Page 19 of Jessica and the Jarhead
“You’re going to have to walk me through stitching you up,” she said with a stronger voice than before. “My training always stopped at ‘call 911 and stop the bleeding’ in situations like this.”
“I can do that.”
I walked her through how to clean and stitch the wounds. She worked methodically to close each cut. When she was donewith the last one, she looked up at me. Some evidence of the pain must have shown on my face because she went pale and gasped.
“I didn’t numb you or anything!” She quickly removed the gloves from her hands and ran her hand through my hair and along my cheek.
“I don’t have anything for that.” My voice was hoarse and low.
“Oh, Charles.”
I didn’t mind her fussing over me one bit.
Chapter 11
Jess
Charles fell asleep on the couch while I cleaned up. My hands shook as I discarded all the evidence of his injury — my blood-soaked scarf, the gloves coated in more blood, the gauze and rags, and all of it. I did a good job of keeping myself together when Charles needed me, but now that I had stitched him up and he was sleeping, I could feel a breakdown coming on.
I collapsed on the floor beside him and tried to stay quiet. He needed rest, but I needed to be near him, to feel him, to see him breathing. When he cried out in pain and collapsed, I thought the worst. All I could think was how I couldn’t lose him, not again.
“What?” Charles asked. Confusion and pain turned his voice ragged. “What are you talking about?”
Tears were coming down on my face, heavy and hot, and I couldn’t seem to stop them. I barely got the words out, but I was so sure they needed to be said.
“I can’t be with you,” I said again. “I’m breaking up with you.”
“Why?” He demanded. “What did I do? I’ll fix it. Whatever it is.” Tears were falling from his eyes now. Charles never cried. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and hold him close.
“I’m sorry.” It was too much. I turned and tried to walk away.
Charles fell to his knees and grabbed my legs as I moved. “Please, just talk to me. Whatever it is, we can work it out.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t do this. “Please, let me go.” My voice was so small that I wasn’t sure he would hear it. He did, though. The last time Charles had ever touched me, it was with betrayal and pain in his eyes.
Charles grunted out in pain. The only pain medicine I could find in this place was my migraine medicine and tylenol. I gave him the max I thought would be safe, but it wasn’t enough. I pulled out my phone and started searching for a signal again. There had to be something, somewhere. One bar, that was all I needed. Just to enough to call emergency services.
The snow had started up again, just as heavy as before. Even if I could get a signal, there would be no way for emergency crews to get here. I considered hopping in my car and driving through the snow, but I was sure I wouldn’t make it five feet before sliding off the road, and then we would both be injured and in trouble.
“Stop pacing,” Charles said from his spot on the couch when he woke up. He looked ok. If I hadn’t stitched him up myself, then I would have assumed nothing was wrong. “I’m fine. Come here,” he said with a note of command in his voice. That tone sent shivers down my spine, and I obeyed.
He pulled me into his lap, his leg still propped up on the coffee table, and I worried about the weight of him hurting him more. His hands were firm on my hips, though, anchoring me to him. “You were amazing.” He brought one hand up to my disheveled hair and smoothed down a piece I had been tugging on. “You didn’t even hesitate when I needed help.” His hand moved down my face to cup my jaw and I wanted to squirm away at the intimacy. Maybe I wanted to curl into him. I definitely wanted to move. He looked down at my lips a second before he leaned in and kissed me. He moved slow and gentle, like he wanted to savor me, like I was the one that was injured and needed soft kisses and soft touches.
When his tongue traced my bottom lip, I moaned and opened for him. I wanted to taste him, to know he was ok. I lost myself in the feel of him, the warmth of his kiss, the taste that was just this.
We rested our foreheads against each other when we had drank our fill, our breaths mingling, both of us unwilling to move. He had released my hip and brought both his hands up to cup my jaw and angle my head back to him. He gave me one last sweet kiss before pulling me into his embrace. I tucked my head against his neck and just breathed him in. Being in his arms felt achingly familiar and somehow new all at the same time. It felt like home.
I must have fallen asleep in that position because the next thing I knew, weak light was streaming through the open window.
“Morning, angel.” Charles’ voice rumbled through me and I realized I was still plastered to him.
“Oh, no. I’ve been on you all night. That must be uncomfortable.” I moved off him and his hands lingered on me until I was out of his reach, like he didn’t want to let me go.
“Not at all, but I need some help walking to the little boy’s room, if you wouldn’t mind.” Charles moved his legs and set it gently on the ground. I jumped to help him stand.
“I’m only helping you to it. The rest it up to you.”
“Shame,” he said and chuckled.
