Protective

6

Ellen froze. The beads of sweat dripping down her face did nothing to warm the stinging ice down her back as Jake spoke. Stay the night...stay the night but what was she supposed to do? Her green eyes turned to watch Jake as he laid back, catching his breath still. This was what she wanted wasn't it? There was an unmistakable pang of hurt clenching Ellen's gut as she watched Jake. She sat up, biting her lip. The past week flew through her head over and over.

"I don't know Jake, I- we shouldn't have done this, would that make this worse I just-"

"What's the harm if we've already committed the crime. You're getting worked up, and I don't want to see you hurt. If you leave it's because you want to not because you feel bad, worthless or stupid. You hear me Ellen?" Jake's voice gently broke her out of her haze. He sat up himself, watching the woman beside him. The complicated woman. The woman who was far more than a skinny blonde with a pretty face. Ellen bit her lip as she clawed away at taming her messy sex hair. Her fingers brushed through the blonde tangles as she thought.

"I feel...I don't know what I'm feeling Jake. I loved the sex," she replied, staring at him. Jake got out of bed to pull his boxers on and handed her a tee shirt.

"Then we'll be friends with benefits. Relax. Sleep, here or wherever. I'm not looking for a label or anything. You just seem, sad I don't want you to sleep lonely and sad. I'm here for you Ells," he explained, watching her slide the shirt on. Ellen hugged him, her head on his chest.

"I told you I'm falling for two men. You're one." She said while Jake gently pushed her back into the bed with him. His arms stayed around her, he had already understood her situation but god if there was any hope of him eventually getting her heart, he wouldn't mind. Did it fill him with rage and jealousy that there was an elephant in the room named Patrick Dempsey who she was obviously not over? Oh yes it did but Jake wasn't going to give into that jealousy. No. Instead he simply going to fight to be her man. It wasn't much of a fight so far with Patrick's wedding ring ruining Ellen's want for him. Jake didn't feel cheated by her, they had an honest connection- it was beautiful.

"So you're staying the night?" Jake asked one more time as Ellen rolled on her side. He lay nestled beside her, his breath trickling down her neck.

"I'm staying the night Jake,"

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Patrick couldn't sleep. He rolled yet again to his side in the hotel bed, knocking off an excess pillow. If he was quiet enough he could hear the rushing sounds of the Atlantic Ocean outside. The restlessness continued until he finally stood up. Patrick threw on old sneakers, and a robe, while he decided to walk up and down the halls. His mind was racing, and he felt above everything...lonely? He stopped at the ice machine to grab a cup of water, and lay his warm hand on the bags. As he did so suddenly a sound came from the room behind him. Loud moans filled between shouts of ecstasy...

Quickly Patrick crushed his paper cup and made his way back to his room. He didn't even know who's room it was but the idea of sex made him upset. He was lonely. And it wasn't entirely new. If he were home in LA with his wife, it would feel the same. She came home every night. They had a meal. Talked. Wine was always involved. Fell asleep, too tired from working to attempt sex. Wake up and repeat. Some nights Jill didn't make it home until 2AM after a talk show her client went on. It was lonesome in their house. He threw himself on the bed, their last conversation going through his head. She had called him, the same night Ellen had turned away from him. He felt embarrassed at the call, as if she had caught him doing wrong. It was her asking about them doing better when he comes home. Her uppity voice, and her pauses between words to let them sink in. Then she asked it. She really asked it.

"Patrick, I think when you get home...we should try for a baby."

A baby. Made him hang up in sheer panic. A baby would save their marriage? Was she that dumb? Patrick broke out in a sweat, worrying. He had no idea what he would be like as a father, or if he really wanted a baby with Jill while his brain was still on that day when Ellen said she couldn't because of the ring. They had so much chemistry, he longed to kiss her again...but Jill. His wife.

Patrick rolled over and closed his eyes. Sleep would come, eventually. But it did ache for he wished to not be so alone.
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Jake opened his eye, staring over at the woman beside him. The alarm hadn't gone off yet, and Ellen lay completely at peace beside him. For the month or so he'd come to know her this was so rare. Ellen is a spitfire, she's always active and talking, she can act so beautifully it's hardly acting at all. Jake thought about how every time she talked her hands would move, it was little things that made up Ellen. But all of that was gone in bed. In bed she was quiet, nestled into a pile of blankets and sheets. Her hair was messy, dirty blonde waves sticking up against the pillow. She shifted ever so often, drawing further into herself, which made Jake smile. He reached out softly to stroke her back, to which Ellen's body responded to with a stretch. She backed up into Jake, feeling his warmth through her Tshirt. He burst into quiet laughter, it was almost as if Ellen craved his touch, or any touch at all it seemed. Suddenly as his laugh echoed in the silent room the blankets were pulled tighter, her body sunk farther away, and that warmth was quickly lost. Jake watched as Ellen pulled into herself, away from him. He said nothing in reply, rolling over and closing his eyes once more before the alarm went off.