Page 208 of Scrimmage

She hurries down the hallway back to the desk. I already hear her whispering the gossip. Koda Armory is finally visiting the girl he’s been sleeping on the couch for. I smile to myself as I head for the cafeteria. After grabbing her pudding cups, which hardly took any convincing, I stop at the vending machine to buy her a Dr. Pepper and three waters. No way she is going to be drinking the sink water I’m sure they’ll try to give her.

When I return, she’s got her eyes closed. She looks like an angel when she sleeps. The opposite of when she’s awake.

“Ash,” I say gently, smoothing the hair out of her face.

“Hm?” Her eyes flutter open. “Ko?”

It feels better than I thought it would to hear her call me that again.

“Got what you asked for.” I spill the contents I have bundled in my shirt across the tray and slide it over her.

She yawns, taking stock. Her eyes widen. “Holy shit.”

“I wanted to try them, too,” I explain with a grin. “Oh, and here.” I place the Dr. Pepper and waters on her tray.

She stares at me like I’m an alien. “What the fuck?”

I shrug. “You wanted it.”

She looks back at the pudding and picks one up at random, examining the label. “Tapioca.”

“Sounds like a good place to start.” I scoot into the bed, making sure not to knock the medical equipment. Having her this close is intoxicating. She finally smells like herself.

“What the hell? You’re way too big,” she squirms.

“Then make room,” I tease her, tearing off the top and dipping a spoon in. She doesn’t move, but she doesn’t shove me away either. Ashland just watches me. “I’m not suffering through some of these alone.” I peel off the lid to the Tapioca and slide it over. She still doesn’t move. “What’s the problem?”

“Why are you here?”

“Because a funeral would have been pretty fucking embarrassing for you.”

She glares at me. “It would have been preferable."

“I think Penny and Sinclair would disagree,” I say with my mouth full. Ashland deflates at the comment.

“How is she?”

“Glad she didn’t find your body in the kitchen.”

“If she didn’t find me then who did?” She loses herself in thought.

“Me,” I shrug.

“You?” She shoves the pudding away and does her best to scoot to face me. “Why you?”

“You’re ruining my pudding,” I sigh.

“Fuck the pudding, Ko.”

“Drink some water then.” I unscrew the cap and try handing it to her.

“No." She tries to swat my hand away.

“Drink, and I’ll tell you.” She growls in frustration, but does as I ask then looks at me expectantly. I fix her with a look. “More."

She chugs a third of the bottle, wincing. “Okay. Speak, Golden Boy.”

“I should've never left that day.”

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