Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I moved so that my face was buried into the side of his neck.
It had to be said, if this was what Amber’s grandmother had meant by life changing at twenty-one, I was going to track her down and give her a bonus. I was also going to enjoy being able to tell Levi ‘I told you so’.
If it meant the more sinister possibility, though, well then I had the best incentive for fighting the hell out of it now.
Chapter Ten
Charlotte
Shining the torch down my throat, Parker instructed, “Now say ah.”
Hiss.
That was it – hiss. Looking over his shoulder at where Levi was watching us with a frown on his face, I raised my eyebrows at him and then rolled my eyes, making his lips twitch. Yeah, it sucked, but it was still kind of funny.
This morning when I’d woken up, I’d felt like I’d done a weeklong trek on Night Rider’s back up the side of Everest. The medications that I was still taking to help with the swelling in my throat had been waiting for me and they’d worked on the other aching areas, but it still wasn’t a comfortable morning.
That was until Levi ran me a bath with those blessed Epsom Salts of his. I was starting to think that the cure for everything was to add those things to hot water, and if that was the case I was tempted to soak my throat in the stuff. Logically speaking, it would mean being immersed face down in the bath so I’d need a snorkel, but if it meant I could scream Levi’s name… I’d snork the hell out of that snorkel.
While I’d been soaking, Parker had called to see if he could come over to look at my throat in an hour, and here we were with me hissing at him. Good times!
Looking down at the screen of his laptop at the x-rays they’d taken when I was in the ER, Parker picked up his phone and looked at something on it.
“You playing Candy Crush, man?” Levi joked, looking nervous.
Wanting to make him smile, I started signing out the only words I knew how to sign.
Hi, my name is Charlotte. I’m your nurse. Can you write down what brought you here today, please?
Sue me, at least I’d started learning it so that I could help more people and keep them in their comfort zones.
Fortunately it worked and he threw his head back as his deep laughter filled the room, making Parker look at him over his shoulder.
Turning back to face me, he raised an eyebrow. “Wanna tell me what that was about?”
So, I did it again, not expecting him to put his phone down and start signing back at me.
Seeing how confused I was by it all, he explained, “I learned sign language so I could speak to all my patients.”
I wasn’t surprised by that at all, the showoff.
Once he’d stopped laughing, Levi moved over to stand beside Parker, his eyes still shining as he looked down at me. “What’s the verdict?”
“Strangulation can cause a number of injuries – the most common being death, which fortunately isn’t the case here,” he winked at me, making Levi snort. “When they did the x-ray and then looked inside her throat, Dr. Laska diagnosed a high degree of bruising and swelling both inside and out. A hematoma around the trachea can cause problems with swallowing, breathing, and talking, and each patient’s recovery is different. Some people’s voices are even changed by it forever.”
“A hematoma?” Levi asked, sitting down heavily beside me.
“Bruising,” Parker clarified, not looking at all surprised and with good reason. Medical terminology was scary, and it wasn’t unusual for people to be frightened by that word.
“So, we don’t know when Lottie will get her voice back?”
“Unfortunately, no. Health doesn’t go by a set rule or play out in a set way, every case really is different. And, even though he didn’t press hard enough to starve her brain of oxygen or kill her, he pressed long and hard enough to do substantial soft tissue damage. Even if you were the healthiest person alive, it could take you months to recover from something like that, so it all just depends on what Charlotte’s body does from here on out.”
Staring at the floor while he thought over what had just been said, Levi hissed, “I could kill that sonofabitch.”
“Little tip, press longer and harder around his neck than he did,” Parker replied, only just sounding like he was joking.
“And her voice might not sound like it did before?”
Resting his elbows on his knees, Parker focused on both of us. “It could be raspy or a bit deeper,” he explained. “But she’d make a killing as one of those sex line operators.”
Hearing Levi’s sharp intake of breath, I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. When he looked at me, I made the hand movements to indicate making it rain money and grinned.
Before he could say anything, Parker added softly, “She suits you, Levi. I’m happy for you, man.”
I liked Parker. He was a great doctor, a good guy, had a kick ass name – Parker Knight - he was a good friend, and he had a huge heart.
I wasn’t blind to the fact that he had a thing for Ariana and vice versa, and I didn’t know what the problem was that was preventing them from being together. I did know, though, that she hadn’t been around recently, but when she was, she was always hyperaware of what Parker was doing, like she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
It wasn’t up to me to get involved, but I made a mental note to talk to Luna, Dahlia and Lily about it to see if they could help them sort it out.
Ari was tall, curvy, and abso-freakin-lutely stunning. It wasn’t those stereotypical type of looks either, more classic and memorable, if that made sense? Stereotypical ones you acknowledged and thought beautiful. Classic ones were unforgettable and packed an extra punch. Parker was also tall, even taller than any of the Townsends, and he was a handsome guy.
He also fit in the Dr. Hottie category, the sexy man with a stethoscope and medical degree. And they both had awesome personalities. Basically, their babies would be adorable, they were suited together, and people would stop and gasp when they saw them together.
And most importantly, they cared about each other, big time.
They just needed to sort their shit out – said the girl who lost her virginity last night at the age of twenty-one.
Levi
Hearing the door shutting behind Parker as he left, I looked at Lottie who was reading something on the screen of her phone.
Sitting down beside her, I leaned into her and started playing with her hair. “What are you looking at?”
It was such a loaded question because she had the most random shit going on in her head.
Shutting the screen down, she shoved it under her thigh and shrugged making me suspicious. At the same time, I was more concerned with how she was coping with the news from Parker. Granted, it wasn’t bad news per se, but it wasn’t exactly great news at the same time.
“Are you frustrated about your voice?”
Sighing, she nodded and brought her feet up onto the couch in front of her.
I wanted to reassure her in a way that would sound as genuine as possible. “It doesn’t bother me, you know, but,” I paused, “I do miss your voice.”
I’d noticed something over the last couple of days with Lottie – she constantly moved her lips or tried to say at least part of what she was thinking, and that had given me an idea while Parker was examining her.
After last night we definitely had a deeper connection. When you were in a committed relationship with someone, technically sex did add something more to it. Trust, understanding, you started to read their body language, there’s obviously a different tension that runs between you both, too, but that wasn’t relevant to this. No, I wanted to try to read her lips to see if I could make it easier on her. Maybe it would even add to the bond that was building?
“So, I want to try something, baby. If I can read some of what you’re trying to say on your lips, it might make it easier on you. It’d also feel like we were actually talking, in a way.”
/> The expression on her face was unreadable for a moment, but then she nodded at me and waved her hands for me to start.
Here goes.
“When Parker asked you if it still hurts, you said yes. How bad is it?”
This obviously wasn’t what she’d expected me to start with, but she answered anyway.
Moving her mouth carefully, she said, “Yes, it still hurts.”
Picking up her hand, I pulled her closer to me. “It still hurts, huh? I’ll kiss it better later, how’s that?”
“Hell yes.”
Bursting out laughing, I thought up another question. “What’s your favorite color?”
I was expecting her to say pink or blue, something normal like that, but instead she mouthed, “I don’t have one.”
“You don’t have a favorite color?” When she shook her head, I put it in the big pile of things I’d tackle later.
“Yours is green, right?”
I wasn’t surprised she’d picked up on that given that my bedroom was painted a pale sage green, my bedding was various shades of the color with white sheets, heck even my curtains and the throw cushions on my couch were green.
Laughing, I nodded and added, “I didn’t decorate or get any of the stuff for my house. Mom and Ariana did.”
Seeing her grinning as she looked around, I suddenly wanted her to feel at home here, too. I got that it was new to both of us, but when the time was right, she was welcome to change whatever she wanted.
“We’re not doing too badly at this, are we? I thought it was going to be hard, but so long as we keep it to short answers, I think we’ve got this.” Reaching out, I plucked the secret notebook out from under her thigh and hid my hand behind my back. “I don’t think we’ll be needing this anymore.”
When she shook her head and tried to reach around me to get it back, I deliberately lay down on the couch, sandwiching it between my back and the cushions.
Picking her up, I positioned her so that she was straddling my lap. “What’s in the notebook, Lottie?”
Her cringe just made that curiosity worse. “Oh, now you’ve got to tell me. Is it a diary? Did you write good things about me?”
“A little.”
Pretending to be hurt, I gasped, “You wrote that I was little?”
This time when she started laughing, a squeak that was only just audible came out, but it was enough. “Holy shit, you said your first word!”
Lying down on top of me, she pressed her lips against mine and pulled away smiling again. I don’t know why, but she suddenly blew out a breath and started carefully mouthing what looked like, “It’s my sex bucket list.”
A million and one – ok, a million and two – possibilities to add to the list hit me just knowing it existed. I wanted to ask if I could go through what she’d written down so far, but I didn’t want to push her too fast so I stayed quiet for as long as I could, thinking up things to add to it instead.
Unfortunately, like with most people when they’re put on the spot, I was drawing a blank aside from two things: Lottie on her hands and knees in front of me while I gripped a handful of her hair, and her on her knees in the shower with her mouth around me.
Clearing my throat to get her attention and shifting my crotch away from her slightly, I rasped, “I’m suddenly seeing the appeal in internet searches.”
More of the little noises came out of her when she laughed, except this time she did it for so long that she ended up holding her throat and wiping away a couple of tears.
Just as she started to settle down, my sister saved her from the other questions I had to ask about her little naughty book wanting to take Lottie out for a drink with the rest of the women tonight.
“We’re pausing this conversation here, baby, but it’s not over by any means,” I warned her as we put our coats on. “I’ll be doing my own internet searches, so think about that while you’re out with the girls.”
Chapter Eleven
Charlotte
“Ok, if I remove my brother as being the other performer in this equation, I think I can add to your list,” Ariana decided, her hand loosely holding her glass of wine now.
It had started off as the women meeting up for ‘a drink’, and had quickly turned into a merging of souls over the age old bonding by alcohol.
I’d been nervous about drinking anything that would set my throat on fire, especially with noises starting to come out of it, but then someone had suggested Baileys with ice and that was it. It was better than painkillers, better than warm drinks, but definitely not as good as the sex last night had been for it.
Unfortunately, the alcohol had also loosened my tongue – well, my writing hand – and I’d told them about my sex bucket list book. It was now hidden under my side of the mattress of Levi’s bed, where I’d put it while he was in the bathroom before we’d left, but we had napkins and a pen so I could just staple them into it.
“Say no to fisting,” Luna informed us, holding her fist in the air.
“I feel that goes without saying,” Dahlia answered for us all drily, but I was still staring at her fist and picturing the damage it could do.
Making gagging noises, Ariana glared over at her sister-in-law. “You need to find Jesus, Luna. That’s disgusting!”
“Seeing as how you’ve met her and interact with her regularly, I’m uncertain I need to remind you that I’ve had a child which means that I’ve given birth,” she replied coolly. “Unfortunately, that involves random medical professionals sticking their hands up your cooter to measure how dilated you are. It also involves a child’s head coming out of the aforementioned cooter, too. Hence my aversion to and recommendation that fisting be avoided.”
This time most of us at the table gagged, except mine was silent. Even as a nurse I couldn’t cope with that graphic analogy.
“Never having kids,” Ariana gasped, taking a mouthful of her drink.
Hiccupping delicately, Lily held up her hand. “I thought we were meant to be adding things to it, not banning things from it?”
“Maybe we should stop drinking altogether?” Ariana suggested looking slightly green. “It hasn’t escaped my attention that three of you here are involved with my brothers, and if I have to hear about y’all’s sex lives – or fisting,” she glared at Luna. “I’ll stab myself in the eye with the umbrella in your drink,” she nodded at my glass.
For some reason, Beau had insisted on adding a small metallic pink umbrella to my drinks, and although it was cute, it was inconvenient - well, unless you were Ariana and needed something to stab yourself in the eye with. There was no way to drink out of the glass without it going up your nose or in your eye, so for health and safety’s sake, I was making them into a little city beside me on the table.
“Speaking of stabbing yourself in the eye with an umbrella,” Luna whispered loudly. “What’s going on with you and Parker?”
“He’s an ass.”
Sighing, Dahlia leaned on the table. “He has a hot ass.” And Parker really did.
I worked with the guy so I’d seen him in scrubs on numerous occasions since we’d both started working in the same hospital, and he was the only guy I knew who could fill out the back of those things.
“That doesn’t answer the question,” Lily persisted. “What’s going on between you guys?”
“Nothing, because he’s an ass.”
Leaning in closely, Luna sniffed the air around Ariana, and sat back. “Y’all kissed. I can smell it on you.”
When she just blushed and started fiddling with the corner of her coaster, we knew she’d hit the nail on the head. “So why aren’t you together? He likes you, you obviously like him…”
“But remember how he had that chick who was sniffing his dirty gym stuff in those photos,” Beau said as she dropped off the next round of drinks, not hanging around for an answer as she walked back behind the bar.
“I hate it when she does that,” Lily muttered, picking up a bottle of water from somewhere. “She�
�s got radar ears.”
Downing her drink in one, Ariana set the glass back down on the table with a thud. “But she’s also got a good point. The chick always had her hair done nicely, she spent time on her makeup, she probably wore heels and sexy underwear, and I’m…” she gestured up and down her body.
I didn’t know what the full story was and before she could finish what she was saying, someone walked up beside her and for a second I swear I thought it was the chick we were talking about. The woman who’d joined us was wearing clothing which cost more than I made in six months, her hair looked like she paid thousands for it to be created by fairies every morning, and her makeup was immaculate. And that was just what I could see of her.
“Ari, hey,” she greeted, leaning in and kissing her cheek. “How’s your brother?”
In all fairness, the question had four possible answers but three of us stiffened when she asked it.
Flicking a glance at me, Ari cleared her throat and shrugged. “He’s never been better, Kari. How are you?”
“Good, good,” she replied distractedly, looking around the bar. “I’ve got to go. Tell Levi I’ll call him back soon.”
Well, I guess we had the answer to the question.
Not wanting to discuss it or cause any awkwardness to what had been one of the funniest nights I’d ever had in my life so far, I picked up the napkin I’d been writing things down on, and started waving it in the air.
Clicking her fingers, Dahlia suggested, “Anal sex, write that down.”
It took a second for it to sink through the slight alcohol induced haze in her brain, but when it did, Luna punched her on the arm. “You’re married to my damn brother.”
“Sucks, doesn’t it?” Ariana snickered, enjoying Luna getting a taste of the torture this time.
Leaving them to argue it out, I met Lily’s wide eyed look with my own. Leaning in she whispered, “I saw an ad for an anal sex kit if you’re going to do that. You get like plugs and lube in it. Although the plugs still looked kinda big,” she mumbled as an afterthought.
Going For Gold: Providence Gold Series Book Four Page 11