A Dark Fall [ORIGINAL & UNEDITED VERSION]

Eleven

I cover my mouth in shock.

"Oh my god Jake that was a complete accident, I didn't mean to hit you. Let me see," I say.

He touches his hand to the blood and inspects it. Then he gives me a look that I think might be shock or awe and goes to tilt his head back. "No forward, here like this." I instruct and he puts his hands out to stop the blood dripping on my carpet.

As I reach up I see the chunky antique turquoise ring that is now officially a weapon.  I take it off hastily and throw it onto the chair, as though the ring is the villain of this piece.  Not me.  Crazy violent sexually frustrated person. 

"Here, sit down.  I'll get some ice.." I lead him to the sofa and leave him there to go through to the kitchen, shaking my head as I do. What on earth was that? I don't act like that.  Ever.  Who on earth does over the age of 5? I'm calm and analytical in tense situations, over analytical even. To a fault.   I wonder vaguely when my period's due.  No, it must be him. He clearly has a flammable effect on me. Around him every single nerve on my body is a live wire and one tiny flame from him will set it off one way or another. I burst his bloody nose.  Oh dear god.

When I get back to the living room I find him sitting back on the sofa holding his nose with his head tilted back even though I told him not to. Since I burst his nose I don't really feel like scolding him for it.   As I come to kneel beside him he glances at me sideways and flinches.

"You didn't come back with a baseball bat did you?" He's clearly joking but my cheeks flame anyway.   I shake my head and kneel up further on the couch, gently wiping away the blood around his mouth and nose.   Oh his perfect, innocent nose, bloodied because of me.  "I probably deserved it to be honest." He says finally. 

I shake my head. "No.  You didn't. No one deserves to be hit like that. It was a complete accident.  I don't know what came over me..." I look down. 

"Well unfortunately not me," he mutters quietly.  What's he talking about? I look back at him confused and he smiles boyishly.  Oh... I get it now.  He never came over me.  Well at least he still has a sense of humor.

"I'm so sorry." I say guiltily. 

"I'm sorry too.  I was wrong to say that to you.  I did it for a reaction.  I got one," He shrugs sounding guilty too.  I look at him for a long moment.  He wanted a reaction from me? That's hilarious.  So my desperate attempt at undressing him wasn't reaction enough?

"Yes you got one alright..." I whisper.

"Well I still shouldn't have said it.  I'm sorry." He looks serious now.

"That's not the first time you've apologised to me for saying the wrong thing Jake," I point out.  "Why not just stop saying them?" I look away from his eyes and go back to wiping and dabbing.  Erasing the evidence. 

"Alex if I knew the right things to say to you then I'd be doing a whole lot better than being stood up and getting smacked in the face." he smiles, charmingly.  So I can be violent and he can be charming.  Who would have guessed those would be our roles in this thing?  Whatever this thing was. "I meant the part about you being fucking gorgeous when you're angry by the way.   Which means that making you angry definitely has its upsides."

I should look away from his eyes where it's safer.  As in right now Alex.  Good girl.   I finish wet wiping around his face and mouth and then I bring the freezer bag with ice in it up to sit it half on his nose and half on his cheek. He winces as it touches his skin.   I wonder how long the ice will take to melt against his skin since his body is so hot.  I laugh inwardly at my double meaning.