Something Else

Chapter 13 - And Now?

Lee stretched out on the sofa with the darkest expression on his face as he stared out at the stormy night, almost hypnotized by the constant pitter-patter of rain on the window.
He was in the foulest of moods and had hardly uttered one word since they'd got back from the hospital nearly two hours ago.

Tearing his eyes away from the window, Lee lit yet another cigarette and wondered if he'd have got hold of the knife, would the story have a different ending? Somehow figured so, he doubted very much that Joe would still be around to tell the tale. God, how bitter he felt towards him!

He glanced over at Bob, who was sitting on the floor in front of the television, fast-forwarding the latest episode of Rage he'd recorded. It had been him who had basically saved Joe – surprising considering the last kicking he'd got, but that was Bob all over, Mr Nice Guy. If it had been left to Lee, he'd have quite happily left Joe lying there in Stacey's flat to rot. All he hoped for now was that, by some nasty twist of fate, something would go wrong and that Joe would somehow choke on his own blood or vomit as he lay neatly tucked up in his sterile white hospital bed. Goodbye Joe. Rest In Peace!

Stacey turned her head away as Lee's face continued to harden with unknown thoughts. Why did this have to go and happen tonight - why?
Bob threw the remote control down on the floor, fed up with the atmosphere Lee was creating, and glared at him, knowing that expression only too well. It would be pointless even contemplating talking to him while he was in this kind of mood. He'd be best left well alone until he came out of it on his own.
He leaned over and took one of Lee's cigarettes since he wasn't offering them around, then after lighting it, he offered the packet to Stacey – she declined.
It was her he felt sorry for right now. It couldn't be easy having to sit there, in front of him, whom she'd never really met before, with Lee ignoring her like he was. It wasn't fair, and as he got up to go through to the toilet, he let his feelings be known by kicking the side of the sofa as he passed, jolting Lee out of his thoughts with a start.

'What?' He frowned defensively.

Bob just flashed him a look that told him, in not so many words, to pull himself together and talk to the girl. But Lee's response to that was to close his eyes. He wasn't in the mood for being lectured to – there was too much on his mind. And then, after casually glancing in Stacey's direction, he sighed, repositioning himself, careful as he did so, so as not to pull the stitches in his side.

'Hey,' he then said, leaning towards her.

Stacey looked around and said nothing.

'You alright?'

She nodded.

He studied her profile for a moment as she returned her eyes to the blank TV screen, knowing full well she wasn't, and it was only then that he noticed the extent of the bruising on the side of her face.

'Why don't you just go through to bed?' he then said, realising what a hard time she must have had herself, and thinking how tired she looked. But Stacey didn't take it that way at all and thought he was just trying to get rid of her. That he'd had enough of looking at her, and she glared at him for a second, before getting up, refusing to look at him now as a haze of tears clouded her eyes, and began hauling her suitcase through to the bedroom, not wanting to be there when Bob returned from the bathroom.

Why was he doing this to her? Why wouldn't he talk to her and tell her how he was feeling, instead of just completely ignoring her?
'Hey,' said Lee, noticing she was avoiding his eyes – but she just kept going. He leaned over the side of the sofa, catching her by the arm, stopping her abruptly in her steps. 'Hey.'
Stacey just stared at him, blinking away the tears with a look of defiance he'd never seen before.