Bloodline [h.s.]

eight.

BRIDGET GALLAGHER

The presence of someone else in my bed woke me up with only four hours of sleep after we got back from the hospital. I slept as far away from Jacob as I could out of fear that I would accidentally hurt him in my sleep. He was already awake staring at the ocean through the window. His emerald green eyes looked exhausted and pained. I felt guilty that this happened to me because of me. The events of the night before were burned into my mind leaving me with conflicting emotions.

"Good morning," he smiled.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"A lot better. Thank you for taking care of me."

He sat up on the bed, trying to hide the pain. I quickly came to side to help. The right side of his torso was opaquely purple and blue. 

"What do you need? Don't get up. I'll get it." I said.

"I should go home." He said flatly while he changed into clothes for the day.

"Let me make you a cup of coffee, first."

He nodded but gently pulled his arm away from mine to stand up. Something was different, but what could have changed since last night? 

Once he was standing, he seemed able to walk slowly without any trouble. When we got to the kitchen, my mind flashed to the night before with me on the counter kissing him. Why was he acting so different from twelve hours prior?

"How would you like your coffee?" I asked as I poured him a cup.

"Black is fine." He said while scrolling through his phone. The energy between changed and not for the better.

"I know I said it already, but thank you for protecting me."

"No big deal." He said quietly, sipping his coffee.

I sat directly in front of him on top of the marble countertop, placing my hand over his, so he couldn't ignore me. He finally looked up at me blankly after pulling his hand away. I missed the flirtatious smirk on his face last night that appeared with me sitting this close.

"Jacob, is everything okay?"

"Yes." His tone was almost cold and empty of any affection he showed for me last night.

"Why are you acting so off? If something is wrong, you can tell me."

"I am acting how I always act. I think I'm going to go home. Thank you again for taking me to the hospital last night." He said, not even looking at me.

Without either of us saying anything more, he went home, leaving me completely perplexed. That was the last time we spoke for weeks. At first, I was disappointed and hurt. By the second week, I was livid. I had been so cautious about letting myself like him too fast. He was the one pursuing me, and then, he disappeared. He was the one who convinced me to show him my cards. Then, he just leaves once I do? My texts checking on him after his injury were ignored. However, he did not disappear entirely. Jacob had gone golfing with my brother twice already. He only disappeared for me. I knew I should not have been so hurt by someone I really hadn't known for a significant amount of time, but I craved the way I felt around him.