Page 88 of Waiting to Lose
LIGHT HIT HIS eyes through the cracks of the blinds. He blinked several times and shifted his head so that he could position himself away from the beam. His arm and his chest felt heavy as he focused his eyes downward. She lay on his chest in his arms, her leg curled over his. They’d lain down in bed, fully clothed, and the minute she’d placed her head on his chest, she’d been out. He hadn’t been far behind. He was exhausted. He had no idea what time or even what day it was. The jet lag hit him hard, along with the emotional roller coaster and drugs he’d encountered, and his head still ached. His heart was much better. He tightened his arms around her and noted every little thing about her. Her bangs shaped her face and the long strands of hair fell over her shoulders and onto his arms. He loved her hair. He loved everything about her. He loved that he could see her ankle in the place where her jeans separated from her sock. He loved the way her body rose and fell with every breath she took, and the way her hands were still holding his shirt so he wouldn’t go. As if he’d ever leave.
She moved slightly and sighed awake. When she noticed where she was, she turned her head into his chest and took a deep breath. It made him smile to know she was still happy he was there.
“Good morning.”
She lifted her squinting, blinking eyes to his. “You’re here.”
“Is that still a good thing?”
“It’s always a good thing,” she said, shifting her body upward to be closer to his face. Her eyes explored his as he pushed a stray hair from her lips.
“I don’t remember falling asleep.”
He smiled. “Honestly, neither do I.” He moved his arm slightly and she took notice.
“Are you uncomfortable?” she asked as she pushed on his chest to get up.
“No,” he replied quickly, pulling her back against him.
She giggled and his heart leapt.
She shifted her body and he removed his arm, turning to the side to face her.
She sighed heavily as her fingers played with the buttons on his shirt.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he recognized her downcast eyes to mean she was worrying.
“You need to go, don’t you?” Her eyes lifted to his in anxiety.
There was so much pain in them; Jake thought he may never leave her again, just to avoid having to see her face twist like that.
“I’ll stay.”
She lifted up onto her elbow. “Can you really? What about the tour?”
He scratched the center of his head as he glanced around for his glasses. Madi twisted and lifted them from her nightstand, handing them to him.
“I don’t even know what day of the week it is.”
Madi turned to find her phone, realizing her battery was still dead. He pulled it from her hand and tried to turn it on. She rested her chin on his chest. “Well, that explains why I couldn’t reach you.”
“I couldn’t take the incessant buzzing. Forty-seven messages? Really, Jake? What could you have possibly said differently forty-seven times?”
He smiled. “Plug it in and find out. I’m sure I was babbling on about being on my way and how much I loved you.”
“Loved?”
“Love,” he replied as he kissed her forehead. He dug into his back pocket and produced his phone.
Madi’s eyes bulged from her head and she saw the time. “Shit! I have class in twenty minutes.”
She shot out of bed. Jake folded his arms behind his head and watched her twist and turn, trying to figure out what to do first and where to go. He shook his head and laughed.
“Stop laughing at me. I need to take a quick shower. I’ll be right back.” Jake sat up for a moment when the idea of Madi in the shower woke up other parts of his anatomy, even more than they already had been from sleeping next to her all night. She grabbed her robe and caddy and darted out the door.
