Around and around we go

Chapter 11

I am all too aware of the fact that I'm in the shower with Jared Leto, something that never used to bother me, other than the fact that he would use all of MY bath products and never replace them. This time I couldn't help but admire his perfectly leaned out body, chiseled like some marble sculpture. Suddenly I'm very self-conscious of my wobbly bits and stretch marks. Blushing slightly, I spin him around so I can wash his back and so he'd stop looking at me. Seriously, who the fuck actually looks like this? It's just not fair.

There's a sad slump to his normally perfect posture that rips my heart apart. In all the years and all the shit we've been through, I've never seen him like this. He is always the strong one, keeping it together, taking charge of the situation. This time he's completely collapsed into himself. He still hadn't said anything and I was really scared. I don't think I can handle two broken Letos; just thinking about having to deal with anything Shannon related was making my head spin and the need to flee was creeping up. I needed Jared to snap out of it and soon. I finish rinsing him off with the hand held shower head, and I wrap my arms around him from behind. One hand on his chest the other on his out-of-this-world stomach, I rest my ear on his back and over the sound of the running water I listen to his breathing and feel his heart beating. He leans back into me, placing his hands over mine and holding me there.

"I....I yelled at him." He said in barely a whisper.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I wasn't expecting that at all. Jared never yells at anyone, let alone his brother.

"He came into my room...Talking about you, and I YELLED at him. Oh my God, what have I done?" He's starting to sway slightly like he might collapse in my arms.

"Whoa there! Let's get out of here and you can tell me what happened, ok?" I duck under his arm so I'm more or less propping him up now. He might be incredibly skinny, but he's by no means light. I manage to get us out of the walk-in shower and sit him on the edge of the tub while I grab a couple of towels. I wrap my bathrobe from earlier around myself and wrapping a towel around him I sit down beside him. "Ok. Tell me what happened...." But before he could start there's a knock at the main door to the suite. "That's probably Shayla. Think you can dry yourself off so we can get you dressed and then head out?" He's nodding, but as soon as I stand up and start walking away he's at my heels grabbing my hand. It's like he's not able to let me out of his reach.

"Alright, you can come with me, just... cover yourself up." Forcing myself not to look down and praying that I wasn't blushing too badly.

"Oh... yeah... Ok... " He wraps the towel tightly around his waist and picking up the other one he wraps it around his dripping head of hair. I hold my hand out and he takes it as I lead him out to the front.

Shayla swept into the suite with her hands full, cell phone wedged in between her ear and shoulder, and with two suitcases piled on top of each other in tow. I motion to her to just leave her stuff wherever and she holds up her index finger and mouths "sorry, one second" to me as she's trying to finish up her phone call. Jared is still standing slightly behind me, squeezing my hand reassuringly. I think he can feel my anxiety rising.

"Hi, you must be Natalie, it's really great to finally meet you! Thank you so much for helping me out with this whole... situation... Emma said you can handle anything and to be honest, I am a little lost right now." She shakes my hand and gives me a weirdly questioning look but doesn't actually say anything. "Ok, so I have the girls from last night in my room, security is on the door to make sure they stay put. We have you authorized to make inquiries and receive information at the hospital. A car will be here in about 15 minutes to take us there. I spoke with the hospital and he's resting comfortably- whatever that means- he hasn't woken up yet though." OW Jared don't squeeze my hand so hard!