His typewriter makes a tap tap tap. There's no other sound in the room aside from his breathing that is extremely steady as his fingers create the tapping sound that his heartbeat goes along with, imitating tempo with a keen sense. The quicker he types the quicker his heart goes. It's a wonder he hasn't had a heart attack. At times he gets so caught up in his work that he doesn't even realize he has to slide the platen back. He does not mistype. He does not mess up. It's all very perfect and pristine and everyone asks him what it's like to live such an accomplished life alone and he simply tells them that he is not alone. He has the tap tap tap.
He doesn't remember where he met her or when he met her but if someone wanted to know they could look in the mass of his work and pinpoint exactly when it happened. He writes about everyone he cares about and he couldn't help that the tap tap tap of his typewriter caused his heart to beat in such a way that matched up with hers as they made love. He was smitten with her. Completely and utterly smitten with the American that went by Amelia Denningsworth. Amelia indulged in him once, claiming it was the one and only time she would but she stayed the night. And one night became three which became ten which became as many as it had to be until the tap tap tap of his typewriter went just like the thump thump thump of the heart in her chest.
He was enamored by the American who slept in late and made him breakfast and would sit clad in his shirt and long socks in his lap as his typewriter went tap tap tap writing about a love of his that was not her. She never read what he wrote so she did not know about the other American he had loved longer ago. She just sat leaning against his chest listening as the thump thump thump of his heart matched exactly with the tap tap tap of his typewriter. With every word he wrote about his other American love while his current made his length ache, her hands innocently exploring his body, his tapping would increase pace until he picked her up and threw her on the bed. He had his way with her and bit his tongue to keep from screaming his second love's name. One time he slipped. "Steven!"
The tap tap tap of his typewriter is now accompanied by her moans. He shouldn't have written about Steven. He shouldn't have invited him here. That should be him in there, he convinced himself. He wasn't sure if he meant in there with Amelia or he in there with Steven but either way it should be him. It was not him; it was the two Americans and this is why the tap tap of his typewriter picks up speed. Faster and faster it goes as their breaths become shorter and shorter and their volume increases. The tap tap tap stops for the first time in years as the foreigners climax. He cannot breathe. His heart does not beat. The both scream the same name.
"Jonothan!"
The tap tap tap of his typewriter does not stop again until the next morning. His heart is racing and the tapping is so quick that it's a wonder his mind is spewing out any valuable information. He feels the draft from the window before he feels a kiss on his cheek.
"What are you writing about, my love?"
The tap tap tap does not stop when he answers briskly, "You."
Steven nods. "Thank you. For having me, I mean."
The tapping stops. So does both of their breathing. "I didn't have you quite like I did last time."
"No, you didn't."
The tapping begins again as the eye contact breaks. The door closes and now there is only one man in the room. His breathing becomes more forced and much more painful. Amelia does not come to him; he doesn't know if it is out of shame or distaste but either way his fingers create the tap tap tap and make it speed up to an ungodly pace that makes his adrenaline rush to a breaking point.
He'd always have the tap tap tap to keep him company but the tap tap tap would not always have him. The final tap tap tap of the typewriter was the most painful for him to punch in as he stood on the ledge. He dropped the hunk of metal off into the street 13 stories below. He followed his only friend all the way down until his heart did not go tap tap tap.
