Page 184 of Whistle

I blinked, not expecting that to be her first question. “What?”

“Are you hurt?” She spoke slower this time as if I were five and couldn’t comprehend English. “You’re in the hospital.”

“Oh,” I said, remembering where we were. “Yeah. I’m fine. A few bumps and bruises. Just waiting to get discharged.”

Landry’s eyes slid to Bodhi who was plastered at my side. “Are you okay?”

He nodded.

“What happened to your cheek?” Jess asked from across the room.

Bodhi’s fingers flew up to the angry scrape. The second he touched it, he winced. Leaning over, I grasped his hand and pulled it down.

“Don’t touch it,” I groused. Releasing his hand, I grabbed his chin and pulled his face around. “Let me see.”

For once, he did something without arguing and turned his face so I could inspect the cut. It wasn’t bleeding because they’d put two butterfly bandages across it, but it was red and irritated.

“Should I get the nurse?” I asked.

“It’s fine,” he insisted.

“You want some ice?”

He wrinkled his nose. “Ice? No way. I just warmed up.”

“I just bet you did,” Rush muttered darkly.

I cast him a look, and he glared.

Guess I didn’t need to ask how he felt about my relationship with his ex-bestie. You’d think he’d be more tolerant considering I hadn’t tossed him out of my house.

“Are you two… together?” Kruger asked, swishing his finger between me and the man in my bed.

I realized then that everyone besides Rush was gawking as though I’d just held a séance and raised the dead.

“Bro, you think that was something?” Jamie guffawed. “That was nothing compared to the night at the dorm.”

“What happened at the dorm?” Arsen asked. Beside him, Prism perked up.

Ryan flashed a smile. “After Coach decked Bodhi’s old roommate, he told him Bodhi could whip out his dick and piss on him and he couldn’t do anything but take it.”

Wes deepened his voice in what I assumed was an impression of me. “You don’t ever put your hands on what’s mine ever again.”

It was a shitty impression.

“Bro,” Prism deadpanned.

Kruger nodded. “Careful, bro. Don’t burn your tongue on this piping-hot tea.”

Inviting these idiots in here was clearly a lapse in judgment. One I needed to correct, stat. I opened my mouth to do just that when Madison stepped out from between Jamie and Max.

“We brought trauma lattes!” she announced, holding up a drink carrier. Instantly, though, she grimaced, glancing down at the single cup left in the carrier.

“We… ah, didn’t know Bodhi would be here.” Worried, she glanced around. “Jamie.”

“I’ll go get another one, Maddie,” he offered.

Lars spoke up. “He can have mine.” When everyone turned to look at him, the blond Swede turned shy. “I haven’t drunk out of it yet,” he said, lifting another smaller cup in his other hand. “I was drinking this one first.”

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