Woman Overboard

Chapter 11 : Waste (3)

Jaiye

August 28th, 1820

(6:55 AM)

Jaiye decided to follow Abby's directions for once. The poor woman was always scurrying around, trying to save them all from themselves, but no one would listen. He decided to break the trend, just this once, and stay in bed.

Last night after dinner, he hand tripped and fallen face first into the floor, landing on the most unfortunate object possible: a rusty nail. Abigail had been in an agony of screams and "I told you so"s, which Jaiye supposed he deserved. She had, in fact, warned him of his own blind clumsiness.

He looked at his palm, which had been mummified in gauze. Even if he had gone to breakfast, he wouldn't have been able to eat anything anyway.

"Knock knock," said his brother's voice.

"Come in."

Jaiye's heart clenched when two people slipped into the room, arm in arm. He watched his brother lead Afiba over to his bed, her hand tucked into the crook of his heavily muscled arm. She smiled at him, but he still felt cold.

His face must have betrayed it, because Afiba detached herself from Reece and sat down at his bedside. Reece set down a plate on their desk and came to sit down as well. He placed himself right behind Afiba, leaning his head casually on her shoulder.

"How you feelin'?" Afiba asked.

Jaiye forced his facial muscles to relax. He closed his eye so he wouldn't have to look at them. "I'm fine," he said. "Abby's takin' good care of me."

" 'Course she is." Reece grinned at him, his right cheek squished on Afiba's shoulder. It sickened him to watch her turn and smile like he was a sweet but troublesome child who had finally settled down for a moment.

As a child, Jaiye had never considered the possibility of his brother and Afiba falling in love. He and Afi had always seemed more likely: they were closer in age, height, and, if he did say so himself, intelligence. They had similar senses of humor and shared their impulsive bouts of anger and pursued their dreams passionately.

Reece, on the other hand, floated through life like a frog asleep on a lilypad. As much as he loved his brother, Jaiye knew he wasn't incredibly bright. He had a good heart, but could also be flighty and absent as a butterfly in a field of colorful flowers.

How a sharp, angry girl like Afiba could fall for a slow-ish, fey boy like Reece was beyond him.

He knew they weren't "together". Reece, with his unfiltered mouth, would have told him by now. But he suspected that they wanted to be. Afiba, sparing as she usually was with displays of love, doled out more affection to Reece than anyone else.

Silent envy, Jaiye knew, would get him nowhere. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to tell them how he felt. Somewhere in his heart, he knew they were good for each other.

He recalled what he had told Aless in the infirmary the morning before. It was true: he thought they would make a good couple. But more than that, he would rather see Afiba end up with a woman than Reece. He couldn't allow someone as elusive and strange as Afiba to be wasted on his simple fool of a brother.

"Earth to Jaiye," said Reece, snapping his fingers. They were long and thick as reeds, far too large for Afiba's delicate hands. "You there, bud?"

"Don' call me that," he grumbled.

Afiba offered a sympathetic smile. "Anythin' hurt?" she asked. Reece tucked his head into the crook of her neck, sending a shot of venomous envy through Jaiye's bones. My heart, he wanted to answer. He didn't.

"Jus' my eye," he said. "It ain't that bad, anyhow. But Abby says I should rest."

Seeming to recognize their dismissal, Afiba nodded. She leaned down and for a moment, Jaiye thought she might kiss him. But instead, she ran her hand over his eye patch and said, "We gonna be alright." The closest thing he got to a kiss was a fond pat to the cheek.

"I'll stay," Reece said, "An' make sure Li'l J eats." He gave Jaiye one of his usual oafish grins.

Afiba tousled his thick, tangled hair and said, "Sounds good. See y'all, then."

Then, she left Jaiye to bite his tongue and pretend he was alright.