Numb (Alliance Trilogy)

Stirrings

Chapter Fourteen

Jenny groaned as she did her best to turn over unto her stomach feeling the slightest tingle at the bottom of her feet. The night was cool as the air blew through her window giving her a chill as she tossed around in bed again. The itch returned and she furrowed her brow to feel it grow stronger. Then it hit her as she slowly opened her eyes to stare into the pitch black of her room. Her breath hitched a bit as she savored the itching under her feet and a smile wearingly grew as tears began to well.

Gently she sat up in bed removing the sheets to look down her skinny long legs. Over the past two months that had gone by, she saw day by day how they began to grow skinnier. However, for the first time since the accident there was a sign that maybe they would come back to life. Wiping her tears, Jenny leant forward to touch her knees gently massaging the numb area. Concern filled her as she wondered to think, what if the feeling came back in her lower body but her legs were too weak to move any longer.

"Christ, just think positive for once in your life," she muttered, to herself.

One glance at the clock told her it was nearly five in the morning and she groaned as she let herself fall back into the sheets. It had been an uncomfortable night for her, something inside of Jenny was nagging at her, but she failed to see what it was.

After Max had left, she had spent her time upstairs in her mother's room, wanting to forget the world once again. Nothing seemed to distract her of that little emotion slowly blooming in her, the one fear she wanted to forget. Jenny threw the covers feeling defeat and sat up in bed looking down to her feet still. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, concentrated on the tingling in her feet and the way her toes began to twitch.

Unable to contain the tears flowing down she felt her chest heave a little as she reached to her lower back and massaged the area there. Was it possible that maybe the feeling in her back was reviving once again?

"You have no idea how much I need you mom," she whispered.

Jenny managed to tug the blanket completely off her and reached over to where her wheelchair was. Once settled she pulled her door open and quietly made her way over to where the large staircase was. She looked up to it and with a droopy yawn; she locked the wheels and reached out to the railing. The tingling began to settle down as she made it half way up the flight of stairs. For the first time in such a long time, since she had come home she looked to where her room was and missed it so suddenly. Making her way inside she stared at it and smiled, remembering that the last time she was here was to figure out that Grace had been Vicky Elven the whole time. She inched closer to her bed and was glad that it was not so far off the ground. Reaching out she clutched the sheets tightly and pushed herself forward. By miracle, she came to land on it in one clean move and she hoisted herself up into a sitting position.

She touched her arms and noticed then that the slight pain she use to get after doing so much effort did not surface anymore. More than likely, she was already getting use to using all of her arm strength. Nestling unto her bed, she looked all around and felt the tranquility that it provided. She smirked as she remembered that right through her window she had snuck Danny in only to give herself to him for the first time. That night Danny had been such a gentleman with her, he had slept with her but nestled in next to her to spoon. After their relationship had ended, she remembered crying her eyes out. He had been the one and only man to ever come near her like that and she regretted it.

It reminded her of the day he had come by to visit, after he had walked out the door Jenny knew that it be the last time she'd ever see him. Max had tried to spark something in her by asking if she had felt anything, she was certain he wanted her to be happy. Danny on the other hand was probably married, or engaged, or had a girlfriend. Jenny did not know, but there had to be someone in his heart. To her side laid her old journal and she chuckled as she reached for it and began to read it all over again. Once she was finished she crinkled every page in her hands and began to dispose of it. Stupidity suddenly overcame her as she thought about the awful things she had put in it. There was no reason to write a stupid journal, what was the point? She ripped every page and made certain that each page was ripped to shreds as the sun began to invade her window.

She was beginning to hate her lonely life, to detest it like people detested when road kill invaded there central air in the car. She tossed the ripped journal into the basket and wiped at her tears. Taking a deep breath Jenny set a determination in her head as the last remaining tingles in her feet faded.

"No more hiding, I need to get better momma, be my guardian angel and send me luck from heaven." She whispered.

Slowly she made certain to settle on the floor and proceed to get down from the staircase into her wheelchair. Determined now more than ever to revive her half-dead body she pushed the wheels of her chair into her restroom and closed the door.

***

Max waited for Izzy at the airport and felt the keys to his car turn moist in his hand. He would do as Jenny advised, talk to Izzy, and be clear about just how much her distance was making him feel.

God, I feel like a chick, he thought to himself.

That aside he felt the moment of truth approach as soon as his girlfriend came into view with a bright grin on her face. She rushed into his arms and he hesitated to embrace her and give her a tight squeezed.

Izzy quickly kissed Max and he played along as he took her lips and pretended to enjoy that she was finally here, safe and in his arms. "I brought you back some things." She smiled brightly.

Max smiled and Izzy's face dropped as she observed his chiseled posture. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

"I think we need to talk." He sighed.

Izzy grew silent and nodded as Max helped her with her luggage and got into the car. If it were not for Jenny leaving on a weeklong trip, he would be there under her roof seeking a way to prolong his stay. He felt her absence affect him strongly as he thought about her packing her suitcase on her own and dragging them to her front door step. His heart speeded up once again and his eyes darted towards the dashboard. Jenny was probably getting on a car with her uncle right about now. It had been an awful coincidence that Izzy's plane arrived at the same time Jenny had to depart. He was split in half with an awful dilemma of who to see, Jenny leaving or Izzy coming home.

"Max please don't be angered with me, I swear I'm trying to fix things." She reassured.

They pulled into the garage and he turned the car off, quickly getting off and taking her luggage inside.

"Can we take a seat?" He asked.

Izzy nodded and pulled out of her coat setting it unto her lap. Her hands intertwined together as she observed her boyfriend take a seat across from her.

"I know that when we got engaged I promised to support you in good and in bad," he began. "But lately the bad has been tipping over the scales in our relationship, part of being a couple involves being honest with each other and I feel I should start." He cut in.

"Max...did you have an affair?" She asked. Izzy's eyes watered as she pressed her lips into a thin line and shuttered.

"No...but your absence in this house...," Max was cut short of his speech as Izzy launched forward into his embrace and kissed him.

"I don't care what it is I'll do what I can to fix it, I swear, if you want me to stay home I'll stay home. I will quit my job, I can find another one that keeps me here with you. I just don't want to lose you." She whispered.

"Izzy," was all Max could muster up to reply. His eyes watered and he felt a thick tear escape him as she held him close determined not to lose him. Part of him was glad and the other, the other was what was making him cry. Max felt sick but had held on and hoped to Izzy refusing to hear him out.

"I love you, and I'll do anything for you Max." Izzy wept.

He smiled a fake smile and felt as she kissed him and wiped at his tears with her small fragile hands.