AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Good patients make nursing easy,’ I say. ‘My mom used to say that.’
‘Have I been a good patient?’ he asks curiously. ‘I let ya nearly burn down my apartment.’
I laugh. ‘I apologize for that and so much more. That said, yes, you’re a pretty good patient. You have little in the way of complaints; you’ve complimented me, made me feel better about myself, called me pretty, and never lost your sense of humor. It’s been a night I’ll never forget.’
Unexpectedly, my heart gallops when he slips his hand over mine. ‘I feel like shit, and yet I’ve never been happier. Kick that asshole to the curb and never settle, Jade.’
Why can’t it be that easy?
20
RIVER
We spent thirty minutes in the street last night after our little bonfire. I got an earful from my landlord, who, unfortunately for me, lives in the building. Laney left pretty much immediately after we evacuated the place. Jade was so tired I sent her to my room to sleep until morning so she didn’t have to go home alone in the dark again. She finally agreed, only after insisting she put my laundry in the dryer, and that’s why I’m on the couch. The girl did my laundry. Who does that?
I’ve finally nodded off into a peaceful, fever-free sleep – thanks to Jade – when there’s a knock on my door. The sun greets me as I open my eyes, shining through my half-closed blinds. I glance at the clock on my wall. Eight a.m. Great. Who’s this early bird at my door? When I hear a key in the lock, I’m suddenly wide awake and dying a little when I glimpse her purple highlights as the door cracks open.
‘Go away!’ I holler, hearing Jade stir in my room immediately.
I know yelling ‘go away’ to my mother won’t work, but maybe it’ll stall her long enough for me to explain what’s happening to a woman I’m trying to impress and so far feel I’m flailing around in the ocean with.
‘I’ll go away when I’m good and ready,’ Jade hollers back, sitting in my bed and glancing at me. Perhaps she wasn’t sleeping as soundly as I suspected.
‘Not you,’ I say, pointing towards the front door.
‘Riv?’ Mom calls when the door finally pops all the way open. Her key is stuck in the deadbolt, so she drops a few brightly colored reusable grocery bags to the floor while she yanks the key from it. ‘This apartment is such a shit hole,’ she mumbles. ‘I don’t understand why you’d want to live here.’
I hear the footsteps of Jade exiting my room. This is about to blow up.
‘Rivy?’ Mom calls my name brightly after the key extraction is successful and marches to my office, where I usually am.
Jade is now standing off to the side of my living room. ‘Rivy?’ she mouths with a grin.
I wave her away, but there’s no way she’s going after that.
‘Mom.’
The look on Jade’s face is pure joy when she figures out who’s invaded my apartment.
Mom glances from my office towards my voice. ‘There you are! What is this I hear about you being—’ She stops speaking mid-word. ‘Lord, sweetheart, you look like death.’
‘Yeah, I had a bit of a rough night. What are you doing here at dawn?’ I ask, attempting to sit up slowly to not anger the food poisoning back into action.
‘I came to discuss a rumor I’d heard, but clearly, now is not the time. What’s wrong? Alcohol poisoning? The bubonic plague? Herpes?’
‘Herpes? What in the hell do you think that is?’
She ignores my question. ‘Do you need an ER or not? I can take you. Are you hungry? I went grocery shopping early and brought some of your favorites.’ She glances back at the bags now on my floor.
‘No hospitals, no herpes, and no food. I’m never eating again. I’m fine; things are settling down.’
‘You’re sick and alone; you’re not fine. Why didn’t you call me earlier?’
‘I didn’t call you at all,’ I remind her.
She leans over me, pressing her lips to my forehead.
‘Will you stop?’ I moan, gently pushing her by her shoulders to an arm’s length away.
