Arsonist's Lullaby

Chapter 27 - Sam

I let the warm scent of lavender invade my nostrils and sighed sinking deeper into the tub.

Claire had gone off to her own house after receiving a call from her husband and mom was at the auction, clicking champagne glasses with other snooty important people like herself. I was left alone in this big house with no one but Francesca and the other maids.

I suddenly felt a wave of sadness at the thought of Jesse and heard water droplets fall into the bathtub realizing they were coming from my face.

Stop it. When was the last time you ever cried over a boy? I scolded myself. But Jesse wasn't just a boy.

I sunk into the water, not caring that my freshly straightened hair was going to get messed up and go back to being a curly mess. I closed my eyes and let the water consume me from head to toe in and held my breath, opening my eyes to find Jesse hovering above me.

I shrieked, water splashing all over the floor and getting into my lungs making me cough uncontrollably.

"Sorry! When you didn't come up for air I thought something had happened!" He rushed clearly startled by my surprise.

"Jesus Christ Jesse! What the hell?" I snapped, quickly covering myself in a warm towel as he looked the other way.

"Are you done?" He asked. I mumbled a response and he turned back to face me.

"I'm sorry." He apologized again.

"For which part?"

He remained silent and I felt a little piece of me die on the inside.

"I'll be in your room." He stood up and left gently closing the door behind him.

I wiped the water from my face and wrung out my hair before putting it into two damp braids. Slipping on a bra and clean underwear, I tied a bathrobe around myself and joined Jesse on my bed.

"Where were you earlier? You weren't here when we came back home." I asked.

"Took a walk. I couldn't be inside anymore."

He fell silent after that and I began wishing we had never gotten on that damn plane.

I had hurt Jesse more than ever and it was going to be hard patching things up this time.

"Did you have fun?" I asked standing up to sit at my vanity so I could put on lotion. I saw him shrug his shoulders and I sighed, feeling worn out already.

"Jesse..." I started but couldn't find the words to finish.

"Did you have fun with Pierre and your mother? Claire told me that was one of your favorite restraunt's." He said casually.

"I got sick and had to come home early." I mumbled.

"Are you okay? What happened?" I could hear the worry in his voice. For a second, I could almost pretend that nothing had changed between us and that we were back to being our old selves.

"It was something I ate." I waved it away and continued to rub lotion onto my legs. I heard the bed slightly creak before his footsteps came closer. I glanced up and saw him appear behind me in my mirror.

"You're hot." He frowned touching my forehead with his fingertips.

"I'm surprised you care." I chuckled a little bitterly before pushing his hands away.

Having him care was making it harder to be upset at him. Still, I would be lying if I said it didn't make me feel a little better knowing that he did.