I let him. I’ve never had anyone take care of me the way he does.
Someone knocks on the door and Garret goes to answer it. “Hey, Jaz. Did you see what’s going on outside?”
“Yeah, they got here about an hour ago.” Jasmine, my RA walks in. “Hi, Jade. I heard you fell when you were running last week. Did you break anything?”
“No, I just have some bruises.”
“She has stitches on her knee. And a concussion,” Garret tells her. “And it just got worse thanks to those assholes outside.”
“I checked, and it’s legal for them to be here,” Jasmine says. “They just can’t come into the dorms.”
“How could it be legal?” Garret asks. “This is a private college. It’s private property.”
“I’m just telling you what the dean said. If you’re outside, you’re out in public and that means they can photograph you.”
“And harass us? And cause physical harm? That’s legal?”
“You’ll have to ask an attorney how all that works. I really don’t know.”
“Okay. Thanks, Jaz.”
“I hope you feel better, Jade.”
“Thanks. Hey, would you mind getting my crutches? I left them outside.”
“Sure, I’ll be right back.” She leaves.
Garret was starting to calm down but now he’s fuming. “I can’t believe they can get away with that shit! I need to call my dad and have him ask his lawyers.” He calls him, but his dad doesn’t answer so he leaves a message.
Jasmine drops off my crutches and says the photographers are still there. We check out the window and it looks like half of them have left. Probably the ones who got photos that are good enough to sell.
“Maybe I should just go out there,” Garret says. “That way they’ll get the photos and leave us alone.”
“You can, but I think they’ll keep showing up. They’ll probably follow you everywhere you go now. The show starts in a few weeks and you seem to be the star.”
We stay inside the rest of the day and night. In the morning, the photographers are gone. Garret takes me to see the doctor, who ends up adding stitches to a section of my knee that split open overnight.
Garret’s so worried about me. He wants to do everything for me. I swear he’d carry me to class if I let him. He doesn’t even want me to go to class, but I insist on going. I already missed a day and I hate falling behind.
“You sure you don’t want me to walk with you?” he asks when we’re back in my room.
“Yes. I’ll be fine. Besides you have to get to your own class.”
“How are you going to carry all your stuff?”
“I’ll use my backpack like I always do. Now stop worrying about me and get to class.”
He sighs. “Your refusal to let me help is really annoying.”
“You’ve already helped a ton, but I have to learn to get around on my own. Now give me a kiss in case I die on the way to class.”
“Jade!”
“I’m kidding. Geez, relax.”
He kisses me. “Call me when you there so I know you made it.”
“You’re worrying way too much, but yes, I’ll call you.”
