Page 38 of Waiting to Lose
Jake lay back and placed his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. The toilet flushed, and a few seconds later, Madi jumped on top of him.
He moaned as he pulled her underneath him.
“Hi,” she said.
“Better?” he asked
“Much.”
“So tell me.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she replied in a huff.
“Why?” he asked as his brows furrowed.
“That’s why,” she said as she pointed to his face. “You worry. Even about my dreams.”
Jake pushed his hand through his hair and Madi pulled it down. “I like your hair, remember, baldy?”
Jake smirked and stared into her eyes with a pained expression.
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” she asked.
“No. Can’t. Won’t. I need to know what frightens you so much that it makes you scream in your sleep.”
Madi sat up and pawed at her hair. “I had a bad dream.”
Jake sighed. “I knew that part.”
Madi sighed. She glanced up at him and he was waiting expectantly. “You really won’t let this go?”
He shook his head in frustration. “Just tell me.”
Madi took a deep breath. “I had a dream that the guard broke in here and shot you. Okay? Are you satisfied?”
Madi leapt from the bed and situated herself in front of the fire, hugging her knees to her chest.
Jake cleared his throat as he made his way to her, sitting behind her and wrapping his arms around her.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“That’s it?” she said, turning toward him. “That’s all you’re going to say?”
Jake leaned back and rested on his hands behind him. “What do you want me to say?”
“Maybe, ‘Don’t worry, Madi; that will never happen’?”
“Don’t worry, Madi; that will never happen,” he assured.
Madi blew her bangs out of her eyes as she pushed on his bare chest. “How can you be so matter-of-fact about it? I’m scared for you, Jake.”
“There’s no need for you to worry about me. I’m fine.”
Madi turned around and rested on her heels. “How do you know he won’t come after you?”
“I don’t.”
“Jake!”
