Coffee, tea? Or me?

Part II

II

James tested the water temperature with his index finger and when he found it scorching hot, he knew it was perfect for Lucy. He turned around and found the girl staring at him, a vacant look on her face.

"Listen, I'm sorry for everything that's happening to you," he started.

Lucy held up a hand to stop him.

"We don't have to go there now. Please".

And she started taking off her clothes in silence, her legs and arms flushed red from the cold.

"I'll be out for a cigarette if you need me," said James and turned to leave.

"Stay. Please?" Tears were still pooling in her eyes.

James closed the door and watched Lucy settle into the bathtub, visibly relaxing as the hot water gave relief to her sore muscles.

"You mind?" he asked, showing her the pack of cigarettes.

Lucy shook her head and rested her head on the towel rolled up behind her neck and closed her eyes.

James leaned against the sink and lit his cigarette, the smoke mixing with the steam from the hot water. He looked at his girlfriend and wondered what was going on in her head, what exactly were her thoughts, her ideas, how did she plan on dealing with everything on her own. Was she going to let him help her? Was she still his, in her mind and heart?

He pushed himself away from the sink with his hips, grabbed a chair from the far corner of the room and placed it next to the bathtub where Lucy's head was. He sat and, trapping the cigarette between his lips, he grabbed the wooden brush on the side of the tub and began to carefully brush through Lucy's wet waves.

***

When James started to brush her hair Lucy kept her eyes closed for a moment. None of them had said anything of relevance in a while and now he was just there, sitting calmly, brushing her hair; despite all the shit she had put him through, the silence, the worry, the pushing him away, he was there. Not asking for explanations, not demanding conversations. Just brushing her hair, softly, gently.

Lucy relaxed a little bit more under his touch, feeling the tension of the past week starting to dissipate. From the living room, Lana del Rey's silky voice was singing softly, Darling, darling, darling, I fall to pieces when I'm with you.

Lucy opened her eyes and looked at James' face: his bushy eyebrows knotted in concentration, the small scar running across the edge of the left one now pointed down like an arrow, his green eyes were calm and focused on her hair, she could see all his love pouring through them, his slightly asymmetrical nose that gave his otherwise perfect features, an edge, his square jaw and finally his plumped lips from which a cigarette hung loosely.

She closed her eyes again.

"James?"

"Hu-hu?" he said, still focused on his task.

"I love you".

***

James stopped brushing Lucy's hair and sat still for a moment, those three words had been so soft that he feared he had imagined them. He placed the brush on the side of the tub and Lucy grabbed his hand, kissing the palm softy.

"I love you so much," she said again.

James stood up, flicked his cigarette in the sink and moved to the side of the tub, a smile on his face.

"You do?" he asked, tentatively.

Lucy smiled back and slowly nodded.

James leaned forward for a passionate kiss and Lucy pulled him closer, grabbing his t-shirt until he had no choice but to let himself fall into the bathtub.