AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No later than one.”
“Well then, you better get some sleep.” Mom steps back.
“Gonna do just that.” I nod. “Come up or call if you need anything.”
* * *
Dragging ass, I look up when I have one flight left and see Gwendolyn leaning over the railing, looking down at me. She straightens up and walks toward the kitchen, not saying a word.
When I reach the top, I see her sitting on a barstool at the kitchen island.
“Your folks get in, okay?”
“Gonna answer with words because my body’s whipped, and I don’t have the bandwidth to make up a dance to answer that question. Yeah, I looked up in the stands at the bottom of the sixth and was shocked.”
“Mom and Annie told me.”
I walk to the fridge and pull out a rotisserie chicken. “Glad they did. I wasn’t sure how I would dance my way through that conversation.” I set it on the counter, open the freezer, grab an icepack, and then head over to the drawer to grab a towel to wrap it in.
“You get hurt?” she asks as I wrap it up.
I hand it to her, saying, “No, but I can tell you’re hurting.”
She places it on her shoulder. “Thanks.”
I tear open the bag to grab a leg. “Where’s your sling?”
“In one of those rooms.”
“Which side?”
“Left.”
I smile, hand her the leg, and dive in for the other. “You’re in my room.”
“Yeah, I gathered.”
“Smell like me?”
“Don’t.” She shakes her head and whispers, “Please.”
“Okay.”
“They hate me, don’t they?” she asks quietly.
“Oh, fuck no.” I laugh.
“I’m not sure how to interpret that answer.”
I pull the box from my pocket, reach across the island, and set it in front of her.
She scowls at me.
“No interpreter needed with me, Gwen. Fuck no means fuck no. When Ms. Deborah told my mom we were together at the hospital and fiancée was mentioned, she booked flights because she had to give me this.”
Staring at the box like it’s a bomb, she asks, “What does that have to do with me?”
“Open it and see.” I can’t help but smile, yet she still doesn’t. “Jesus, Gwen, just open it. I promise it won’t bite.”
