She may be my favorite person to spend time with on certain nights, but she probably knows that I won’t hesitate to walk her out of the diner and never look back. It’s the animal in me that’s ready to strike at any moment.
Even against the ones I hold most dear.
But I won’t worry about her now, or ever really.
Baby Jane likes to watch me hunt and in the interim, it keeps her alive and well looked after.
Besides, I have to take my new toys home and break them in.
Chapter 9
Jessa and I snuggled closely with one another last night on the small mat I brought for her. She had a tough day and I didn’t want to leave her alone. She slept for a little while, but I d
idn’t catch a wink.
Half of the night I laid there wondering if Jessa was in pain because of her hands. Was she sleeping without issue? Or did shock overcome her and plunge her into sleep? The other half of the night I pictured Bodhi, here in Jessa’s place instead of her. I pictured our hands running along each other’s skin. I pictured spooning him and inhaling the scent of firewood and morning rain coming off of his delicate body and his soft hair. My cock stirs and I reach down to adjust myself.
I’ve never had two obsessions at the same time and I am having a hard time handling both of them. I know that I want to be with Bodhi more than I want to be with Jessa at this point, but I haven’t forgotten how much I love her too.
The dark blues of the sky that I can see through one of the broken windows of the warehouse is beginning to turn light blue off in the distance. I need to get up and get going. I am working a morning shift in the arts center today. I hate working during the day, but I wanted to leave my night free, just in case I got up the nerve to try and see Bodhi again.
As I get up, Jessa stirs slightly. She begins to stretch but quickly cries out as she reaches a more conscious state and the pain in her hands registers once again. She curls up into a ball and sobs. I grab my messenger bag and pull out two pain pills for her to take. It’s lucky that I had some with me or else she would have needed to wait until tomorrow. I step over her shaking body and crouch down in front of her.
“Take these,” I say, holding them out for her and grabbing a nearby bottle of water.
She doesn’t move, other than the way her body convulses as the sobs escape from her lips.
“Hey,” I say, caressing her cheek. “I know you’re in pain. I’m going to help you sit up so you can take this. Then you can go back to sleep if you want. This will probably knock you out anyway.”
“I don’t want—what is it?” she asks as I pull her to a sitting position.
“Norcos.”
I unscrew the cap on the water bottle for her as she opens her mouth. I pop the two pills into her mouth and place the bottle of water to her lips. She drinks the rest of the water and then asks if I have any more when she’s finished with it. I open the cap of a new bottle of water and hand it to her.
“Can you hold it at all? You’re going to need to pick it up on your own while I’m gone.”
She winces as she reaches her hands toward me and I place the bottle between her wrists.
“Got it?”
“It hurts to squeeze my hands together so I don’t drop it. But yeah, I’ve got it.”
I smile down at her and place my hand on her chin.
“You’re a very strong girl. That’s one of the first things that drew me to you.”
She swallows and painstakingly brings the bottle up to her lips to take another drink.
“I am going to be gone all day and probably tonight as well. I will bring some supplies to wrap your fingers when I come back. Like I said, the pills will more than likely knock you out. But if you wake up before I get back, I want you working on your piece until I get here.”
The skin between her eyes pinches together in disbelief at my order.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s not my fault you’re in the shape you’re in right now.”
I kiss her forehead before I stand up.
“You’re a very smart girl. You’ll figure something out.”