Page 205 of Bride of Choice

“I’m dreaming. This is a nightmare. No, no, no. It was so pretty in the middle,” I mumbled and winced as my stitches pulled.

“Blood,” Doogie burst out, walking over to me and bending to lift me up, pausing as he reached for my arms as Noyel snapped something at him. “I no do it!” Doogie spluttered, incredulous. “Jo- Jo like ‘noying girl brother. No want Jo like that!”

“Oh, barf,” I mumbled as Doogie followed Noyel’s instructions on picking me up without hurting my boo-boos. Leaning into him, I wiped my nose on him like a hanky.

The disgusted noise he let out had my lips tipping up in a watery smile. “Love you too, dummy,” I mumbled.

Noyel burst out laughing like that was the funniest thing ever.

Karma, baby.

“Not karman. Who karman?” Doogie garbled out in alarm. “How much you give? She not act right!”

Apparently, I was talking out loud.

“Loud,” Noyel pointed out.

“Nobody asked you, Great Value Lukar with your med bag and know it all ‘tude. It’s like if Daisy were a tall, furry guy with medical knowledge,” I snapped, before immediately apologizing at the look on his face.

It was Doogie’s turn to burst out laughing.

“Not funny,” Noyel grumbled.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that. I didn’t mean it,” I fairly wailed.

“You mean it,” Doogie chuckled, then howled as something sent him stumbling, fighting to keep ahold of me. “Ow! No hit! I hold broken Jo!”

He was right, I was so broken.

Clamping my lips shut, I muffled sobs, forcing them down, but they just kept coming.

“Jo not broken,” Noyel said softly. “Doogie tell,” he barked, to which Doogie dutifully replied contritely that I was in fact not broken, but I so was and neither of them could tell me otherwise.

Once I felt like I’d gotten ahold of myself, I insisted Doogie put me down, though I accepted his assistance home. I had no idea how else I was going to get home. Assistance was required at this point.

At a stumbling, shuffling pace, I led the way, with Doogie standing my demanded respectable distance away because drunk me was sick of everyone not getting he was the little brother I never wanted but nobody better not mess with. Sober me was going to hate drunk me in the morning and these loose lips.

Doogie was talking behind me but I wasn’t paying attention. I was cold, wet, and not even remotely done being a watering pot. The dam was broken. The Joanie was broken. I needed a quiet, warm, safe place to let it all out or I risked exploding and emotionally vomiting all over the nearest presence yet again.

Stumbling for the millionth time and hissing the moment I heard approaching foot steps behind me, I leaned against the hut I’d almost face planted into. Staring at it owlishly, I frowned. “Did we do a cirdle? A girdle… curdle… sir-cull. Ugh… I hate myself sometimes. I really do.” Frowning, I worked my mouth. “Why am I so loud? Am I loud? Why is everything so loud?”

“You yell,” Doogie chimed in mildly.

My eyes narrowed on him— both of him. “Listen, you… two.”

Both of them widened their eyes in surprise.

“Yeah. Both of ya. Mind ya business.”

Doogie laughed but his mouth didn’t move. My hands went to my own mouth in wonder. What the fuck was in that shit?! “Really shouldn’t give that stuff to humans,” I garbled out, fighting not to puke as I let out an ugly burp not two seconds later. Holding onto the building, I burped again and again, worrying revisiting that tea today was imminent. “Oh god.”

“Wrong way,” Doogie called after me, some distance behind me.

“Don’t care. Might puke,” I mumbled under my breath, taking the path to my place. Maybe puking on things would be an improvement.

Right, so, I thought this was the way to my place.

Spying a large figure emerging from the woods, watching the way he paused, looking as stunned to see me as I was him considering I thought he’d rushed off on the hunt, a sharp cry left me as he turned around as if to run away from me.

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