Page 30 of Buddy System

Brooke laughs and asks, “I’m good. Skyler. I slept like a baby. I’m going to go run a load or two of laundry. Would you like me to change the beds upstairs after having guests?”

“Oh, you don’t need to do that. I gave Mrs. Henshaw a couple of weeks off so she could go see her kids over the holiday, and I wasn’t sure how long I was going to be gone, but she’ll be back to work tomorrow.”

“And she is…?”

“My housekeeper. She was helpful when I couldn’t do much at all around here with my shoulder being a mess, but morerecently, she’s been complaining that she doesn’t have enough to do. Don’t offer to help her do any housework; she’s easily offended. She’s also pretty proud of her cooking; although, if you ask me, her results in the kitchen are horrible. I’d rather do the cooking myself at this point.”

“Well, okay. I’ll leave the beds to her. I guess I ought to get some work done for my company then. I also told them I was taking some personal time off, and it’s probably been long enough.”

“She’ll do the laundry for you too, Brooke. If she doesn’t have enough to do, she’ll end up talking your ear off. Just relax and either get back to your regular job or find something fun to do. You could always go see Juni and pick up some more muffins and cinnamon rolls from her. Our freezer stash of bakery stuff is dwindling.”

“Good idea. Maybe I’ll go grab some pastries now before she sells out, and then I can get back to work when I come back. No sense rushing, right? Levi, would you like to go with me?”

Levi has slipped into one of his moody expressions, and that has me a little worried. He went from joking around to disturbed in no time. I wish I knew what triggered him. He looks at Brooke distractedly and finally says, “Uh…no. You go. I have some stuff I want to do here.”

Brooke grabs her purse, kisses both of us, then sails out the door. As it shuts, I turn to look at Levi. I’m starting to feel like shit and need a migraine pill and a dark room in the worst way. I know better than to not get enough sleep and forget to eat and stay hydrated, but I can’t always help myself. “Hey, buddy, you okay? You’re looking a little off.”

“Don’t baby me, Skyler.” Skyler, he calls me—not Sky. Did I do something? “Frankly, I’m starting to feel like a leech.”

“What? Why?” I hope this isn’t a long conversation because I’m starting to see black spots.

“You’re doing great, Brooke is doing great. I’m not doing Jack Shit. I need a fucking job!”

“So find one. Work on your music, look online, ask around. I don’t know what it is you want, but you’re absolutely not a leech. You’re here because I need you and you need me. It’s simple. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.” I can’t help it—I rub my forehead and suddenly realize I’m about to barf, so I bolt into the bathroom off the kitchen. I hate these fucking migraines!

After losing my breakfast, I stumble back into the kitchen. It’s so damn bright in here, it hurts! “Levi, would you grab me a Gatorade from the fridge, please? The bright light in there bothers me.” He’s staring at me like I have an extra head while I lean against the counter and shield my eyes.

“Sure, man.” He limps across the room without his cane, and I realize I’ve asked him to do something I should have done myself. He opens the bottle and hands it to me, leaning against the counter next to me. We’re quite a pair this morning…well, this midday. He asks, “What’s going on? Are you sick? Bad muffin?”

I snort. “No. I let myself get dehydrated, and I haven’t had enough food or sleep. That sometimes triggers a migraine. This one is bad, so I need to go take some medicine and lie down. I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to feel sorry about. Can I bring you something to eat?”

“Not yet, although I’m going to need something in my belly pretty soon.”

“Have you always had migraines, or…?”

“No. It’s a relatively common side effect after what we went through, or so I’m told. My brain apparently got a little scrambled during the explosion.”

“I see. I guess I’m lucky to have missed that one.”

“That’s looking on the bright side.” I don’t think I’d have been too happy if my dick stopped working, but I won’t bring Levi down by mentioning his symptoms. “Thanks for grabbing the drink. I’m going to shower and sleep.”

“Turkey or ham?” Levi asks.

“Huh?”

“I’ll make you a sandwich, and you can eat it after you’ve showered. You probably want something in your stomach if you take any meds.”

“Oh, yeah, right. Thanks, Levi. Either one.” I chug half the bottle and feel my way down the hall with my eyes mostly closed, hoping for relief soon. I grab a pill, down the rest of the sports drink, and bolt for the shower. I don’t even wait for the water to warm up, and honestly the chill feels good on my throbbing head.

Chapter

Twenty-Four

Levi

I slap together a quick sandwich,wrap it in a napkin in case he’s in the shower a while, and then make my way to Skyler’s room. He’s just coming out of the bathroom when I get there. Most of the paint is gone, but there’s still a smudge of blue across his belly that makes me smile as I hand him the sandwich. “Did you take your pill?”

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