Confined

Chapter Twelve - Stay

"I'm stuffed." I patted my stomach with one hand, sure I was about to explode. After we had finished our main course, Bryan brought out dessert. Tiramisu, Jaime had called it. I never knew Italian food could be so good.

We walked out of the restaurant and down the stairs. It seemed as though the line had barely moved despite the hour that had passed. We had talked easily all evening which surprised me. I had expected awkward silences and weird glances. I wasn't used to this easygoing Jaime, and I started to feel myself relax around him.

Jaime stopped abruptly in front of me, and I almost bumped into him before I caught myself. I noticed his shoulders tense and his back stiffened. I tried peering around him to see what he saw, but his large frame blocked my view. "What is it?" I asked, wrapping my arms around my torso. It must not be good if it has put Jaime on edge.

He turned around to face me, smoothing the hard lines from his face and trying hard to act as if nothing happened. At that moment, the valet pulls up with his car. "It's nothing. Just get in the car." He ordered coldly. The valet opened the door and I slid in. I wasn't sure what to make of the sudden change in Jaime's behavior, and he didn't care to fill me in when he got in the car. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel as he pulled out into traffic, several car horns honking. I glanced at him as he raced down the street.

"What happened?" I tried again. He ignored me.

I sunk down into the leather seat, looking out at the dark landscape as it passed in a blur. The car ride home was uncomfortable and we drove the hour drive back in silence. Jaime's eyes flickered to the rear-view mirror every few minutes as if he was watching for something but when I glanced behind us, nothing was there. I almost started to worry until I saw the lights of the mansion ahead of us. Jaime pulled through the open gate, coming to a stop at the front door instead of parking in the garage. Jaime threw his door open as I quietly followed behind him through the front door.

"Jaime?"

He was already halfway across the hall when I said his name. He froze, turning slowly on his heel. His jaw was clenched and his eyes burned with rage, but when he looked at me, his face softened. I held my breath waiting for whatever he would say next.

"Good night, Ava."

His voice lingered in the room long after he left. Instead of going upstairs to the bedrooms, he crosses into the kitchen. I thought I heard a door shut.

I stood still, alone, in the foyer. I could follow him, find out what happened tonight. Do you want a repeat of that night? I didn't. We had made so much progress since then and if he found me eavesdropping again, he would never trust me. I could go back outside, steal the car and drive far away from here. I couldn't remember if he took the keys with him or not. Then I realized that the gate was probably closed and that worked so well last time.

*****

My bedroom door banged against the wall, jolting me from my slumber. I forced myself to sit up in bed, wiping the sleep from my eyes. There was a silhouette standing in the doorway, still as a statue.

"Jaime? What are you doing?" I squinted at him in the near darkness.

He didn't hear me, or if he did, he ignored me. He stumbled into the room and the scent of whiskey assaulted my nostrils. "Are you drunk?" My eyebrows knitted together as I took in his appearance. His shirt was wrinkled, jacket gone, and his hair was disheveled as if he spent the whole night running his fingers through it.

Jaime dropped onto my bed, laying face down against my pillow, and I stared at his prone form, dumbfounded. Did he think this was his room? I shook his shoulder, trying to rouse him, but he just shrugged me off.

"Jaime, you have to get up. This isn't your room." He mumbled something, muffled by the pillow, and I grabbed his shoulder again.

Suddenly, he flipped over, grabbing my wrist with one hand more swiftly than I thought he'd be able to. He looked at me for the first time since barging in, but his eyes were glossed over and had trouble staying in focus.

I slid off the bed, helping him to his feet. He leaned on me, one arm around my shoulder, and I had trouble supporting his weight. Jaime's feet kept tripping on my feet as we slowly made it back into his room. I sat him on the edge of his bed, and his eyes never left my face. I felt something wet on my arm where he grabbed me. My wrist is smeared with dark red blood and I look from my arm to Jaime's hand, where blood trailed down his fingertips and dripped onto the hardwood floor.

"What did you do?"

"I broke a glass." Jaime muttered, staring at his own hand. I rushed into the bathroom, his room was almost the exact same layout as mine, and searched his cabinets. I found some bandages and a washcloth that I rinsed out in the sink. When I left the bathroom, Jaime hadn't shifted positions, but his eyes followed me as I approached him. I kneeled in front of him and gently grabbed his wrist, but he pulled away.

"I'm just trying to help." I explained quietly, holding out my hand. His hand fell into my waiting hand and I turned it so his palm was facing up. The cut ran the length of his palm, but it wasn't as bad as I originally thought. Jaime didn't even flinch when I wiped the blood with the wet cloth and wrapped some bandages around his cut.

"Why did you break the glass?" I looked up as I finished tying a knot on the back of his hand. Pained eyes looked back at me and I gasped at the sorrow in them.

"I can't keep my family safe. I won't be able to keep you safe." His voice cracked and I thought I saw tears in his eyes. His hand reached out to touch my cheek, his palm incredibly warm against my face. He laced a strand of my hair between his fingers before letting go. 

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, he lay back so his head rested against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. His eyelids fluttered shut, and I stood from my crouched position on the floor beside the bed, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. Thinking he was asleep, I turned to leave, but his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist, the bandage tickling my skin.

"Stay."

I can't. I tried to force the words out, but they couldn't get past the lump in my throat. His sad eyes followed my every move as I climbed over him to the empty space in his bed. I stayed on top of the covers but Jaime shifted closer to me, laying his head on my shoulder.

I tried hard to steady my breathing as his hair grazed my throat. I lifted my hand to brush it away, but when Jaime wrapped an arm around my torso, pulling me closer to him, I froze, my hand tangled in his curls.

I ran my fingers through his soft curls as his breathing evened out. I was going to comfort him just for tonight. He probably won't remember it anyway.

A/N

To be honest, this has to be my favorite chapter of the entire book.