Jump | H.S.

Chapter 9

There wasn't really much to say as we drove back home. The only time we actually started a conversation is when we pulled into my drive way and she thanked me. "Thank you, Harry. It means a lot."

"I would do it again, you don't deserve to be around Mike. You deserve better," she gives me a forced smile, before we get out and walk up to my door. As I unlock it, I let her walk in first.

"I'm going to get a shower," she announces.

"Okay, down the hall, third door on the right."

"Thank you," she quietly whispers before walking down the hallway. I can't read her. One moment she's all bubbly, the next she almost acts shy. I shake my thoughts away as I walk over to the pantry and pull out some pasta. I am in the mood for spaghetti, and my stomach is telling me he is in the mood for anything on the shelves.

I pull out a sauce pan, and fill it with water as I check the time. 9:23.

I open the cupboard and pull out a can of tomato sauce, and get out the can opener. As I finish with the sauce, and begin searching through the fridge for hamburger, I hear a faint voice mumbled by water. She's not really singing is she?

The corners of my mouth move up into a smile as I quietly walk back the hall. I put my ear to the door, and can hear her small voice singing lightly. "Struggling to pay rent, long nights strange men. And they say she's in the class A team, stuck in her day dream, been this way since eighteen, but-" she continues to sing, and I close my eyes as I let the sound journey through my ears.

Her voice wasn't deep or small, it was in between, but beautiful. After listening for a few minutes, I realize I I forgot about my pasta, and can hear the water splashing on the stove, making sizzling sounds. "Shit!" I mutter as I take my ear off the door and begin to walk down the hall, out to the kitchen. I put my hand up to turn off the burner, but the water splashes on my arm a bit. "Dammit!" I curse as I turn off the burner and walk over to sink, rinsing my now red arm.

After I dry my arm, I begin to mix the sauce and meat together. As I'm stirring, I hear a slight buzzing noise, I turn down the burner so it's simmering, and follow the buzzing noise. Jumper left her overnight bag in the living room, and it seems as if it's coming from there.

I pick up the bag and rummage through her clothes and beauty products, before I see her phone going off. I pull it out of the bag, and wonder if I should slide the screen and read it or not. I decide to read it considering it's probably from Mike. I slide my finger across the screen, and the message pops up.

From Douche: where r you? and what the fuck happened to my window?

I laugh at how he's in her phone as douche and how he's worried about his window. I tap on the keyboard and wonder if I should reply or not.

"What are you doing?" I jump as I didn't realize she was behind me.

"I-umm Mike texted you." I say as I look down at her phone in my hand.

"So you read it? That's personal!" She snaps as she snatches it from my hand.

"I'm sorry," I mutter, getting annoyed at her sudden outburst. It was just one text like damn.

"You just feel like you need to get into everyone's business don't you?" She asks as she follows me to the kitchen. I drain the pasta, and just ignore her. "Harry?" She asks annoyed. "HARRY!" She screams.

"What?!" I snap as I turn my head slightly to the side, exposing her short figure to my eyes.

"You heard me."

"Don't you get snappy with me," I say as I clench my jaw. "Where the fuck would you be if it weren't for me? Huh? I saved your ass twice, so fucking forgive me if I read a stupid text message," I growl.

"I know you did, and you know I'm thankful! But just because you freaking saved me doesn't give you a right to go around snooping through my stuff and knowing my business."

"It gives me a whole hell of a right," I say as I pour the sauce onto the pasta.

"No, it doesn't." I am losing my patience with her, but I am not going to show it. This is why I never bring girls home, even to just socialize, we never get along.

"Fine, but I already apologized and you're not hearing me say it again."

She remains quiet, and I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. I walk over to the cupboard and pull out two bowls. I scoop spaghetti in both and hand her one.

"I'm not hungry," she says as she looks at her hands. You're joking?

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I snap making her flinch a bit. "I bring you home, go back to pick up your clothes, bring you home again, let you sleep here and shit and I make you supper but you're not hungry. Why didn't you tell me that when I pulled out two bowls?" My chest was heaving up and down. I was getting furious with this girl before me, over something stupid like pasta and a text message.

"I already thanked you, and you're not hearing me say it again," she says mocking me, making my patience completely leave me. "And maybe I'm just not hungry, you ever think of that?" She snaps making my eyes go wide at her sudden volume change and choice of words.

"Fine!" I say throwing my arms in the air and taking her bowl of spaghetti and dropping the entire thing in the sink, food and all. "Happy?" I ask giving her a small bowe. She shakes her head, and swallows the lump that I can tell she was holding for quite some time.

"What am I doing?" she murmers before going and grabbing her stuff off my floor, and shoving her phone inside.

"What are you doing?" I ask as I set my bowl on the counter and walk into the living room.

"Leaving," she sniffles. She's crying?

"Jumper-"

"Don't, Harry! You've done enough, you've saved me twice and I will forever be greatful, but I can't stay here. Clearly you and I don't get along." She walks towards the door, but I grab her wrist and pull her back.

"It was just a small argument," I say defending the both of us.

"Yeah," she sniffles, "An argument over freaking food and a phone, imagine if it was something else?"

"I know, sometimes I lose my temper, but you weren't all that nice either."

"I know, I'm sorry, but I have to go," she says as she removes my grip and opens the door. I quickly walk over and shut it, leaving my hand pushing on it. "Harry," she whines, making more tears fall. "Please remove your hand," she begs.

"No, you're staying here, I'm not letting you out there, he could be looking for you." Her lip quivers a bit, and she drops her bag from her shoulders. I grab her wrist and pull her into my shirt, whispering "shh" and "it's okay." I hate the fact I made her cry, I'm supposed to keep her safe, protect her, not cause her pain.

"I don't like arguing with you, you're the only person I feel safe with and I don't want to argue. It reminds me of Mike." Just saying his name causes more sobs to come out. I rub cirlces in her back and continue to try and comfort her.

"I don't like arguing with you, either," I say as I hold her tighter and place a small peck on her head.