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CHAPTER3
tori
Ifeel like such an idiot right now. Thank goodness David didn’t see me slide my foot across the stupid board just as I was coming inside to grab him something to drink. I’ve been meaning to bring the rug around from the back door and use it until I can get a new one, and now look at me. I can promise you, there’s nothing worse than having a nice wooden splinter sticking out the of bottom of your foot.Ouch!!
I hobble over to the sofa and put my mug down on the coffee table.Dang it, Tori. Why’d you have to go and stub your foot?I silently curse myself as I sit down to examine my foot.
Leaning over to the side, I pull my leg onto the cushion. It’s an uncomfortable position, but it’s the only way I can really see how much of the splinter is underneath the skin. Judging from the pain, it feels way worse than what it is. But the sooner I can get it out, hopefully it won’t hurt as bad.
Knock, knock, knock.
I look up at the front door, completely embarrassed that I forgot all about David’s water.
“Tori?” I hear him say from the other side of the door.
“Hang on. I’m coming.” I mutter and attempt to stand.
Before I’m able to make it there, the front door opens just enough for David to slip his head inside. “Tori? he asks again. “Is everything okay?”
“Sorry. I promise I didn’t forget about you. I stepped on a splinter just as I was coming in the door. I was hoping I could pull it out, but it looks like it’s in there pretty good.” I brush my hair away from my face then look over to the side table for something to secure it in place. A clip or a scrunchie, anything to keep it from falling forward. Kyle always wanted me to grow my hair long; if he only knew what a pain in the butt it could be, especially since I’ve not had time to do anything with it yet. And poor David for having to see me in my pajamas.
“Let me take a look at it,” he says and immediately kneels on the floor next to where I’ve got my foot propped. “Ouch! That’s some splinter!”
“Yeah, I hit my foot on that stupid board just as I was coming inside. That’s what I get for not having it repaired or something over the top of it.”
“Tori, why didn’t you say something. I could’ve fixed it for you.” David’s voice, like always, is full of concern.
I lower my head. “It’s my own fault. I knew better than to walk out there barefooted.”
“I’m going to wash my hands first,” David says and holds his palms out for me to see the dirt that’s hiding in between his fingers. “Is your first-aid kit still in the drawer in the kitchen?”
I stop to think for a moment. Is that where I have it? Since Kyle’s death… My head is still not where it needs to be some days. “I think so. I haven’t used it in quite a while, but I’m almost certain that’s where I left it. Oh, and don’t mind the mess in there.” I cringe thinking about my laptop sitting on the table alone with some of my school paperwork.
I watch as David disappears into the kitchen. He and Kyle used to hang out quite often on their days off from the station, and it never bothered me to come home and see his truck in the driveway. Now, I kind of miss not seeing his smiling face. Kyle was lucky to have someone like him for a friend.
David returns a few minutes later, the homemade first-aid kit that Kyle had put together for us clenched tightly between his hands.They put so much worthless stuff in these things,I remember him saying.All you need is the very basic, not a hundred of those miniature round bandages.
David takes a seat on the edge of the sofa then places his hand on the underside of my foot. Using the pad of his thumb, he gently rubs the soft, irritated tissue surrounding the area where the splinter is sticking out. I pull my knee back slightly, wincing from the discomfort.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he says barely above a whisper.
“I know. I can’t believe how sore it is already. It just happened not even a few minutes ago.”
“Alright, hang on while I try to pull this sucker out.” Using the plastic set of tweezers, he clamps them on the splintered piece and gives a slight tug.
I bite down on my bottom lip, hoping the pain will quickly subside.
“Shoot,” he says and tilts his head to the side to take a closer look. “I think there’s one more tiny piece.”
I lean back against the cushion and let out a sigh. It’s been a few weeks since my last pedicure and I hope he doesn’t notice the polish that’s already chipping on my pinky toe.
His hand is warm as he wraps it around the side of my foot. I try not to squirm, because yeah, I’m ticklish on my feet.
“Small piece, huh?” I ask while remaining as still as possible.
“One sec—” he says and leans a little closer.
“If it’s just a small piece, I can probably pull it out myself.” I know it’s crazy to admit this, even if it’s just something I conjured up in my head, but David’s hand on my foot is comforting. It’s been so long since I’ve had another man touch me, I’m not sure what it’s supposed to feel like anymore. Not that there’s anything between David and me—he's the closest thing I have to a best friend of the opposite sex—but I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever be up for someone else touching me…intimately that is.
