Chapter 37 Talk to me

She was crying…again. He pretended that he did not hear her. It was harder with every night.

Rory was fine until the moment she got sick. Jess thought that she had gotten over it, but it turned out that she had not. She had a lot of time to think about it and that was bad. Jess had caught her several times, crying over Jake's baby album. Then she had these nightmares and as if this was not enough, she had lost her appetite.

She started crying at night. He thought that she was sleeping and this was one of her nightmares, but she was awake. He had seen her face and her open eyes and her effort to hide this from him.

This was the third night and Jess's temper was close to show up. He kept quiet of course. Rory did not need more cares. She suffered a lot and he was not able to help her with this. However, Jess swore that it would be the last night he would let her suffer like this.

The morning came and he opened his eyes without even a thought of a sleep. He had lost his sleep these days and just watched over Rory. He knew when she fell asleep and when she woke up.

'Morning.' He looked at her, sure that she was awake.

'Morning.' She smiled, but her smile did not reach her face.

'It's Saturday.' Jess tried again. 'The kids are here. Do you want to get out for a little walk?'

'It's cold.' She stirred and looked at him. 'And it's snowy.'

'Okay.' Jess clenched his jaw, trying to suppress his temper. 'How about something else? We could watch some movie and eat popcorn.'

'With the kids?' Rory rose up her eyebrows. 'Are you sure?'

'Yeah.' Jess got off the bed and put his back to her. 'It's still early so I could prepare something for breakfast and then we could watch the movie.'

'I'm not hungry.' Her weak answer made him shut his eyes and swallowed the harsh words.

'Maybe you will when I get ready with the breakfast.' He answered instead and got out of the room before her new answer.

Jess went downstairs and prepared her favorite meal since she had become a mother – pancakes. She used to joke with him that their kids had forced her like the pancakes. That was their favorite breakfast too. Jess placed the ready pancakes on the table and covered them with a clean towel. He took the tray and put the dish with Rory's pancake on it. Then he switched on the coffee machine. That was the only thing that she liked to drink now. Jess knew how much she loved her coffee.

When the tray was ready, he sighed and took it on his way back to the bedroom. Jess knew that it would be a battle to make her eat it all. This time he was determinant to win.

'Here we go.' He walked into the room and saw her sitting on the bed. Her legs had stretched out and her head rested on the headboard. Jess placed the tray on her thighs. He did not miss her frown.

'I told you I'm not hungry.'

'I heard, but I don't care anymore!' He snapped and sat close to her.

'What?'

'You have to eat even if I have to feed you by myself!' His eyes narrowed.

'I'm not a child!' She frowned too.

'I bet you're not, but you're acting like one!' He grabbed the fork from the tray and shoved it in her hand. 'Eat!'

'No!' Rory's answer made him angrier.

'Fine!' He took the fork again. 'Then I'm going to feed you!'

'What are you doing Jess?'

'I want you to eat and your refusal continued much longer than my nerves!' He sliced one piece from the pancake with the fork. 'What is your answer?' His voice was the thing that made her reconsider her appetite.

'Fine!' She grabbed the fork back and shoved the piece of the pancake in her mouth.

'Don't eat it too fast!' He warned her after her third piece.

'Now I have to listen to your lection how to eat?' She frowned again and shoved another piece.

'Your stomach won't agree with this. I'm cool.' Jess watched her closely how she ate her whole pancake and then reached out for her coffee.

'Happy now?' She looked at him over the cup.

'If you not throw up in the next few minutes I'll be thrilled.' He just finished his sentence and saw how her face crooked. 'I told you!' Jess murmured, watching her running to the bathroom. He followed her and helped her got off the ground. Her face was pale and her look accused him.

'It's your fault!' She murmured, but he took her in his arms and carried her back to the bed.

'It's not my fault that you ate so quickly.' He placed her back on the bed and fixed the blanket around her. 'I told you to be careful, but you refused to listen.'

'I wasn't hungry.' Rory frowned. 'I told you that and you made me…'

'I made you eat, Jeez!' Jess threw her an angry look. 'You are too thin and keep getting thinner, just because your lack of an appetite! I can't just sit here and do nothing!'

'I'm sorry, but that's how I feel.'

'I don't know how you feel, because you're hiding that from me.' Jess sat close to her and took her hand.

'I'm not hiding anything, Jess.' She avoided his eyes.

'Now you're lying to me and you promised me not to do this anymore!' He snapped and Rory flinched from the sound of his voice.

'I'm sorry.' She bit her lower lip, but still did not look at him.

'Talk!' He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. 'Just talk to me! What is the problem now? I can help you.'

'You can't.' She shook her head.

'Try me!' He frowned.