The Most Dangerous Game

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Austin's POV
Its been a week since Jess's dad told us about her mom wanting to be left alone. The divorce was going well as we saw it, she wasn't really trying to get anything from the divorce as long as it was over soon. She was still in the hospital and I could tell Jess wanted to see her. When we stayed that night after her dad left I could tell she was waiting to be called in, for a nurse to come and say "Your mom wants to see you." But it never happened. I know it killed her and when I went to drop her off at her house she didn't say anything as she got out of the car and opened the door to my side of the car and pulled me inside the house. I didn't try to push her away or say I couldn't stay because I knew she needed someone there. I went into the familiar house and we laid in her bed for a couple minutes before I felt her shoulders start to shake I wanted to look down and say something but I knew that wasn't what she wanted. So I stayed silent simply holding her closer to me until she fell asleep.
The next morning I woke up after Jess which was strange since she always woke up in the middle of the day. I went downstairs to see she was cooking something and I walked up behind her and hugged her. I felt her sigh and sort of move away from me which confused me. I didn't take much thought into it and just walked to the kitchen table and played around on my phone. Eventually she sat down across from me and I looked up to smile at her while we waited. She didn't smile back and I knew something was wrong but I couldn't ask because I knew she would freak out if I asked. So I simply got up and picked her up sitting her on my lap and holding her again. She didn't try to move away this time and simply turned to me and stared at me for a couple minutes. Eventually she started smiling and I wondered why as I stared at her confused.
"So the bet is over, I lost." I chuckle and shake my head.
"We both lost. You just admitted it first." She smiles at that and kisses me gently. I smile into the kiss and we go back to holding each other. I start to laugh again and she looks confused now the tables turned.
"Does this mean you owe me $300?" She glares at me and gets up playfully running away from me. I hear her laughs fade and she comes back casually with her hands behind her back.
She walks up to me and says "Here babe" holding out a 300 monopoly dollar. I laugh at her in amusement and she just smirks at me before going to check on the food. She puts it all on a plate and comes back to me sitting across from me again which makes me frown a little bit. She laughs and stands to sit on my lap again making me smile.  She eats silently and she seems to be upset still.
I trace her lips with my fingers unconsciously, "I wish you wouldn't frown so much." I whisper in her ear and she smiles lightly. "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm not really sure. I am just thinking about everything, its so hard to imagine anything after this. It's so strange going back to school tomorrow and going on with my life. It feels like there is a part missing. Like no matter how much my mom messed up or how much we fought she was still a part of me and she was still a person who brought me moments of happiness. I ruined that. I'm just scared of what else I could ruin."
"You won't ruin anything else. You didn't ruin that, she did when she decided to come home drunk with someone else, from that moment she ruined your relationship. You can't blame yourself for the actions of other people that spark an emotion inside of you you can't control."
"I know." She looks down at her lap and I see a tear roll down her cheek and I refrain from wiping it with my finger knowing she hates me acknowledging her crying. I just tighten my hold on her more and pull her down to lay her head on my chest. "What if I ruin this?" I hear her whisper before she starts to cry again.
"You couldn't do that even if you tried." I whisper back and she lays on my chest her cries echoing in the large house.