How To Annoy Your Neighbour

Step 23: Find your neighbour

*EDITED*

Jamie's POV

  "What're you doing here?" he asked gruffly.

  I froze. 

  I was definitely not expecting that type of response. His eyes seemed to soften when he saw the change in my countenance.

  "How about I take you back......home, Jamie," he said.

  I nodded.

  He took my arm and pulled me out the front doors wordlessly. We walked to his car, which I'm sure was rented. I sat in the passenger seat and waited for him. He got in and started the car.

  He started driving.

  "Wait! I have to get my suitcase!" I said, remembering the taxi driver was waiting for me.

  He nodded and stopped by the taxi. I tipped the taxi driver and took my suitcase. Eli helped me put it in his backseat.

  "Where are you staying?"  he asked.

  "A Holiday Inn."

  He nodded.

  The rest of the drive was wordless. The silence was far from comfortable and it made me want to get out of the car. It made me want to cry, it made me want to do a lot of things. He made me want to do a lot of things. 

  I fumbled with my fingers the whole time.

  We soon stopped and Eli carried my suitcase. I checked in and he followed me to my room. We went up up the elevator in silence. He followed me through the hall in silence. I unlocked the door to my room in silence. And we entered in silence.

  He set my suitcase to the side.

  "So, I'll repeat my question. What are you doing here?" his voice got all business like. I could only assume that was the voice he used in court. That wasn't the voice I wanted him to use with me.

  "I read your......note," I said.

  "Note?" he said.

  "The one you left me. I read it."

  A realization came over his face, but it was washed away immediately.

  "That still doesn't explain why you're here, Jamie."

   I didn't know what to say. 

  "I-I--"

  "Jamie, this was--"

  "I came for you!" I blurted and immediately felt heat creep up my cheeks.

  He looked at me with furrowed brows, almost as if he didn't believe me.

  "I came because I read that- that poem and I realized that, that I felt the exact same way, Eli! I just--"

  He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

  "When you read that poem, I was hoping it would be some kind of closure," he said.

  I laughed humourlessly.

  "Oh, right, because a confession like that is definitely closure! Did you honestly not expect me to come here?" I said.

  "Actually, yeah! Kind of!" he snapped.

  A silence followed.

  "Did you mean it? What you wrote?" I asked quietly.

  More silence.