Page 69 of Just This Once

I stuck my tongue out at him, and we both laughed.

Ten minutes later, I was back in my car—or fine,Parker’scar, if you wanted to get technical about it. After watching Alec disappear into Archer House, I turned the AC up and downed half a bottle of water before taking some acetaminophen.

I didn’t notice the new bruise on the inside of my forearm until I was reaching to set the empty bottle in the cupholder.

“Great,” I muttered, wiping at it to make sure it wasn’t just dirt. It wasn’t.

I was bruising like a damn peach these days.

And my energy levels were zilch. Despite what I’d told Alec, I’d actually only been at the beach for half an hour this morningbefore I’d had to go home to nap the rest of the day until my alarm had gone off, telling me he was done with his last class.

At this rate, I’d be too sluggish to checkmark any of the items off my list. I was going to have to pick up my pace.

Since it didn’t appear as if I was going to get numberfourchecked off anytime soon—thanks to a certain moody grump who’d barely acted as if I existed only hours after I’d asked him the most personal, intimate question I’d ever asked anyone—I pulled the sheet from my purse.

Wanting to get at leastonemore item completed, I dug my phone from my pocket and looked up houseboat rentals. It didn’t have to be anything super fancy, just a sleeper that had a bed in it. I merely wanted to know what it felt like to spend the night out on the water, rocked to sleep by waves; that was all.

But good Lord almighty. Either I was looking in the wrong places or there was no way I could afford to stay the night on a boat anytime soon.

Depressed, I put the car into drive and started back to my apartment.

I could still dosomeof the things on the list with my limited budget. Like taking a trip with no destination in mind.

Yeah. You know what; I was going to do that. I’d just take out at sunrise and drive.

Except I wasn’t all that familiar with electric cars. Did they have charging stations at most gas stations?

I didn’t feel comfortable enough taking Grumpy’s vehicle that far from Westport, anyway. Certainly not without his permission, since I’m sure he hadn’t actuallygivenme the car.

Bleh. Maybe I’d get a tattoo tomorrow instead. I could get a cute little flower for less than a hundred, right?

Decision made. Tomorrow was tattoo day.

Except a wave of loneliness washed over me. I’d always pictured myself getting a tattoowithsomeone. In fact, I never actually wanted to doanyof my bucket list items alone.

I suppose I could ask Alec to come with me, but if I started doing too much new stuff with him during one trip, he might catch on to the fact that there was areasonwhy. I mean, he might be my clueless Dopey, but he wasn’t dumb. He’d figure it out eventually if I showed him too many clues.

You know what? Didn’t matter. I didn’t need anyone there, holding my damn hand while I was repeatedly stabbed hundreds of times in a row.

Ihadthis. I’d get the tattoo by myself.

Dusk had fallen by the time I reached the apartment complex. I found a spot to park near my front window and scratched at an itch on my elbow after climbing from the driver’s seat. I really hated the itchy skin. It was just another symptom of my failing liver, reminding me how much I needed to get busy living before I couldn’t anymore.

My appetite was gone, so I decided to go straight to bed when I got inside. Pressing my right arm against my upper abdomen to help alleviate some of the aching pressure there, I shuffled along, feeling about fifty years older than I was, and I sighed in relief when I reached my door.

Already dreaming of cool sheets and soft pillows, I dug up my key and fitted it into the lock. Once I heard it click, I swung the door open and stepped inside, only to jerk to a halt in the entrance when I glanced across the expanse of the living room area and found a figure sitting at the table in my kitchen.

“So, I guess you really are dying,” Parker drawled as he set something on the tabletop.

I dropped my gaze to the handful of pill bottles he’d found and now had lined up in a row in front of him.

18

HOPE

“How did you get in here?” I demanded, shutting the door behind me with an indignant snap.

He shrugged lazily. “The super let me in.”

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