Cacophony

chapter four: double shot espresso

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Elisa instantly thinks of her mother, and then remembers that she doesn't live in that apartment anymore. She uses Jay's duvet as a shield, and immediately cowers in the queen-sized bed.

She thinks Jay should invest in a security system.

Her heart is beating out of her chest as she hears the bedroom door creak open. She is thinking of ways to escape, ways to save herself.

"Ellie?" The voice is raspy, morning-like. It's almost three A.M.

"Jay? What the hell?" Elisa sits up, rubbing at her eyes, wondering if she's hallucinating.

"Hey, uh, can I just-"

Jay doesn't wait for Elisa's consent, but just walks over to the bed and sits on the side. His dark hair is sticking to his forehead, and a drop of sweat is sprinting down his ski-slope nose. His teeth are chattering, but he's trying to mask it. His emerald eyes are bloodshot, and he's shirtless.

"Jay?" Elisa is tentative as she touches his back with her fingertips. He flinches.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." He stares into his wall decor, eyes empty.

"Okay...." Her fingers stay on his back, and she awkwardly tries to think of ways to tell him to go back to the couch.

"I'm, I'm- just going to stay here."

He pulls the covers and lies on the second pillow, shivering.

Shock runs through Elisa's veins.

She always sleeps in starfish position.

☽ ● ☾ ◯

Three hours later, her worst fears are confirmed.

Her left arm is wrapped over Jay's left shoulder, and both of her legs are curled between his knees. Her right arm is under the pillow, stretched as far as possible. Her face is pressed up against his right shoulder, almost in the crook of his neck. She notices a slight wet spot of her drool by his pillow, and a little on his shoulder bone.

Jay, however, is sleeping stick straight, almost like a dead man in a coffin.

He is awake, just staring up at the ceiling.

"Can you stop staring at me? You're making me uncomfortable."

"You? Uncomfortable? I must be dreaming." Elisa tries to extract her arms from his body, but he shakes her off, and lets her keep her arms where they are.

Elisa raises her eyebrow.

"What? It's cold." Jay supplies.

"You're weird."

"You're weirder."

"I'm talking about today. You're acting weirder."

"I know what you're talking about."

"Oh."

They sit in silence for a while, letting the words sink in.

But the words don't sink in. They wash over Elisa, bubbling in her mind. She tries to understand, she tries to figure out Jay.

She can't.

"I don't want to talk about it." Jay says dismissively.

"Jay-"