Come Back to Me
Broken ribs
Tom is coming home today with Mel. I'm very tired this morning, I didn't get enough sleep last night. My side hurts when I try to sleep a certain way, my jaw throbs and I can't get comfortable. I look over at the mirror in Toms room. Slowly, I get out of bed and walk towards it. My jaw is purple, I lift my top to see that my side is also bruised, a discoloured purple colour. My neck still has marks on it, and my face is pale. I suddenly feel alone. Apart from Mel, Tom and Alex I have no one else to talk to. I made a fool of myself last night with Alex, I don't even want to look at him right now. Mel is with Tom now, she's not exactly worried about my problems. Maybe now is the time to arrange to meet my parents. I think I need them. I can hear the shower, Alex must be in the bathroom. While he's in the shower, and since I am avoiding him right now, I head downstairs while I can. As I pour some orange juice into my glass, I take a quick look at the local newspaper sitting on the counter. It headlines - 'Police investigate attack on New York Woman'. I stop pouring, and open the paper to read more. Thankfully it's only a small article, it doesn't say much about me. I sigh a breath of relief and take a sip of my juice.
"Morning." Alex says, making me jump. "Sorry.." He says, smiling. He is standing with only his towel wrapped around his waist. His body is wet with water, and he holds a pair of jeans that were folded up on the living room table. It's moments like this that I find it hard to be mad at him. Am I mad at him, for turning me down? Or was I just getting mixed signals? I really don't understand what happened last night. I smile lightly and look back at the newspaper, pretending he's not there. He takes a glass and reaches for the orange juice, his arm skimming my sore side. I winch and grab my side.
"Sorry... Are you ok?" He asks, placing his hand on top of mine, holding my side.
"I'm just a little sore this morning, that's all.." I say as I move my hand away, pushing his away at the same time. His hand touching me was enough to make my heart skip a beat. I take my orange juice and walk past Alex, heading back upstairs.
I don't know when I drifted off to sleep, but when I wake I can hear voices coming from downstairs. I hear Mel first, then Tom. What's the time, I think.. It's 4:45. I must have slept for at least a few hours. My side still hurts, and I wonder if I have broken ribs. With great difficulty I change from my vest and shorts to a pair of white skin tight jeans, and a cute flowery vest. When I go downstairs into the living room I see Tom, Mel and Alex talking. It looks serious.. And I know that they are talking about me. Mel sees me first, she covers her mouth with her hand in shock and runs over to me.
"Oh my god, amy!!" She throws her arms around me and hugs me.
"Ow....." My gasp, and push her away, grabbing my side. Alex jumps up.
"Careful.. Her side." He says. Tom paces over to me and gently hugs me.
"Your jaw.." He says, staring. "Let me see your side." He asks.
"It's really sore.. More painful than yesterday.." I say as i lift my vest.
"God..." Tom whispers.
"Maybe we should get you to the hospital.." Alex says.
"No.." I whisper in pain. Alex sighs.
"I'll call that doctor in again." Alex says and dials the number from his phone.
A short while later the doctor arrives and starts poking at my side, making me want to hit him.
"Broken ribs.." He says. "Rest, plenty of rest." Alex sees him out. Tom is upstairs and Mel is in the kitchen. Alex walks towards me and I quickly turn and walk away.
"Amy.." He says, standing behind me. I turn and face him, looking at anything but him.
"You can't keep avoiding me.." He says. He steps closer. "Last night..I didn't.." Tom interrupts him, running downstairs.
"Amy where do you wanna sleep tonight?" Tom asks. Alex eyes him in frustration.
"Umm.." I mumble. I see him looking at Alex, his eyes wide. I know what he's doing. He wants his bedroom to himself, because of Mel. Tom then clears his throat.
"Uh.. Amy you can have my bed, I'll take the couch." He offers, finally catching on.
"No... I'll take the couch." I say. I don't want to sleep in his bed. It'll just remind me of him. Alex takes a deep breath, and walks into the kitchen.
"Ok..sorted.." Tom claps his hands together.
"Tom.. Can I talk to you for a sec?" I ask. He nods, and we walk through the kitchen to the back door, passing Mel and Alex, into the garden. I never noticed how pretty the garden is.
"How's your arm?" I ask, forgetting that he'd been shot.
"It's alright, stiff." He says, as if it's not even there. "Been getting it checked out regularly, it's fine. Never mind me.. What about you?"
"Oh you know.. Strangled, kicked, punched, chased, almost run over.. I'm doing good.." I joke. Tom goes pale.
"Strangled.." He whispers. I cover my neck with my hand. I look up at the kitchen window, I can see Alex looking out, watching me.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here. I thought Alex.."
"Alex did the best he could. He can't watch over me all the time, Tom." I say.
"I know that. I was, I am, a little angry that it happened though."
"He's not my babysitter.." I snap. "Anyway.. That's not why I wanted to speak to you. I've been thinking. I think I want to meet them, soon."
Toms face brightens up and he laughs. "Really??? Thank god!" He says.
"But.. I don't think I should meet them looking like this.." I say, referring to my injuries.
"Yeah.. True. They don't even know I've been shot. Maybe we should wait... For both of us to heal."
"Sounds like a plan.." I say, laughing.
"Morning." Alex says, making me jump. "Sorry.." He says, smiling. He is standing with only his towel wrapped around his waist. His body is wet with water, and he holds a pair of jeans that were folded up on the living room table. It's moments like this that I find it hard to be mad at him. Am I mad at him, for turning me down? Or was I just getting mixed signals? I really don't understand what happened last night. I smile lightly and look back at the newspaper, pretending he's not there. He takes a glass and reaches for the orange juice, his arm skimming my sore side. I winch and grab my side.
"Sorry... Are you ok?" He asks, placing his hand on top of mine, holding my side.
"I'm just a little sore this morning, that's all.." I say as I move my hand away, pushing his away at the same time. His hand touching me was enough to make my heart skip a beat. I take my orange juice and walk past Alex, heading back upstairs.
I don't know when I drifted off to sleep, but when I wake I can hear voices coming from downstairs. I hear Mel first, then Tom. What's the time, I think.. It's 4:45. I must have slept for at least a few hours. My side still hurts, and I wonder if I have broken ribs. With great difficulty I change from my vest and shorts to a pair of white skin tight jeans, and a cute flowery vest. When I go downstairs into the living room I see Tom, Mel and Alex talking. It looks serious.. And I know that they are talking about me. Mel sees me first, she covers her mouth with her hand in shock and runs over to me.
"Oh my god, amy!!" She throws her arms around me and hugs me.
"Ow....." My gasp, and push her away, grabbing my side. Alex jumps up.
"Careful.. Her side." He says. Tom paces over to me and gently hugs me.
"Your jaw.." He says, staring. "Let me see your side." He asks.
"It's really sore.. More painful than yesterday.." I say as i lift my vest.
"God..." Tom whispers.
"Maybe we should get you to the hospital.." Alex says.
"No.." I whisper in pain. Alex sighs.
"I'll call that doctor in again." Alex says and dials the number from his phone.
A short while later the doctor arrives and starts poking at my side, making me want to hit him.
"Broken ribs.." He says. "Rest, plenty of rest." Alex sees him out. Tom is upstairs and Mel is in the kitchen. Alex walks towards me and I quickly turn and walk away.
"Amy.." He says, standing behind me. I turn and face him, looking at anything but him.
"You can't keep avoiding me.." He says. He steps closer. "Last night..I didn't.." Tom interrupts him, running downstairs.
"Amy where do you wanna sleep tonight?" Tom asks. Alex eyes him in frustration.
"Umm.." I mumble. I see him looking at Alex, his eyes wide. I know what he's doing. He wants his bedroom to himself, because of Mel. Tom then clears his throat.
"Uh.. Amy you can have my bed, I'll take the couch." He offers, finally catching on.
"No... I'll take the couch." I say. I don't want to sleep in his bed. It'll just remind me of him. Alex takes a deep breath, and walks into the kitchen.
"Ok..sorted.." Tom claps his hands together.
"Tom.. Can I talk to you for a sec?" I ask. He nods, and we walk through the kitchen to the back door, passing Mel and Alex, into the garden. I never noticed how pretty the garden is.
"How's your arm?" I ask, forgetting that he'd been shot.
"It's alright, stiff." He says, as if it's not even there. "Been getting it checked out regularly, it's fine. Never mind me.. What about you?"
"Oh you know.. Strangled, kicked, punched, chased, almost run over.. I'm doing good.." I joke. Tom goes pale.
"Strangled.." He whispers. I cover my neck with my hand. I look up at the kitchen window, I can see Alex looking out, watching me.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here. I thought Alex.."
"Alex did the best he could. He can't watch over me all the time, Tom." I say.
"I know that. I was, I am, a little angry that it happened though."
"He's not my babysitter.." I snap. "Anyway.. That's not why I wanted to speak to you. I've been thinking. I think I want to meet them, soon."
Toms face brightens up and he laughs. "Really??? Thank god!" He says.
"But.. I don't think I should meet them looking like this.." I say, referring to my injuries.
"Yeah.. True. They don't even know I've been shot. Maybe we should wait... For both of us to heal."
"Sounds like a plan.." I say, laughing.