Native
Son Native
Son 
Ian watched as Ben paced the floor, his face pinched with worry.
"She'll be here soon," Ian told him.
Ben glanced at the clock once more. It was one-thirty. One-thirty! Where was she?
"I'm sure she's fine," Ian said soothingly.
But Ben ignored his words. He went to the closet and grabbed his jacket. "I'm gonna check on her." He would start with the Gap where she worked nights, stocking and maintaining inventory. Then he would go to her place. She might have stopped there to get a few things and just fallen asleep, she was so worn out. Part of him knew he was being obsessive, but for some reason he couldn't help himself. If he wasn't with her, he worried about her, a lot.
"Want me to come along?" Ian asked, rising to his feet.
Ben shook his head. "I'll call you if I need you." It was probably nothing. But he couldn't shake the fear that had begun to grip him. He jumped in his car and sped to the Gap. It was dark. He banged on the door for a few minutes, but no one was there. He then got back in his car and raced to the run-down apartment building Jaycee called home. Another reason he wanted her to move in with him, he didn't like the neighborhood she lived in. It wasn't safe for a woman alone.
Once he reached her street, he stopped his car and ran up the stairs to her apartment. Ben began to pound on the door. "Jaycee," he shouted. If she was asleep, he would have to be loud to wake her. "Jaycee! You in there?"
The door opened a crack, held in place by a chain on the door. "Ben," Jaycee whispered. The door shut and he could hear the chain being removed. Then the door opened again.
"What happened?" Ben asked loudly, rushing into the apartment. "I thought you were coming by my place."
"I... I..." Jaycee stammered, turning away from him. "I changed my mind."
"What?!" Ben yelled. "Why? The least you could have done was told me."
"I just did is all," Jaycee snapped.
Ben put his hands on her shoulders and turned her so she faced him. "You mad at me?" he asked. He was being too pushy, as always. It was then he caught sight of her eye. It was swollen and beginning to turn purple. "What happened? I told you not to live here. I told you it wasn't safe here."
"You told me," Jaycee replied wearily. "And you are always right. Now why don't you just go home. I'm not in the mood for one of your lectures."
Ben ran his fingers
over her bruise. "I'm sorry." He took her hand. "C'mon, let's
go home." At least he had an ice-maker in his refrigerator. Jaycee had
nothing in hers, except mayonnaise.
Jaycee jerked her hand away. "I am home."
"Jaycee," Ben began.
"Go home," Jaycee said, tears coming into her eyes. "Please."
"No, I'm staying here if you won't come with me," Ben retorted, becoming angry.
"Can't you see that I want you to go?" Jaycee cried.
"I can see that," Ben shouted. "The question is why. Why don't you want to stay with me?"
"Because I don't. Isn't that enough?" Jaycee yelled back. "Go home. Go somewhere. Just not here."
Ben reached for her, but she just stepped away. "Why?" he asked, unable to mask his hurt. He touched her eye once more. "Did something else happen? Are you okay?"
"I can't do this," Jaycee said softly, her anger draining away. "Please just go home." She lifted her head and gazed at him, her large dark eyes so full of anguish, Ben could barely stand to look at her.
"Okay," Ben said. He would not be the cause of her pain. "But I'm gonna call you tomorrow and we are gonna straighten this out, once and for all." It was the wrong decision, but he couldn't force her to come with him. And having him here just seemed to upset her more.
He walked to the door and Jaycee followed him. Ben stepped into the hallway and cupped Jaycee's chin. "I love you."
Jaycee's eyes dropped to the floor.
As the door shut in his face, Ben noted that Jaycee didn't tell him she loved him.