The Dance

Chapter 110 Him

Jill grabbed Matt sobbing uncontrollably not quite awake and kept repeating the same phrase over and over..."Don't leave me, don't leave me." Matt held her tight to his chest and ran his hand up and down her back until she fell asleep in his arms. He laid back on his pillow with her head resting on his chest. His heart nearly beat out of his chest from her screams and he had a difficult time falling back to sleep. Now, he had a name that caused her restless nights, but who was Jake and what had he done to make her scream his name in her dreams.

Matt awoke to the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen and Jill singing along to the song on the radio. He interrupted her impromptu performance and said, "Something smells good." Jill turned to see Matt leaning against the door frame.

"You know, Matt, you really need to quit sneaking up on me like that." She tossed him an apple which he caught with one hand. "Hope you're hungry."

"That I am." Matt took a bite from the apple. He knew he was going to have to ask her who "he" was. He casually asked her, "How did you sleep last night?"

She smiled almost blushing and replied, "I slept like a rock thanks to you."

Matt looked at the floor appreciating the compliment and then looked back at her. "Who's Jake?"

The silence in the room was deafening. Jill stood looking out the kitchen window gripping the counter as her knees went weak. She reached for the radio turning it off and then removed the pan of sausage from the burner.

"He has nothing to do with us." She couldn't look Matt in the eyes and spoke with her back turned to him.

"I think he has everything to do with us. It's the third time this weekend that he's interrupted my time with you."

Jill whipped around with tear stained cheeks. "I think you should leave now."

Matt wasn't expecting Jill to dismiss him in such an unexpected manner. He turned towards the bedroom, promptly dressed and left her standing in the kitchen without an additional word exchanged between them. She didn't know what else to say to him. He had touched one of the most sensitive parts of her soul with that an insensitive comment and it hurt her deeply. She wanted to stop him from leaving but her pride got in her way. As he walked down the street, he stopped turning to look back at the kitchen window. He could still see her watching him. It was a long, lonely walk back to the dock and an even longer ride back home to Browntown, alone.