Beneath The Surface

Chapter 7

Jamie

The thunder soon dies down as the rain continues to patter quietly against the roof.

I slide off his lap and turn around as he hooks his arm under my knees and wraps the other around my back. He picks me up with ease and sits me atop his bed. I smile with wide eyes, finding myself happier than ever.

"I should change the gauze."

I blush. He rolls his eyes at my bashfulness.

"Jay, I've already seen you half naked. Nothing's changed. Take your damn shirt off."

He walks out the room and I shake my head, blushing at the thought of him wanting to do this.

I pull off his plain white t- shirt and see that the gauze had been soaked in blood from the small cuts on my stomach. I can only imagine how bad it must be on my back.

All that dancing probably fucked me over without me noticing. I don't even care.

Nothing could ruin that moment.

He walks back into the room with a spool of pure white gauze and sets it on the bed beside me. I sit on the edge of the bed and he frowns, his guilty eyes glued to the red splotches littering my abdomen.

"That was a stupid idea... I'm s-"

"Stop right there. I've never been so happy in my life. I wouldn't give up that dance for the world."

I take his hand and he smiles a small smile.

"Arms up, kid."

I raise my arms up and he unsticks the gauze and slowly unwraps me.

"I feel like..."

"A mummy?" He guesses.

"A burrito."

He doubles over laughing.

"I don't know what the fuck kind of burritos you're eating, cause that's not how that works."

I laugh, exhausted.

"Just fucking unwrap me, jesus."

He pulls off the last bit of gauze.

"Can you get up for a second?"

I drop my arms and stand up next to him. He turns me around and silently inspects my back.

"I'll be right back. Stay up, okay?"

He runs to the bathroom and returns with a wet rag to wash away the dried blood. I shiver as cool water drips down the bottom of my spine.

I bite my cheek to keep my teeth from chattering.

He drops the rag on the nightstand and dries up my skin with another cloth, then wrapping me up in clean gauze.

He walks out the room with his stuff as I pull on the shirt and take my seat on the bed. He comes back in and kisses my forehead.

I smile to myself as he gets into bed next to me.

"Jay."

I slide between the sheets and glance at him.

"Yeah?"

"Are you feeling better?"

I smile. "Yeah, I feel incredible."

☾

"Are you hungry?" He asks.

"A little bit."

"I have some Pan Sobao," he says in the most American accent.