Justice in Love

Ch. 47 January 4th

On the fourth, I woke late. I just laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. It felt like I had an elephant on my chest, sitting there and suffocating me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't function. I just laid there, hopelessly.

I laid there for a long while, not moving. I took a breath. I needed to face the day, even if that meant going and laying on the couch all day.

I made my way out of bed and went to the closet. I slipped on leggings and a T-shirt, then I brushed my teeth and went downstairs.

Reed was in the kitchen, making breakfast.

"You're still here?" I softly asked.

He looked up at me. "Yes, I am."

I looked at him. I noticed he was still in the pajamas he wore to bed; his flannel pants hung off his hips and his shirt hugged his abs. He looked incredibly alluring for nine in the morning.

"You're in your pajamas," I noted.

"I am," he spoke, flipping pancakes. "How are you this morning?"

"Not so great, you know."

He looked up at me. He walked over and kissed my head, then he got back to what he was doing. "I know."

"Why are you making breakfast?"

"Because we need to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"I don't care," he spoke.

"Reed-"

He stopped what he was doing. "If you don't do anything today, you will eat, okay? I can respect everything else, but I need to take care of you and this is what I know how to do. For my sanity, please, eat."

"Okay," I spoke.

He passed me a cup of coffee. "Do you want to look at the newspaper?"

"Sure."

He handed it to me.

I sat at the bar and took a drink of coffee. I looked at the paper.

There was a story about a shooting in the Bronx. Two were in critical condition and one died. Happy freaking New Year.

I sighed.

"What?" Reed asked.

"Shooting in the Bronx."

He sighed.

"They say the suspect's in custody. That's good."

"Yeah, it is."

I looked at another story.

Nothing was really sounding good with the world. Everything seemed to be falling apart. It was fitting for the day. Dark and gloomy. Depressing. Heart wrenching.

"Did you sleep okay?" Reed asked.

"Fine," I responded. "You?"

"Fine," he mirrored.

"You really didn't have to make breakfast. I could've had an apple."

"You and I both know you wouldn't have eaten an apple."

I sighed.

"I understand, Georgia. I know it's difficult."

"Who did you lose?" I asked.

"What?" he asked, looking up at me.

"You say you understand. Who did you lose? Your grandmother, but it's not been over a year. You don't know how you're going to handle the anniversary of her death."