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I let myself into Jade’s room once I heard the shower turn on. I want to give her space, but I also feel the urge to check on her after the breakdown she just had in the car.
I’m not sure what I can do for her, but I know that I want to be close if she needs me. The pain in her voice and the look on her face while she went off on Spencer, was heartbreaking.
I don’t blame him for asking. I mean, I do, but we all wanted to know, so while he could have waited for a better time, I understand. On the other hand, I don’t think anyone expected the reaction she had. Even Spencer looked taken back and even a bit regretful at the end. It seems the weight she put on her own shoulders is more than we understood, and I wonder how long she’s been carrying this shit around.
I stand outside her bathroom door for a few just, pacing back and forth as quietly as I can. It would probably be easier to be quiet if I stayed still, but if I don’t move, I’ll bust in there, and I want to give her space while also being here.
After about twenty minutes, her sniffles stop, and the steam from under the door lessens, she’s probably running out of hot water at this point, but still, she doesn't shut it off.
I give her five more minutes before I pick the lock and open the door just enough to see inside.
I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn't this. Some of her clothes were spread out on the floor between her bedroom door and the bathroom, and I’d assumed she finished getting undressed in here. However, now that I look at her back, I can see that’s not the case. She lost her shoes and jeans, but her shirt is still on, and with no clothes in the bathroom, I can only assume that means her bra and underwear are as well.
She’s soaked to the bone as she sits directly under the spray of water, her knees up to her chest as her arms circle them to hold them close, her head bent forward to rest on her knees. I can see her body shake in the aftermath of her breakdown, but I don’t hear any sniffling, so I’m not sure if she’s still crying or not.
Her shirt’s plastered to her body like a second skin, but her hair is pulled forward over her shoulder, leaving her neck on display. At first, I don’t know why, but something looks off. It takes a moment before I realize the skin of her neck is red, like really red. She must have had the hot water up too high. I fight against going to her to ensure she’s okay, but if it hurts her, she doesn't show it. Instead, she continues to sit as if she’s frozen there.
I just stand there and watch for a few, unable to walk away but unwilling to force myself into her space when she’s clearly losing it.
I offered her comfort in the car, and she didn’t take it. I want to give her whatever she needs, and if that happens to be space right now, I can do that for her even if it’s killing me to see her like this.
Jade has been strong since the moment we met her down in that fucked up pit. But everyone has a breaking point. I just somehow never thought she would, not after everything life has handed her so far. In my brain, she was indestructible. That’s my mistake for thinking like that.
I’m not sure how long I stand there, but eventually, she lays down on her side, and I hear her teeth rattle at the cold water that’s still pelting down on her after all this time. Finally, I can’t take it anymore, I was fine with letting her be alone, but this could get dangerous, and I won’t risk her safety for her comfort. She can be mad, hell, she can kick me out, but I won’t be leaving her like this.
I grab a few towels and make my way to the shower, I shut the water off, and she doesn’t so much as move, let alone look at me.
Shit.
Did I let her have too long?
I move to her, quickly scooping her up off the ground and into my arms.
Fuck, she’s freezing.
She soaks my shirt as I hold her, but I can’t find it in myself to care. I pull her out of the shower and sit on the ground with her in my lap before I start trying to get her shirt off. I need to warm her up, and to do that, I need her dry, and this shit isn’t helping. I try twice before getting annoyed and rip it at the neck straight down her chest. After that, it’s easy to get the rest off and a towel around her. I carefully move her around so I can take my own shirt off now that it’s soaked.
I gather her up in my arms with the towel she's in and a few more before I move out into her room and place her on the bed. I send Rick a quick text asking him to bring one of Clair’s heated blankets to Jade’s room without an explanation. I know he will do it, and I don’t have time to go into it in a text right now.
I pull back her covers before grabbing another towel and trying to get most of the water out of her hair. It’s a fucking dripping mess. After a while, I can’t do much more, so I just lay another on her pillow before moving her under the blankets.
As soon as I have her in the bed, there’s a knock at the door, I yell for them to come in, and Rick walks in a second later with the blanket, just like I knew he would.
He takes one look at me with my shirt off and thinks the worst, I watch as his jaw ticks, but he doesn’t say anything.
“Can you plug that in over by her nightstand for me?” I ask him before I turn my attention back to Jade. I grab the wet towels on her bed and toss them to the side. I don’t need them seeping through and making her cold again.
When Rick still hasn’t moved, I look at him to see why. He’s looking at me like he wants to chew me out, but before he does, he looks over at Jade.
I see his face change when he realizes this isn’t what he thought, whatever that might be. His eyes go from her wet hair to her slightly blue lips before returning to me.
“What happened?” He all but demands, but he also moves to do what I asked, so I just huff and explain while we work together to get the blanket between her sheet and the comforter without exposing her.
“You shouldn’t have let her stay in there so long.” He tells me once I’ve explained and she's settled.
“Thanks, captain obvious I see that now, but I was trying to give her space. Trust me, lesson learned.” I tell him as I gesture to where she lies on the bed.
The heated blanket seems to be helping, already, her lips are less blue, and she’s not shivering quite so severely.
