Love Notes

Chapter 47

Jamie and I sit in an almost awkward silence for a few minutes. I wonder to myself if he's reconsidering how he views last week. Does he still think we just had sex now that he's heard my point of view.

Yes, he does, because he moves on from it like it was a trivial business matter.

He examines my face, coming over to me and moving it side to side so he can get a good look at it. I haven't tried to look it over, but I can imagine how bad it is. He sighs, not so much in sorrow or regret, but in annoyance that he's going to have to help.
"Don't move."

He steps back, leaving the room with the door wide open. There would be no point in moving anyway, he's locked the front door, and I don't fancy my chances from the balcony at this height.

He comes back in, an ice pack and small towel in hand.
"Put that over your eye. You need to stop that bleeding."

"It probably needs stitches...and my arm, it's bad, you're going to have to let me see a doctor Jamie."

"Not a hope Izzy."

"Jamie please, I won't say anything! I'll say I fell, or I was mugged or something. I won't tell anybody it was you."

"I said no, we can look after it here."

"How? It needs an X-ray."

He checks out my shoulder, reaching out and touching it. Every tiny brush causes me pain, but he has an idea.
"I saw my cousin reset his brother's arm once when we were kids. We were all playing a game
of football in his backyard, he fell on his shoulder trying to get a touch down. It was gross actually, the whole thing was hanging down. My cousin just pulled his arm up over his head and it popped right back in. I can try it."

"Are you insane? You can't do that!"

"It shouldn't hurt that much, not as much as it does now."
His indifference about it is more unnerving than it is comforting. He has no idea how much it will hurt, how much it does hurt! And he doesn't care.

"Jamie are you hearing yourself? You're not a doctor, this needs medical attention."

"Listen, you either let me do it or you just deal with it Izzy because you're not going anywhere near a hospital."

This is crazy. What's his plan? To lock me in here forever?
"No, you're not touching me."

"Fine, suit yourself."
He shrugs and turns away from me, pulling the footstool out of the room and turning out the light before closing the door behind him.

What the hell?
"Wait! Where are you going?"

He turns the key in the door, locking me inside again.
"I'm tired, I need to get some sleep."

"Jamie! You said this was just while you cleaned up your leg! Let me out!"

"I never said I wouldn't leave you in there Iz, I just let you think I wouldn't. You made your bed, it's time to sleep in it."

I dart looks around the room in all of its darkness, is he really going to leave me in here all night?
"Jamie?...", I call out one more time.

"What?"

"Please." Sobs choke me as I beg him, he has to see how bad of an idea this is.

"I don't want anymore noise from you Izzy, do I have to make that happen or will you save me the trouble?"
The threat alone silences me. I'm better off with the door between us.

"That's what I thought."
I hear his footsteps cross the room, along with the sound of the bedroom door closing. I'm not even sure if he's still inside the room until I hear the bed creek.
He's sleeping with me just on the other side of this door, bruised and bloodstained. How can he be so sick.