What I Couldn't Tell Him

36 - Dont get too excited

  JAIMIE PERRON

My mother stands in front of me with eyes like a ghost. Her hair is in clumps and her skin is pale. My father stands over me, a deep set frown across his face and his pupils dilated into pits. Alden and Jenni and Lucy line up by the window, with no tears between them. They hurl fists at the glass but no one flinches.

I know I am in a hospital. I cant scream. I cant move. I cant breathe.

My eyes open suddenly. I spring up, not caring that the hem of this shirt is up my back. Wait, shirt?

It floods back to me, and so does the sight, dark smudges arranging themselves into furniture. Alden's room.

Alden sits up slowly, rubbing his eyes and his hair flattened by sleep. I realise that I shoved him off. I pull the shirt down, and wipe the sweat from my forehead.

"Jaimie, what happened?" His voice is rough and low and I shake my head.

"Go back to sleep."

"Are you alright?" He questions, propping himself up on an arm and levelling his eyes with mine.

"It was a dream." I sigh, flopping down. I have no energy, despite the surge of unwanted adrenaline.

"What about?"

"F*ck. Everything - my dad, my mum, you."

"What did I do? I didn't hurt you, did I?" He sounds generally concerned about my subconscious representation of him. I laugh.

"No. I think you were trying to help." I sigh again, and he lies back down. He is closer than before but I dont care. He doesn't hesitate, wrapping an arm around my back. I lie down with my head in the crook of his neck. He runs his fingers through my hair softly. I breathe out, and he lays his body flush against mine. I blush, smiling to myself and he doesn't notice.

"Go to sleep." He whispers, air brushing my ear over my neck. I relax onto him.

ALDEN WOLFF

The next morning

I wake before she does, not from a cryptic nightmare. As soon as I lift my arm she wakes, rolling over and rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning." I say and she looks around, seeming to have forgotten where she was. She drops onto the pillow, temptingly close.

"Good morning. Sorry about last night." She says, wincing at the memory. I dont know if she means the dance or the dream.

"Dont be." I sit up, leaning on a hand on the other side of her head. She smiles and I lean down, weight resting on either side of her. I meet her lips with mine. She lifts herself up and I enjoy it far too much. Then she pulls back, wriggling under my arm and towards the window.

"It'll be easier to jump." She says, pulling up the window frame and leaning over the short gap. I see her ass and knickers when she does, the shirt too short to cover everything. She doesn't notice and I am quietly pleased. Get a grip Alden.

She jogs down the stairs, making very little noise. She comes back up with her heels and walks back to the window.

She lifts a long leg, pulling up onto the ledge and I walk over, a hand on the small of her back to steady her. She looks at me with disdain and I let go.

"Its a meter. I'm not completely incompetent." She rolls her eyes and jumps, landing elegantly. She has her dress and heels tucked under her arm.

She pulls the frame and swings herself in. I stand opposite.