Infections of a Different Kind of Human

20. Queendom

"Have you heard from Amelia as yet?" Kelly asked.

"No," Owen grumbled, wedging the phone between his ear and shoulder as he helped Finn and Isabella pick out clothes to wear for the day. They'd celebrated the first half of their Christmas morning with Owen, but hadn't opened any presents as yet. He and Amelia had agreed to open them together, at her apartment, but she wasn't answering her phone. "This is so unlike her."

Owen hadn't told Kelly about the fight he'd had with Ryan yesterday, and he was honestly glad that she was spending time with her family for Christmas, instead of being present to see his stitches and start asking questions. He knew Amelia was still upset about it, but not upset enough to cancel their Christmas morning plans. After all, Ryan had started the fight.

"Do you want me to try calling her?" Kelly offered. It was an empty offer, only because she knew Owen would decline any external help, as he always did. "Or what about Ryan? Have you called him?"

"I haven't called Ryan as yet," he admitted, adding a lie after. "I'll try now. See you tomorrow."

"Okay," she mused, noticing his tone of voice, "I love you."

"Yeah," he absentmindedly said, hanging up the phone. As soon as he hung up on her, he called Amelia again, and then another time. Finally, on the third call, she answered.

"Hello?" she yawned, sounding tired as ever.

"Amelia, what the hell is going on with you?" Owen exclaimed, acting overly dramatic about the fact that she'd finally answered. He had been worried too, that something had happened to her, but now that he knew she was okay, he was angered. How dare she be so irresponsible?

"I was in the bathroom," she mumbled. Ryan laid in the bed still, quietly dozing away as she spoke. "Why are you calling me?"

"Amelia, it's almost 11, and we agreed to meet at 10," he reminded her, becoming suspicious now. Instantly her eyes opened wide, and she looked across at Ryan, her heart dropping into her stomach. "Did you go to sleep late or something?"

"Oh crap," she whispered to herself. She dropped the phone on the counter and went to her bed, using her now free hand to whack Ryan on the chest, immediately waking him up. Evidently, there was anger in his eyes as he was startled awake. He read the words Amelia was trying to silently mouth, and he rolled his eyes, planting his face back into the pillow.

"Hello?" Owen said, reminding them of his presence on the phone.

Amelia quickly the grabbed the phone again and checked the time. "I'm sorry Owen, I had a really long morning." She'd been throwing up for the better half of the morning truthfully, and she knew he'd feel bad if she mentioned it like that, and he did. The entire apartment was filled with beer bottles and the stench of cigarettes was wafting through the air; they could not have a Christmas here. "I didn't get a chance to clean up much, do you think we can do it at home instead?"

"Well, I guess," he sighed, cooling down finally, "The kids are getting impatient, but I can wait an hour if you want."

"Great, see you then," she said, hanging up the phone. Amelia stared at Ryan. "You need to get up."

"I'm not going anywhere," he rudely responded, making her sigh.

"Ryan..." she began, trying a more sympathetic approach, "It's Christmas..."

"Are you deaf?" he accused her, sitting up in bed now as he angrily looked at her, almost like he wanted to hurt her. "You fucked Owen behind my back and now you want me to spend my Christmas with the two of you?"

"It's just for the kids," she tried to reason with him, but it only made him angrier.

"Amelia, I said I'm not going anywhere," he reaffirmed, "Especially not with you or Owen."