by Hart, Rebel
I chuckled as they all helped me get out of bed. It seemed like it took a team of nurses to get me unhooked from all the tubes and machines. But, in reality, I was glad they were there. This staff had helped me around the clock for the past week and a half. They made Rae feel comfortable, they stood up for me with my father, and they encouraged my stepmother to keep speaking up for herself. It felt nice, having people in my corner.
Especially people like them.
“Your chariot awaits, Cee.”
I grinned. “Oh, Nina. You really shouldn't have.”
I flopped down into the wheelchair, clutching the folder of discharge paperwork in my lap. And away we went. I heard the doctor calling after us to slow down, but it only made me throw my hands in the air. Nina ran down the hallway with me, whooping and hollering as we careened around corners. She rushed me at that pace all the way down to their pharmacy, huffing and puffing as she sat with me. Waiting with me to get my medication.
“You got a ride home, kid?”
I nodded. “Stepmom’s coming to get me.”
She patted my knee. “She’s one of the good ones. You make sure to keep her around.”
I shrugged. “If my father stops being an asshole, she might actually stick around.”
“What I wouldn't give for five minutes alone with that man.”
We sat there, with her hand on my knee, and I settled my hand over hers. I squeezed it softly, reluctant to let it go. They called my name too soon for my prescriptions. She walked me through how to take them a little too fast. I had an entire support network in this hospital, and I wasn’t ready to let them go.
They’d been so good to me.
And I wanted to find a way to thank them for that.
Nina rolled me out to the roundabout in the front of the hospital and I saw Cecilia drive up. Nina helped me out of the wheelchair as my stepmother parked the car, rushing around to help. I stood up and turned around. I saw my doctor as well as the rest of the staff standing there, softly clapping for me. I stood strong. I stood tall. And with a smile on my face, I cleared my throat.
“Thank you, guys. For saving my life. And I know you’ll stand there, telling me I’m the one fighting. But, without your surgery and your I.V.s and your knowledge, I’d be dead and you know it.”
Silence fell over everyone before I sighed.
“I’ll never be able to fully thank you or ever pay you back for what you did for me. And my stepmom. But I’m going to find a way to try.”
The doctor cleared his throat. “Take care of yourself. That’s what you can do.”
Nina smiled. “And keep up with your therapy.”
I grinned. “Don’t want me coming back to visit.”
A resounding ‘no’ rose from the crowd.
All of us started laughing before everyone came to give me hugs. They clapped my back softly and murmured words of encouragement. Nina reminded me the order of my pills, then made me recite it back to her. Then, my doctor—once again—told me to call. Anytime. For anything.
And I hugged him a bit longer than I should have.
Climbing into the car was hard. Driving away from that support system was even harder. But the second Cecelia took my hand, I felt at ease again. I relaxed against the leather interior of her car, my eyes fluttering closed as the car swerved softly with the roads. I didn’t wake up until we’d pulled into the driveway of my home. I didn’t say anything until Cecilia helped me inside. She settled me on the couch with a drink and a snack, then started writing out my medication schedule on a pad and a piece of paper as I rattled it off to her.
But the best part was that my father never came up in conversation.
Not once.
“All right. So, it’s one of the painkillers in the morning, two of the anti-inflammatories after food at lunch. No later than two. Then another half a painkiller at night to help you sleep.”
I nodded. “Right.”
“Then, after one week, we add in the vitamin. Once the painkiller runs out.”
I nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
“And that vitamin is once in the morning up through the end of your first cycle of PT.”
I grinned. “You got it.”
“Perfect. I’ll get this on the fridge so I can remember which ones to set out for you.”
“You know you don’t have to do that, right?”
She scoffed. “Nonsense. I’m going to help you out around here. I might not have to wipe your butt or anything. But that doesn’t mean I can’t get you your medication whenever you need it.”
I smiled. “I appreciate it. Thanks.”
“You need anything right now?”
“You mean other than a nap?”
She giggled. “Yep. Other than that.”
I paused. “Oh! Yes, actually. A friend of mine is bringing my homework and stuff to me from school. She’s helping me keep up with my studies.”
“She, huh? Anything special about this… she?”
I snickered. “We’re just studying.”
She winked. “For now.”
I chuckled. “Is that all right, though? If she comes by? I don’t know if she will. She works sometimes. But I think this is her weekend off.”
“If she pops by, she’s more than welcome. I’m going to cook dinner tonight, so she can stay and eat with us.”
“Dinner? I didn’t know you cooked.”
“What in the world do you think you’ve been eating for the past four years?”
“Uh, takeout?”
She cackled. “Well, glad to know my food tastes like takeout. I think.”
“Wait a second, is that really your lasagna I’ve been eating?”
She nodded. “Oh, yeah. One of the many things my mother taught me was how to make most every traditional and popular recipe from scratch. That’s my lasagna and breadsticks you’ve been eating.”
My jaw dropped in shock. “Holy shit. I mean—”
She laughed. “You’re fine. It’s okay.”
“Well, damn then. That’s some insane cooking skills you’ve got.”
“In another lifetime, maybe I would have done it professionally. But I’ll settle for blowing you and your father’s socks off.”
A silence fell over us and she cleared her throat. She patted my leg before getting up, then made herself scarce. I heard her humming to herself in the kitchen, piddling around in there. Probably figuring out what to make for dinner. I pulled my phone out and crafted a text to Rae. Hoping she didn’t have to work tonight.
Me: Hey. If you want to come over tonight, you can. Stepmom’s cooking dinner, and you’re more than welcome to come eat with us.
I stared down at the text message and paused. Had I ever invited a girl willingly over to my house before? I raised my head, staring off at the wall. Holy shit, this was a first for me. A first with a girl. Willingly inviting her into my world. I smiled as I looked back down at my phone. I sent the text message off with excitement rushing through my veins.
And a few minutes later, my phone vibrated.
Rae: I’d love to. Be over there after school?
Me: Sounds like a plan. I can’t wait.
And I meant every word of it.
“Hey, Clint!”
“Yeah, Cecilia?”
“I’m about to make myself a little frozen banana milkshake. You want one?”
“Uh, yes please. That sounds fantastic.”
She giggled. “I thought it’d go well with a movie. There’s supposed to be an action movie marathon on this afternoon.”
I paused. “You like action movies?”
“Are women not supposed to like those?”
“No, no, nothing like that. You just strike me as a—”
The whirring of the blender cut me off and I started laughing. I craned my neck back, peeking into the kitchen as her playful glare fell onto my face. I laughed harder than I had in a while with her. I clutched my ribs, coughing and laughing through the pain as the blender turned off.
<
br /> Then, my stepmother’s voice filled the room again.
“If you tell me I look like a romantic movie junkie, you’ll get this milkshake down your shirt.”
I chuckled. “That might actually feel good with how hot my ribs feel.”
“Are you okay? Is your skin red or anything? Because that’s supposed to be one of those things we look out for.”
I lifted my shirt. “Nope. I don’t see red. They just feel internally hot.”
“Let me get a thermometer really quickly.”
She whirled around me, bringing me the milkshake before jamming a thermometer under my tongue. She sat there, looking like a worried mother until the damn thing beeped. The relief on her face told me I wasn’t running a fever. Which was a relief to me, too. Because after settling in on this couch, I sure as hell didn’t want to move.
“Okay. Well, we’ll keep an eye on that.”
I nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
She handed me the remote. “Find that marathon and I’m going to get my milkshake.”
“And take off those heels?”
She paused. “I suppose I could do that.”
“Are you not supposed to walk around without your heels on or something?”
The mere fact that she had to think about it told me all I had to know, too.
“Want a snack?” she asked.
I nodded slowly. “Whatever you want is fine with me.”
“Wonderful. Because caramel popcorn goes great with a banana shake.”
“Am I supposed to be having all this junk?”
“Don’t worry. I’m cooking a healthy dinner, and there’s no dessert. So we can just have dessert now.”
I chuckled. “I don’t know if it works like that.”
She called out from the kitchen, “Hey! It’s how I’ve kept my figure all these years. And it’s not like you haven’t been eating greasy burgers behind my back.”
“Wait, how did you know about that?”
“You fart in your sleep, Clint. I know all things!”
I threw my head back in laughter as I turned on the projector television. Cecilia came in a few minutes later with a milkshake in one hand and a bowl of caramel popcorn for us to share in the other. I lifted my feet, watching her sit down before I settled my legs onto her lap. And as I flicked through the channels, trying to find this marathon, I felt at peace.
“Thank you, Cecilia.”
“For what?”
“For looking out for me this past week and a half.”
She smiled. “We look out for each other, right?”
I nodded. “Always.”
“Oh! There it is. Fast and Furious 4. Not my favorite. But it’s a good one.”
As we settled into the movie, I found myself staring at her, not the television. I mindlessly sipped the most incredible milkshake I’d ever put in my face, and I gazed at the woman who’d had my back since the ambulance was called. This must be what it felt like to have a parent in my corner. An adult who looked out for me.
It felt refreshing. Nice. Supportive. Natural.
And I really hoped I didn’t do anything to make her hate me like my father.
17
Raelynn
I rushed home after school, bursting through the front door. I ignored the car in the driveway. I ignored him calling out my name. I didn’t want a damn thing to do with D.J. while he was over at the house. The only thing I wanted to do was quickly get ready for Clint’s house and get the hell over there.
I was eager to spend time with him.
I closed myself off in my bedroom, blocking out the sounds of D.J. and my mother. Whether they were arguing or making out, I didn’t know. And I sure as hell didn’t care. I took my hair down from its ponytail and tried to find another way to fix it. I stripped down to nothing but my underwear, then rifled through my underwear drawer. Did I have anything else that looked even remotely nice? Something other than morphed training bras and fucking cotton panties?
I dug to the bottom of my drawer before settling on a pair of panties that I’d technically outgrown. They were a bit tight around my hips, but showed off my ass cheeks nicely. I slipped them on, pairing them with a new bra Mom had managed to pick me up a few weeks ago. It wasn’t a nice color or anything. Just a plain tan bra. But it had pretty little flower designs over the cups of them and lifted them off my chest a bit.
“Man, this thing is comfortable,” I murmured.
I rifled through my drawers and pulled out my best pair of jeans. A bit tight, a bit low-riding, and exactly what I was looking for. I hopped myself into them, jumping around before I fell to my bed. I wiggled my ass into those things and sucked it in, wanting nothing more than to get them buckled.
“Come on. You can do it. Just a little—there we go!”
I stood up and bent down, trying to stretch them out a bit. I swiveled my hips, feeling them loosen before I looped my fingers in the belt loops. I worked them up a bit higher. Just enough to cover the top of my panty line. Then I rifled through my T-shirts until I found my favorite one.
A bit too low cut and a bit too tight around my breasts.
“Perfect. Ha-ha!”
I slipped it over my head and fluffed out my hair. And I had to say, I looked great. I smiled at myself as I ran a brush through my hair, trying to figure out how to fix it. I usually wore it in a ponytail. Just a simple one. Nothing special. But, tonight? I wanted to do something special. This was the first evening I’d be spending with Clint in a while. And without him being in the hospital. I knew we had schoolwork to do. I knew we had things to catch up on.
But part of me hoped his hands might do a little exploring, as well.
“Rae?”
A soft knock came at my door as my mother’s voice trailed in front of it. I debated on not opening it. Mostly because I didn’t want to chance seeing D.J. behind her. She knocked on the door again, calling out my name as I ran my fingers through my hair again.
“D.J.’s still downstairs, honey.”
Well, in that case…
I opened the door and let her in, watching as she walked through the threshold. And when she turned to face me, she grinned.
“Getting dolled up, I see.”
I shrugged. “Maybe a bit.”
She turned me back toward my mirror. “Know what you’re going to do with your hair?”
“Not yet. I’m still trying to figure it out.”
“Can I try something?”
I nodded and she started tracing her hands through my hair. I closed my eyes, feeling the comfort of her warmth I remembered from my childhood. For years, my mother had done my hair. Brushed it out after baths and put it up into pigtails during middle school. She always talked about how envious she was of my hair. How thick and shiny and luxurious it felt. I leaned into her a bit. I settled against her, drawing in a deep breath as she worked out the last of the knots.
“You’ve always had such gorgeous hair. I don’t know why you keep it in that ponytail.”
I shrugged. “Easier in the mornings, I guess.”
“You’re excited about tonight, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “I am, yes. It’s been a few days since I’ve seen him. You know, because of work and stuff.”
“Well, you take your time tonight, okay? No need to rush back home.”
“Thanks, Mom. I appreciate it.”
I felt her hands pause. “He’s a good boy, right?”
He’s better than D.J. “Yes, ma’am. He’s a good boy. The best of boys.”
“Good. That’s very good.”
I opened my eyes and watched her in the mirror. I saw the worry in her face, but I didn’t know what to say in order to get her to calm down. So, I didn’t say anything at all. I let her put my hair up into a half ponytail, with my hair pouring down past my shoulders. She fluffed the remains of it out then hugged me from behind, settling her chin against my shoulder.
“You got a ride over there?”
I shrugged.
“Figured I’d walk. Or ride my bike.”
“Well, I can drive you. D.J. said I could borrow his car while he watches the game.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Mom. I appreciate that.”
“Let me just get my purse and we’ll head out. I’m doing the food run while D.J. stays here.”
The two of us made our way out of my bedroom and down the stairs. And even though I peered into our living room and saw that sorry sack of shit sitting on our couch, he didn’t even acknowledge my presence. He didn’t look at me. He didn't say ‘hi’ to me. He didn’t say anything about my outfit or ask me where I was going. Not that I’d want to tell him anyway. But, still.
Dick.
Mom tapped me on my shoulder. “I’ll be right back with food, D.J.”
He nodded mindlessly. “Sounds good.”
“I’m gonna drop Rae off for the night, then go get it.”
“Uh huh.”
“You want anything else tacked onto your regular order?”
“Not if it gets you out the door quicker.”
I wanted to punch him in his nutsack. But Mom simply giggled. She laughed at him. Like he was making some sort of a joke.
“Be back soon, sweetheart.”
D.J. nodded. “Uh huh.”
What an absolute asshole.
We made our way out to D.J.’s car and I quickly slipped in. I wanted to get away from this house, and fast. Even if I couldn't stay over at Clint’s for the night, I’d end up at Allison’s. Because I sure as hell wasn’t coming back home until D.J. left.
I pointed. “Take a right here.”
“On it.”
I talked to Mom all the way to Clint’s house and she whistled lowly to herself. I saw her staring up at the massive mansion, her eyes widening as we parked in the roundabout driveway. I unbuckled my seatbelt. I leaned over and kissed her, thanking her for the ride.
Mom winked at me. “My daughter really knows how to snag ‘em.”
I snickered. “Have a good evening with D.J., Mom. Okay?”
My eyes found hers and she nodded slowly.
“I will. I promise.”
I let myself out of the car and watched Mom drive away. I waved at her, wanting nothing more than to go right back to the house while she wasn’t there and give that man a piece of my mind. I hated that she was back with him. I hated it, because I’d actually believed her the last time she told me it was over. I felt like we’d bonded over that moment. Bonded over our hurt and our pain. Yet, here she was, giving him another chance.