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Come to James' ASAP 
Sent 14:23

Ella receives this rather cryptic text message from Noah one Saturday afternoon.

She hasn't been inside James' house since they've broken up, and she can't help but feel as if it's a sacred land. The memories in that house are ones that they shared together. From when there was still an us.

He's got a girlfriend Ella chants over and over.

As if saying it so many times could miraculously make all that she feels evaporate into the afternoon breeze.

She rings the doorbell almost hesitantly. She hears the dull echo of its ring fading into the distance.

It's Noah that answers the door. Ella thinks it's odd that he has a sense of relief on his face.

"I'm so glad you're here. Thank you for coming." Noah says hurriedly as he ushers her in and envelops her in a hug.

"What's happened?" Ella asks quickly and concisely. She notes that she feels almost unnerved by the way Noah is behaving.

"I... I..." he falters.

"Spit it out Noah. You're scaring me." Ella says with a nervous laugh.

"It's James. I... I've never seen him like this. I've been friends with him for years and I've never once seen him cry up until now. The housekeeper told me he's been like this for days. He won't talk to me. He won't eat. I keep making fucking soup because I have no idea what else to do. I just feel so helpless. Can you try? Maybe he'll speak to you."

"Is he in his room?" Ella asks in a low and calm voice.

Noah nods and she immediately begins to head up the winding staircase with Noah just a step behind her.

As they reach James' bedroom door Noah sticks out a hand to stop Ella for a second. He says in a grateful voice "Thank you for this. I know it's weird as he's your ex. Hell this whole situation is weird. I.. I just feel so out of control."

Ella holds his hand and rubs her thumb slowly along the back of his hand. A small gesture of understanding and appreciation.

"Wait out here." She tells Noah. Then with three knocks in confident succession on the door she wills herself to be just as self assured as those steady raps.

Hearing no answer she pushes open the door hesitantly at first. Upon seeing a figure at the window seat she barges the door open much more forcefully and strides her way towards him.

He refuses to look at her. Instead he stares resolutely out the window. Ella thinks he's perhaps not consciously ignoring her, but simply in his own headspace and removed from what is going on around him.

"James." Ella says in a clear loud voice. "James look at me."

He inclines his head slightly towards her and then his eyes follow.

If she is surprised at the pale and gaunt look of his face she does not make it obvious. His reddened eyes offset his whitened face sharply, and this is made all the more harsh by the bright light coming directly through the window.

"You look like shit." Ella says bluntly.

James rolls his eyes, but a hint of a smile can be seen in the corners of his mouth.

"How long have you been here like this?"

James speaks in a croaky voice as if he had screamed and screamed until his throat was raw "Maybe a few hours. Maybe a few days. It's all blended into one. I can't think.".

"Shower now." Ella commands. She returns James' look of protest with an equally harsh stare. "Seriously, strip down now. You'll feel blissful after, as if you've washed away all this pain and hurt. Trust me."

James nods. He stands up unsteadily and with all the grace of a new born Bambi. He makes his way to the en suite.

Ella follows and upon seeing his fingers tremor she gently helps him take off his clothes.

Though she's undressing him there's utterly nothing sexual about the moment. She's simply helping him. Caring for him.

Once he's fully undressed she turns to run the shower head testing the water for warmth. When it's a suitable temperature she ushers James into the cubicle.

She closes the shower door behind him and tells him she'll just be outside.

Heading back into his room she sinks down onto the bed sitting side by side next to Noah.

"It's awful seeing him like this." Ella sighs.

Seeing that Noah has cleaned the assorted tissues that had littered around the window ledge she mutters her thanks.

Suddenly she feels an urge. Ella goes over to the window seat and throws the frame open wide. As the gentle breeze greets her she feels as if the room has been refreshed. The room has been cleansed of what had gone on here.

Noticing James had been in the shower for quite a while now Noah knocks lightly on the door "Hey, is everything okay in there?".

"Would you quit asking me that?" James calls through in a bitter tone. "It's been 5 minutes. I'm not a child." He says the last bit as he emerges in a silk robe towelling off his hair.

"We just care about you." Noah says in an exasperated voice.

"I'm sorry." James says slowly to both of them. Then he embraces them both tightly into this arms. The three of them sink to the floor. It's not a hug, but it's as if they're clutching to each other. Clinging onto each other for support.

Ella runs her hands up and down James arms over and over. All she wants to do is relieve him of this pain, but she knows not to force him to speak. He will when he is ready.

The three sit there in each other's arm for who knows how long. Time seems of little importance now.

James separates himself from their arms and opens his mouth to speak.

"I think it's the build up of everything and anything. It's not just one thing, but many. And then something happened that just made everything surface. I snapped. I needed to get away from it all."

James takes a deep breath. "My mother hit me. It was the first time she's ever laid a hand on me. We were arguing. I said such vile things and... then she slapped me across the face. It didn't hurt, well except the ring, but it was the  act of it that shocked me."

At this Ella runs her finger along the small nick along his cheekbone his mother's diamond encrusted wedding ring had made.

"As soon as she'd done it she started crying and apologising. I don't think I said a word. Then she packed a bag to our country house and left within 5 minutes. That was what set me off. As soon as I heard the door close I just felt so alone. Even my own mother can't stand to be around me. This isn't about her it's about every stupid little thing I've let get to me and its all just been building up to the point." James shudders.

They all look at each other a little stiffly before relaxing into a comfortable silence.

"So, you guys want to stay for dinner?" James asks.