The Art of Life (42 page)

               
“Good
point,” he mumbles, sitting back down.
 
He stares at the table and starts picking at a spot.

               
“What’s
wrong?” I whisper.

               
Jeremy’s
eyes look up at me and they hold so much sadness.
 
“I feel so guilty.”

               
“About what?”
I ask.

               
“That,”
he starts.
 
Taking a deep breath, Jeremy
whispers, “I should have been there to protect you.”

               
A
snort comes out of me.
 
“You were
supposed to be in my room at the exact point in time?”

               
“No,
I knew you found that guy creepy.
 
If I
had checked in on you and you had told me that he was there.
 
I would have done something.
 
I didn’t like it the first night he was
there.”

               
“Jeremy.”
I reach over and take his hand.
 
“You
can’t protect me from everything.
 
I am
not your responsibility.”

               
He
looks at me thoughtfully.
  
“But I feel
as though you are.
 
I have this urge to
protect you from the world.
 
I have felt
it since the first time we met.”

               
“The
best moment of my life so far,” I giggle.
 
“That was epic.
 
The look on
Sonya’s face was priceless.
 
You saved me
that day, and many days since then, but you can’t protect me from the world
Jeremy, as much as you may want to.”

               
Jeremy
hangs his head.
 
“This shouldn’t have
happened.
 
I could have done
something.
 
I should have gotten you out
of there sooner.
 
I thought about it, but
it didn’t seem pertinent at the time.”

With my eyebrows raised, I
ask, “You thought about me moving out before?”

“Yeah,” he replies.
 
“You weren’t happy and your mom was not a
very good role model.
 
I just felt like
you needed to be given more in life.”

That shuts me up
quickly.
 
He was thinking what!?
 
Who is he?
 
Why would he want to do that for me?
 
I can’t help but to sit there and stare at him.
 
His hair has grown a little and is falling
into his eyes.
 
For some reason, all I
can think about is how great he looks right now.
 
His chocolate brown eyes look up at me,
through his perfect lashes.
 
My chest
tightens a little and it’s as if the world slows down.
 
We kind of just stare at each other for a
while.
 
Neither of us moving, or saying
anything.

Finally, I am the one who
looks away.
 
Jeremy sighs and asks, “Are
you hungry?”

               
“No,”
I say.
 
“I am actually cold.”

               
“I
will turn the heat up,” Jeremy replies, standing up.

               
I
follow him.
 
“Actually, can I take a
bath?
 
That usually helps when I get
chilled.
 
Plus, it will be nice to have a
moment to myself.”

               
“Definitely,
I will do WHATEVER you want.
 
If you need
ANYTHING, just tell me, okay?”

               
Nodding
my head, I mumble, “Yeah.”

               
“Cassandra
brought over some more things for you.
 
It’s in the bag over there.
 
There
are some actual pajamas.
 
Then some
clothes for tomorrow.”

               
My
chest tightens and a tear runs down my cheek.
 
“You are all too nice to me.
 
I
have done nothing to deserve it.”

               
“Isabelle,”
Jeremy says, seizing me by the arms.
 
“You are our friend.
 
That is what
friends do.
 
Relax and let us help.”

               
Jerkily,
I nod my head and whisper, “Okay.”

               
“
Come,
let’s get your bath ready.”
 
He grabs my hand and pulls me down the
hallway.
 
When we get into the bathroom,
Jeremy smiles, “I cleaned the bathroom while you were sleeping.
 
So, you have a clean bathtub.”

               
“
Aww
, that’s so sweet,” I say.

               
He
bends over and puts in the stopper.
 
“How
hot do you like it?”

               
“Near
scalding,” I reply.

               
“Alright,
I can do that,” Jeremy laughs.
 
He starts
the water and then stands up.
 
“Oh!” He
exclaims.
 
“I have an idea!”
 
I watch him dart out of the bathroom.
 
I wait with raised eyebrows.
 
Jeremy comes back in carrying two
candles.
 
“These are for when the power
goes out.”

               
Snickering,
I say, “Or when you have a girl over for a romantic dinner.”

               
“I
don’t do romance,” Jeremy retorts.

               
“Yeah,
right,” I laugh.
 
“I see how gentle you
are.
 
You are so nice to me and do so
many sweet things.
 
You cannot convince
me that you are not a romantic guy.”

               
Jeremy
lights a match and brings it to one of the wicks.
 
“I…don’t….do….romance,” he articulates.

               
“Well,
you would be good at it,” I sigh.
 
“You
just wait.
 
A girl is going to come
along, who turns you into a pile of romantic goo.”

               
“I’d
like to see this girl,” Jeremy snorts.

               
I
grab his hand.
 
“Why are you so closed
off when it comes to girls?”

               
There
is dead silence, as Jeremy stares at my hand.
 
“Isabelle, there are some things I just don’t talk about.
 
I care about you and feel like I can trust
you, but there is some stuff that I don’t think I can share with you.”

               
Pulling
my hand back quickly, I mutter, “Sorry.”

               
“Don’t
be sorry,” he groans.
 
“Ugh, I frustrate
myself sometimes.”
 
Jeremy turns and puts
his hand on my face.
 
“I trust you
Isabelle, probably more than anyone else, but I am a very, very private
person.
 
I have some stuff….that
just….hurts.
 
Some stuff I have never
shared with anyone, and I may never share it with anyone.”

               
Putting
my hand on top of his, I whisper, “You will Jeremy.
 
One day you will meet the person that makes
you whole.
 
You will be able to share
that part of yourself with them.
 
I
promise you that.”

               
He
comes forward and places his forehead on mine.
 
“You are an incredible person.
 
I
am thankful that you are in my life.”

               
Every
inch of me wants to kiss him.
 
That
sudden realization makes me jump back.
 
“Oh
my gosh
.”

               
“What!?”
Jeremy exclaims.

               
“Nothing,”
I say, waving my hand.
“Nothing.
 
Random thought made me jump.”

               
Getting
a wicked smile, Jeremy inquires, “What was the random thought?”

               
“I
don’t have to tell you everything,” I snap playfully.
 
I start shoving him out the door.

               
Jeremy
braces himself on the door frame.
 
“I
want to know what the thought was.”

               
“No!”
I say, shoving him as hard as I can.
 
He
of course doesn’t move.
 
“I need to get
more strength,” I finally gasp, giving up.

               
He
turns around and says, “Tell me what the thought was and I will leave the
room.”

               
Quickly
I shove him and he falters back. “Ha!” I exclaim and slam the door.
 
For the first time since everything happened,
I laugh.
 
When the tub is finally full, I
turn the water off.
 
I take off my
clothes and look in the mirror.
 
Grimacing, I see the bruising on my neck has gotten worse.
 
I touch it and my body shivers.

               
Shaking
my head, I climb into the tub.
 
It feels
good.
 
I lower myself down so my head is
barely above the water.
 
Taking deep
breaths I try to relax, but it doesn’t seem to work.
 
Everything is just too much.
 
I am so tired of crying!
 
Will it never stop!
 
Ugh, I wipe the tears away.
 

               
Then
for no reason, or for so many reasons, I just start to sob.
 
I sit up and bury my face in my hands.
 
Everything comes flooding back.
 
The fear, the pain, the sadness, it is all
too overwhelming.
 
I just cry and cry and
cry.

               
There
is a knock on the door.
 
“Isabelle, baby,
are you okay?”

               
“No,”
I whimper.
 
“I am sorry.”

               
“What
are you sorry for?”

               
I
shrug even though he can’t see me.
 
“I
don’t know.
 
I am just a hot mess.
 
I just can’t stop crying.”

               
“Draw
the curtain,” Jeremy says.
 
“I will be
right back.”

               
Glaring
at the door, I yell, “Don’t you dare come in
here!
”

               
A
few seconds later, I hear, “Either draw the curtain or deal with me seeing you
naked.”

               
With
a snap, I close the curtain.
 
“I feel
like I am in a tomb now,” I say.

               
“Just
wait,” Jeremy says.
 
I hear him shut the
door and once again the only light is from the candles.
 
“Okay, take a deep breath and close your eyes.”

               
“What
are you going to do?” I snap.
 
“Don’t you
dare open this
curtain!
”

               
I
hear him sit down on the floor next to the tub.
 
“Just close your eyes and trust me.”

               
“Okay,”
I whisper apprehensively.
 
Leaning back,
I close my eyes and wait.
 
My mouth twitches
up into a smile when I hear him start playing.
 
This song is very calm and serene.
 
It is quite beautiful, and it doesn’t take long for my mind to be
consumed by the music.
 
When the song
ends, I smirk.
 
I draw the curtain back,
just enough to poke my head out.
 
“That
was beautiful.”

               
“I
thought you would like it,” Jeremy replies with a soft smile.
 
He is sitting down against the wall opposite
of the tub.
 
“Not to be grossly
inappropriate, but you look cute.
 
Your
hair is all in curls and damp.”

               
Laughing,
I say, “Well your
god like looks are
sitting in a halo
of candle light.
 
It’s like a steamy
romance novel cover.”