Julie Henry

Chapter 6

(P.o.v Jake)
Her waist was bruised *I recalled pushing her against the sink*
did I do that to her ?!
I tried touching her waist with the tip of my finger but she slapped my hand down, making a striking sound as if some one had clapped. I looked at her. She gave me an angry look but it wasn't anger or confusion, it was as if she was hiding something.
I took a deep breath.
'How are you?' I asked, hoping she'd tell me everything that was on her mind. I Wanted to help her, I really did.
She looked scared, confused and annoyed.
I never felt so guilty or insulted in my life as I did at that moment, as she let go of my hand and walked out the room.
I followed her.
'I asked you something' I called after her.
'I'm fine !' she snapped back as tears welled in her eyes
'I'm. just. fine' She added.
'listen I'm sorry about everything I said that day' I said. As she climbed the stairs, stopped, and turned around.
'That day?!' she cut in '..just that day ?'she asked, looking at me whilst raising her eyebrows, letting a tear fall and then wiping it away quickly.
'Just go home Jake' she said wiping her cheek with her hand.
'Why can't you be open with me?,the way we were' I asked taking her hand. 'the way you are with Mike" I added.
'Mike!' She yelled pulling her hand away,
'don't lie to me' I warned her.
Her tears were running down but she didn't say a word she looked bothered ,angry ,confused ,in disbelief, almost ....broken. I held her face she clenched the shirt I was wearing with both her hands. I wanted to put my arm around her and hug her.
'I'm not dating Mike' she whispered as she looked at me with her sad eyes. 'How did Ivy even convince you!?' she asked looking at me.
I couldn't think of anything, not with her standing this close to me, not with her looking at me like that even though she stood in front of me so helpless and weak. She made me nervous. She let go of my shirt and leaned against the wall all of a sudden. She looked calm. She stared at me quietly waiting for an answer.
I put the first aid box on the stairs as I sat on a step still looking at her 'you asked me if I meant what I said that night' she blinked a few times then asked me to leave. I ignored her but the pain in my arm was increasing. She could see that my arm was hurting me.
"Go see a doctor" she suggested. "No" I replied.
She sat besides me and opened the first aid box and started cleaning up and bandaging my wound.
'I did ..mean it'I replied taking her hand and looking in her eyes.
'I love you Julie and I've missed you every second you were away and when I heard about mike it killed me'
'Didn't seem like it'she replied breaking eye contact.
'i expected you to say you loved me back ,expectations screw up everything don't they?' I asked, looking at her hands bandaging me.
'yeah' she scoffed 'do you remember that hug you gave me when I came back? the one before the party' she asked
'The one where you left me hanging by not hugging me back? Yes I do' I replied.
'I was taken by surprise, okay?' She spoke, as a wide smile spread across her face. Well, I expected more of those " she said looking away, embarrassed.
'I'm sorry' I replied putting my hand on her knee.
'I don't care anymore' she whispered. 'You shut me out when I needed you Jake' she looked at me 'I just know I can't rely on you anymore, you're not the same Jake I knew! , you're Ivy's Jake now' she said as she got up and walked up the stairs.
'I'm still me' I whispered but she was already gone. I heard the door of her room close behind her. I closed my eyes and sat there for a minute or two in complete silence before I got up and left.