Dirty Princes (Hot Candy 3)

I manage a hot shower, and that helps a bit, but by the time I sit on my bed to get dressed for work, I’m feeling faint from the pain.

Yeah, this isn’t looking good at all.

Don’t be such a baby, Rid. Get up. On your feet.

A few agony-infused moments later, I find myself hanging from the edge of the bed, the room dim and my head too light.

When I struggle to get up, the pain hits me like a sledgehammer. The room dims again as I fight for breath past my gritting teeth.

Fuck, I need to call Jet.

I fish my cell out of my pocket and fumble with the buttons, cursing. The display informs me I’m calling someone, but that’s not Jet’s number.

I hit disconnect and lie facedown on the bed, trying to catch my breath. I think I’m just gonna lie here for a bit. Just to get my breath back. It’s still early.

Time slips away in fits and bursts, the pain a constant presence, until an insistent noise catches my attention.

My phone.

Fuck. I bring it to my ear and press Connect. “Mfm.”

“Rid?” A pa

use. “Rid. Can you hear me?”

“Ugh.” I try my dry lips. “Bry?”

“Rid, what’s going on?”

I try to move and gasp. “Nothing.”

“You sound all wrong. Are you sick?”

“Just… my back.”

“Hold on.” She sounds like she’s moving. “What happened? How bad is it?”

I try to roll over and swallow a sob when I move my leg. “Dunno.”

“You need to see a doctor,” she’s saying.

Fuck that. “I’m okay,” I say stubbornly, as if denying it will fix the issue.

“You need to rest, take days off work,” she says, and I hang my head.

“I can’t take days off work.”

“Tell me you can walk. Tell me you can work.”

I say nothing. Not sure I can. Can I stand up? Can I walk? Can I lift heavy boxes? How the hell am I gonna work?

This sucks. This is… so fucking bad. I manage to sit up, sweating. My jaw hurts, it’s clenched so tight. “Why did you call me? How did you know?”

“Ryan said you called him and hung up.”

“Fuck. I thought I was dialing Jet.” I frown. “Sorry, Princess. I bet your Prince was pissed off I woke him so early in the morning.”

She hesitates. “Actually he sounded concerned. Asked if your back was okay.”