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“Doc drugged you up the first day, that doesn’t really count.”
Reaper comes in, also not bothering to knock. “Damn good to see you awake.”
God, I'm going to cry. “I'm so glad you're all okay. I was worried I'd never see you again. All of you, I mean.”
Mack comes with a bowl on a tray that looks like it was stolen out of a cafeteria. There's a bottle of electrolyte water with it. “You okay to sit up?”
Just the thought of food is enough to give me strength for anything, but Reaper and Scrapper arrange the pillows behind me so I have something to lean against. I blow on the spoon and have a taste. It's everything I need. Salty, savory and fatty. “This is amazing. And the service is impeccable. Five stars, would stay again.”
Scrapper laughs. “I'll tell Mom.”
Reaper turns one of the chairs around so he can straddle it and rest his arms on the back. Mack and Scrapper sit on opposite sides of the end of the bed. And they're all watching me. Something is different, even if I can't quite put my finger on it. But it feels right. Maybe we’re all just happy to be alive. I don't know. I smile between spoonfuls. “What? What are you guys looking at?”
“You, obviously,” says Mack, matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, but… jeez. I feel I should be singing or telling jokes.”
Scrapper smirks wickedly. “If you want to entertain us, you can always let that blanket fall.”
“No! Yes. Yes, but no.” I giggle. “Not right now. I'm not ready yet. I need about a hundred showers.”
Reaper grins. “Don’t mind helping you with that.”
“I never doubted it.” I let out a little sigh and push away the soup. I was starving but after going so long without eating I can’t handle a full bowl. My eyes are already starting to droop. It's obvious I need more rest before we figure out what happened and who attacked us. But first, I need a shower. “Alright boys, I just want to rinse off my stink and then I'm going to sleep more, because I'm beat.”
Scrapper licks his lips. “Want a hand in there? I volunteer to?—”
I stop him by holding up my hand, but with a grin. I’m not entirely against the idea, but I’m not feeling up for what would inevitably happen if I say yes. “I can manage. Maybe next time.”
“I can be good. I won't?—”
“Maybe I don't if I will be. Now, everyone out. And thank you for the soup.”
They clear out reluctantly, and I get my shower. As I turn out the light and crawl back in under the covers, I smile. I don't know what exactly it is, but while I know I've had them on my side since the start, it feels like we’re a team now. All four of us.
I fall asleep, feeling the safest I have in my whole life.
25
MILA
All I wanted when I was staying at Meghan’s was my own room, but now that I have it, I miss having people around. I carry my laptop into the common room, still feeling like an outsider even though I’ve been here almost a week. The members were interested in getting to know me, right up until they found out Mack, Scrapper and Reaper have some sort of prior claim. Now they are friendly enough, but mostly just ignore me to play pool and watch TV.
“Can I get you anything?” Jewel asks. She’s the old lady of the guy who reigns over the bar in the clubhouse. Her hair is a brilliant sapphire blue, and I liked her right from the start.
“Do you have anything,” I lean in to whisper. “Non alcoholic.”
She laughs and gives me a conspiratorial nod. “Fruity or hoppy?”
“Fruity?”
“Coming right up.” She pulls out a glass and fills it with ice, coconut water, pineapple juice and some sort of blue mixer.
I take a sip. “That’s not bad! What is it?”
“A blue hawaiian, minus the rum. It’s Summer’s favorite and she craved them all the time while she was pregnant with the triplets so we managed to convince Chef to keep the ingredients.”
“Triplets!”
