Mistaken Identity (Identity 1)

“Okay. How about you join Pam. Relax, and let me speak to her one-on-one.”

“That’s a good idea. I know she wouldn’t want an audience.”

And you wouldn’t want to hear what I have to say to Daddy’s little girl.

“We’ll take our time.”

“Good.”

When the door shut behind Greg, Jett strode over to sit in the dark blue chair beside her bed, placing his head in his hands.

“Lis, what are you doing?” He breathed in and released the air he’d trapped in his lungs. A part of him would always love her, but what once existed between them, that was gone. Maybe it hadn’t been there for a while to be honest. They’d been trying to rebuild themselves, move past the lies she’d kept from him, the constant state of fear he’d lived in while on the road, and during long hours on the set. Somewhere along the line he’d become her caregiver and champion. The hero who rushed in, righted wrongs, and nursed her back to health. Things were never meant to be that one-sided. It wasn’t healthy. Not that he could see it when he was smack dab in the middle of the storm.

He peeled back the blanket and cringed. Knobby ridges and bulges stuck out over skin stretched too tight. One wrong move and the delicate bone would probably snap. Cautious he leaned over, touched her skin with his finger. She was cool to the touch, which meant her body had to struggle to keep warm because of the lack of body fat.

“Jett.” He tensed. Does she know I’m here? She mumbled a few more unintelligible words, and he tugged the blanket back up, not wanting to embarrass her.

“Lis.” Too afraid to shake her for fear of breaking brittle bones, he placed a gentle hand on her back. “Lis.”

“Mhmm?”

“It’s time to wake up.”

She rolled onto her side. Stunned he sat back in his chair. With eyes too big for her face, and cheekbones so stark they could cut, her face was skeletal and alien. Her eyelids fluttered open.

“Jett?” Unbridled joy broke across her face. Then she crashed. Her eyes filled with shame, and she ducked her head. Scraggly, straw thin hair tumbled about her face.

“Don’t do that, don’t hide from me.”

“I can’t believe they called you.”

“I wish they would’ve sooner. What’s going on?” Silence stretched between them. “You know how stubborn I am. You really want to play the waiting game, Melissa?”

The sound of her full name made her flinch. “What’s there to say?”

“Oh I don’t know … why you stopped eating.” His voice rose. “I don’t get it. I mean isn’t this what you left to avoid, or was that a safe way of getting out the door?”

“How can you think that!”

“Finally a response!”

“Why are you here if you’re just going to yell at me!” Tears ran down her face.

“Because someone needs to! I’m not going to tip toe around on eggshells. You owe me an explanation right now.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“The truth!”

“Even after I left it kept happening. Only this time it was pity from all the speculation. That poor girl, I knew it wasn’t going to last, I mean look at her and look at him! I’m shocked he strung her along for this long, or maybe he hid it.” She mimicked high-pitched voices.

“Why do you care, Lis? You know what happened.”

“Because I did it all for nothing!”

His jaw dropped.

“What am I doing? Who am I? I throw away a ten year relationship over what? Other people’s bullshit. The closer it got to our wedding date the more worthless I felt. This was the one thing left in my life I could control.”