Numbered

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

The one thing Kylie didn’t expect to happen – to be woken in the dark of night by the bell. She rubbed her eyes, and pulled her black coat on. The bell rang again – from the Worth’s room. A light flashed outside their room, signifying that they needed her.

She knocked on the door, and Madame Worth’s voice called from inside, “Come in.”

She walked in timidly, embarrassed to see Madame Worth in her dressing gown, with Mr Worth sleeping on the four poster bed.

“Tea, please,” she said, simply. Mr Worth grunted in his sleep.

Kylie hurried out, and padded down the kitchen in her socks. In her haste, she’d forgotten to put on slippers.

She switched the light on, and turned on the kettle. She listened to the sound of the kettle boiling, finding the sound calming. The sound filled the room, and she almost forgot what she was doing for a moment.

She fetched the mug from the cupboard, and picked out a tea-bag, dropping it into the cup. The water came to the boil, and she took the kettle and began pouring the tea. A loud bang sounded outside, and her hand jerked in fright.

She didn’t feel the scalding water on her skin, until about three seconds later, when she’d realised what happened. She cried out involuntarily, surely waking up the whole house. The feeling of her skin tingling with heat was unbearable. Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them back as she held her arm out in front of her. The water had scalded most of her arm up to the elbow and it stung like hell. She bit her lip, unsure what to do.

“What happened?”

Kylie whirled around, alarmed to see Jared standing in the kitchen, staring at her. His eyes surveyed the spilled water on the floor and over the counter, and his eyes met hers, before he saw her red arm.

“Kylie!” he said, his voice filled with concern. It felt weird hearing him say her real name, instead of “Maid”.  It felt weirder to hear the concern.

He rushed towards her, and pulled her over to the sink, his hand closing over her upper arm, careful to avoid touching the scalded skin. Kylie couldn’t do anything but let him help her.

Jared flicked on the tap deftly and held her arm under the cold water. The liquid brought both relief and pain to her skin. Kylie winced a little.

“Sorry,” he said.

She shook her head. “It’s not your fault. Thank you.”

“No problem,” he replied.

They had an understanding between them. It was almost secrecy, because his parents never knew what went on when they were together. How Jared acted. He didn’t treat her like a maid; he treated her like a friend. He treated her with respect. Kylie wasn’t used to it.

And she hadn’t used the words “sir” to him, after he’d told her not to.

Their eyes locked when he switched the tap off, and searched through the cupboards.

“Jared,” she protested, as he took out a first aid box. “I can finish up here.”

“Let me do it,” he said, his voice low. His tone was one that you didn’t argue with.

Kylie watched him unsurely, as he took out a tube of cream, and squeezed a generous amount onto his fingertips. He began applying it to her arm, and she pressed her lips together, not wanting to show how much it hurt.

“I’m sorry,” he said, again.

The pain faded the more he covered her arm with the salve. His touch was light and gentle. He was being careful, as if she was that fragile.

When he had finished applying the cream, he wrapped her lower arm with a stretch of bandage, securing it in a knot.

“Thank you,” she whispered. She heard the bell again and she began to finish making the tea. Before she went to pick the mug up, Jared pulled the sleeve of her jacket down over the bandage. He put a finger to his lips, and she nodded, before walking up to the Worth’s bedroom.

“What took you so long?” Mrs Worth exclaimed, when she walked into the room. Her shrill voice almost caused Kylie to spill the tea again, but thankfully she managed to make it.

She set the cup and saucer on her bedside table and curtsied.

Mrs Worth waved her away. When she came out of the bedroom, Jared was standing there. He sighed, his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

“Are you okay?” he whispered. He gestured to her arm.

She nodded, quietly, even though the pain in her arm still hadn’t faded. He smiled wryly at her before walking off to his bedroom. She scurried away to hers, too frightened of the Worths in the next room to stop and talk to him.

Kylie couldn’t sleep the whole night. She kept seeing Jared when she closed his eyes. Him helping her. His worried expression when he saw she was hurt. His lack of prejudice when it came to the fact that she was a Zero. He didn’t judge her. She had no idea why he didn’t – his parents were the most judgemental people she had seen. They treated her like a bit of dirt on their shoe, only using her to do errands they were too upper class to do themselves. She saw the way they looked down upon her. How Mrs Worth had not thanked her after she gave her the tea.

Jared was different.

Kylie groaned. She was tired, sore and all she wanted was a good night’s sleep to erase her confusion. But what she wanted, and what she got, were two different things.

As she always did at night in this strange city, she thought of home. What she would give to receive a letter, or something, from her grandmother. She missed her. She needed her. She needed the familiarity of her embrace; her warm, hearty dinners, the knitted blanket on her bed. Her eyes watered as she thought of it.

Fighting. She missed it too. Kylie missed being at the top of her game.

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Thanks for all the comments! I couldn't hold it off any longer so here it is. Originally it was meant to continue to the next day but I'm sure you will be happy with this rather than wait another week for it to be longer.