Page 60 of Bristol

He hasn’t come to visit much, but Kendra has been up here almost every day. A metallic candy apple red Mercedes pulls under the pickup area of the hospital and immediately I know that it’s got to be Kendra’s car. I had heard about the car Reaper bought her but I haven’t seen it yet. It’s fucking gorgeous.

Reaper gets out of the driver’s seat and opens the passenger door for Kendra. She meets us between the lobby and the car, grabbing the bag of clothes from Bristol. Reaper waits patiently by the passenger door as we make our way outside. He holds the door open and does a bow, pointing his arm toward the seat.

“For you, kind sir,” he says with a horrible British accent.

A full-on belly laugh erupts from my chest. Reaper shakes my hand and pulls me into a half-hug on the right side. I’m grateful he remembered what side was hurt because I may have dropped to my knees like a little bitch right here in front of God and everybody if he would’ve hit these burns.

I easily slide into the passenger seat and Reaper closes the door. Kendra and Bristol put their bags in the trunk and climb into the backseat. The drive back home is long and I cannot wait to get out of this car. It’s comfortable for the most part and I’m thankful my burns are on the left side and not the right because my right side has been baking in the sun for most of the drive.

Bristol and Kendra seem to have bonded while I wasn’t looking, and they sound like teenage girls gossiping in the backseat. I’ve tuned everything out for most of the ride, staring out the window on this sunny day, until I hear them talking about the tattoo shop.

“How’s your healing been?” Kendra asks.

“Not bad, actually. Better than I thought it would be.”

“Healing?” I ask, intrigued. I crane my neck over my shoulder, looking at her and waiting for her response.

“Yeah…” Bristol trails off.

“You got a tattoo while I was in the hospital?” I ask. I think back and it doesn’t make any sense.

“What? No! I got a tattoo while you were gone. I just haven’t found an opportunity to tell you between all the pain you’ve been in and resting up and everything that’s happened. I finished my last session the morning after your accident. Kendra picked me up from the tattoo shop and drove me here.”

“Session?” I have so many fucking questions.

She grins. “You’ll see.”

I sigh. She isn’t going to tell me anything else.

Reaper chuckles beside me, wearing that smug fucking smile on his face. I flip him the bird and rest my arm on the door. The ladies laugh it off in the back seat and I’ve never been more thrilled to see the Gulfport exit on the interstate in my life.

Reaper drops us off at my apartment and I’ve never dreaded climbing three flights of stairs the way I do right now. My arm and side are throbbing so bad by the time I finally make it inside. Bristol carried everything upstairs like a champ. I barely managed to get myself up here. It’s debilitating. I can already tell that I’m not going to do well with the physical restraints that come with healing.

I’m sweating bullets and my skin feels clammy.

“I think I’m going to go lay down for a bit,” I tell her as she closes the door and locks it.

“Okay. Want some company?” She asks, raising her brows at me.

“I’m going to try and get a nap. I’m hurting.”

She nods but doesn’t say anything. Shit. Did I hurt her feelings? I hope not. I want her. But this shit is painful and I need it to feel better.

Bristol rummages through her backpack and pulls out a bottle of pills.

“Here, love. They prescribed you these for the pain,” she says, handing me a pill from the bottle.

“Thank you, baby.” I toss the pill back and swallow it. I wince as it dryly goes down my throat.

“How the fuck did you just do that?” She asks, her eyes wide.

“Do what?”

“Take that pill with nothing to drink.”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I just do it.”

“That’s fucking weird. Who does that?”

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