Page 40 of Keep You Close

In fact, the pain was finally at a tolerable level. Even without any over-the-counter pain meds. I occasionally popped some ibuprofen to help with the swelling of my toes, so I wouldn’t have to go in and get my cast cut, but overall, I was feeling a lot better.

Sure, if I slammed my leg down too hard, it hurt. And, yeah, my neck could sometimes send a shot of pain up my head if I turned my head too fast. I had to be careful about turning with my ribs, too. Even my fingers ached when I overdid it.

But it was all more background noise than the dominant thing in my life.

Thank God, too. Because with things being tense with AJ, I didn’t feel right asking her to help me transfer like she used to.

She didn’t want to get close to me now.

I was managing well enough on my own. I didn’t even call my brothers anymore when I needed to shower. It was a struggle, but I got it done.

At King’s long look, I added, “The pain is a lot better. Only bothers me when I overdo it.”

“Good. Glad to hear that. Wasn’t it kind of late for AJ not to be home?” he asked, and I couldn’t tell if he was probing, or if it was an innocent question.

“She’s doing the overnight shift,” I explained.

“Isn’t that on Tuesday nights?”

“Usually, yeah. But the woman she works with has two kids, and one of ‘em is sick, so AJ volunteered to do her shift.”

All of this I knew because of a note jotted on lined paper on the kitchen counter.

That was exclusively how she was communicating with me lately.

Sometimes the notes were short and sweet, just directions on how to heat up the food she’d prepared me.

Others were longer, explaining her made-up schedule of imaginary errands that she needed to run.

I occasionally got to see her in passing, but each time she was in the common area of the house, she appeared to be in a rush, flustered, like she had no time for me.

Somehow, though, she was also still going out of her way to still take care of me.

Each morning, there was breakfast waiting for me.

Dinner wasn’t carefully prepared while she chatted with me anymore, but there was always something to eat.

When I went to the bathroom or to get changed at night, she came out to straighten up the living room and leave me some water.

My laundry was done.

I was left to conclude that she was getting a lot of this shit done when I was sleeping. And especially if I was out of the house with one of my siblings. Which was happening more and more now that I was in less pain.

Hence me being in the car with Kingston.

On the way to the Mallick patriarch’s house.

Being the in-laws of our sister, the Mallick parents—Charlie and Helen—as well as their children—Ryan, Hunter, Mark, Shane, and Eli—and their sons’ wives, had become an extended family to us as well.

And, hey, we all kind of fit, didn’t we?

The Mallicks, a family of loan sharks and loan shark enforcers. And the Rivers, a family of former armed (but harmless) robbers.

It was always interesting conversation when we were all gathered around Helen’s table.

Hell, sometimes, we even got an outlaw biker named Sugar at the table since Eli, the Mallick’s son, was married to a woman named Autumn whose sister married an arms-dealing biker.

I was actually surprised Helen had let me be in town this long without attending her weekly Sunday dinners.

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