Imagine Us in Heaven

Closing the Wounds

Despite my protests, which clearly fall on deaf ears, I find myself reluctantly going along with Alison's suggestion. Before I know it, Jake Wells is in my flat with Clement, Nina, and Carlos, all of them examining Winter with keen interest.

"This is...amazing..." Jake murmurs, his eyes sparkling with fascination.

The enthusiasm in his voice does little to ease my discomfort. I speak up, trying to mask my unease. "Please don't experiment on him."

Alison shoots me an exasperated look. "Can you cut it out? Jake isn't the kind of person to experiment in Winter. If there's anyone here who's untrustworthy, it's probably you."

I give her a mocking grin. "If you think that's true, then why are you still seeking closure?"

With that slip of the tongue, Jake Wells turns to face both Alison and me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Alison's expression shift into one of sheer panic. It's a side of her I've never witnessed before. I've always known Alison to be fiery and unyielding—a person who makes it clear: "You can accept me as I am, or you can walk out of my life."

"Wait," Jake says, his brows knitting together. "What do you mean by closure?"

"I can explain---"

"Please, isn't it obvious?" I interject. "She's my ex-girlfriend."

Yes, I'm an asshole. Thank you.

Now everyone is glaring at me, except for Jake, who looks taken aback by the sudden revelation. However, Jake either has a remarkable amount of kindness or is simply clueless, because his expression softens—not in a sad way, but with a surprising understanding.

"I see..." Jake says slowly, processing the revelation.

"It's all in the past," Alison chimes in, trying to smooth things over.

"Sure..." I murmur, almost to myself, and Alison glares at me with what looks like murder in her eyes. And honestly, I wouldn't blame her. I'd like to strangle myself too.

Jake offers Alison a sweet, almost nauseatingly tender smile. Not that I'm jealous---Alison and I are done, over, finito. But having such a display of affection so close to me makes me want to shove them out of my personal space.

"Love, don't worry about it," Jake says, and I almost gag at the saccharine tone. "I'm not upset or anything. I'm just surprised you hid it from me."

Alison pouts---seriously, is this the same Alison I know? She looks as if she's been popping Valium.

"Are you disappointed?" she asks.

"No, not at all. I had a hunch from the start, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. Plus, I didn't want to make things awkward."

Oh God, please just end my suffering. "Are you two finished gazing into each other's eyes? If so, when can I bring Winter to use your X-ray machine? And why the hell do you even have an X-ray machine at your place?"

"I told you he's a radiologist!" Alison interjects.

Jake gently soothes his fiancée by drawing circles on her back before turning to me. "I sometimes use my place as a mini-clinic. Some clients prefer the privacy and comfort of my home. You can bring Winter over anytime."

Okay, that's good news. But, "Let's clarify a few things first."

The man seems to have anticipated my concern and smiles reassuringly. "Winter is safe, Blythe. I would never hurt him. Besides, I don't want to harm someone like him."

I almost ask him if he thinks Winter is an angel, but then he adds, "I believe whatever Alison believes."

This response leaves me slightly taken aback, but I appreciate the sincerity behind it.