Playing with fire

Hurt

Thank you again to everyone who is reading this. There are references to violence in this chapter, so stop here if you need too. Comments and constructive criticism welcome, I'm never really sure how much detail is enough / too much in scenes like this. Kendal Rose xx

A phone call a few weeks later woke him up and he leaned over a sleeping Carla to answer his phone,

"Jacob," a soft voice spoke, "I..."

"Connie..." He uttered, jumping out of bed and trying to find his clothes "where are you?"

"At home... He's not here...I..."

"Who's that? And why are they calling at this time?" She could hear Carla in the background and Connie realised how much she was becoming reliant on him,

"Sorry I didn't think..." She uttered, "I'll see you soon, I'm okay..."

"Don't you dare hang up," he told her,

"Jacob..."

"I'm on my way, stay on the phone to me Connie... Keep talking to me,"

"Jacob," Carla yelled, "where are you going?"

"There's no time to explain," he told her, "I have to go."

"Damn you," she uttered before gathering her stuff and preparing to leave his flat,

He parked his car haphazardly and locked it before pushing open the door of her house and jogging over to where she sat on the sofa,

"Hey," he spoke quietly,

"You came," she uttered and he sat down beside her taking her hand in his own,

"Of course I did sweet cheeks," he told her, immediately observing the way she held her left shoulder to her chest, pain evident on her face.

He kissed her forehead gently, before pushing her hair behind her ear, "I know you won't like this, but I need you to let me take you to the hospital,"

She sighed and he adjusted her top so it covered her bra strap, "Can't you relocate my arm?"

"Not a chance," he told her firmly, "I'll call Charlie... He will be discrete,"

She stood up and looked around the mess that scattered her usually so beautiful house,

"What happened Connie? Where is he?"

"I said some awful things, I kept goading him... He's gone, he just left me here with my arm like this,"

She stood up and she noticed how he looked at her, "don't look at me like that, that's not how I want you to look at me,"

"Like what?" He asked, careful to keep his voice level,

"Like you pity me... Like..."

He cuddled her gently, "do you think I want to look at you like that?" He told her gently, "out of anyone in the world, you are the last person I want to look at like that. And I don't pity you, I'm worried about you..."

He smiled, "don't worry, I still think you're beautiful,"

She rolled her eyes and laughed, "come on, the sooner we go, the sooner we can get back."

"Can I pack you a bag?" He asked kindly, "Incase you don't want to come back here straight away,"

She nodded, and he squeezed her hand gently, "get in the car, I won't be long,"

True to his word he appeared a few minutes later and tucked her hair behind her cheek, "put your seat belt on,"

She looked at him, her eyes full of unshed tears,

"Hey, it's okay," he told her, leaning carefully over her and doing up her seatbelt,

Zoe had persuaded Connie to have a lie down in a and e minors. She'd tried to tell them she was fine, but the minute they gave her morphine she found she couldn't fight the fatigue anymore.

Jacob sat by the side of her bed as she slept quietly.

"What happened?" Charlie asked,

"They argued, she said she goaded him..." He sighed "he wasn't there when I went over,"

"Did you ask her how he dislocated her shoulder Jacob?"

Jacob shook his head, "it's not my place...I think she trusts me and the last thing I want to do is scare her off..."

Charlie nodded, surprised at how insightful Jacob could be,

"She'll talk when she's ready," Charlie told him, "do you want me to sit with her for a bit?"

Jacob shook his head, "I don't feel right leaving her like this,"

Charlie smiled, "you know where I am."