Page 13 of Just a Little Crush
I try to remember hitting my head, but it all happened so fast. The car swung, the tree fell, and I was trapped.
It’s slowly dawning on me just how lucky I am. This wasn’t just a little accident. In the mirror I catch my face shifting and a ball of sadness pushes up out of my lungs, filling my throat.
“Rennie,” I call out, and he’s by my side in a heartbeat. I try to blink the tears away, but it’s too late, and a sob breaks free. He spins me on my good foot, and lifts me to sit on the edge of the vanity unit, crowding in between my legs, wrapping me in his arms, and holding me to his chest. I’d be dry humping the life out of him if I wasn’t processing trauma right this second.
“Oh Bec, oh honey, it’s OK, you’re OK. You’ll be OK.”
He holds me for ages, one warm hand stroking up and down my back, until slowly the panic subsides.
After we eat, he stands at my back while I wash my hands at the kitchen sink. His arms float on either side of me, ready to steady any wobbles. I wish he’d wrap those arms around my waist, pull my back against his chest and press his dick against my arse. Maybe I’d wiggle a little against him to tease him, to get him hard until he—
“Bed or sofa?” I feel him whisper against the back of my neck. Tingles shoot down my spine, spreading through my limbs to the tips of my fingers and toes. My breath catches in my chest.
“For what?”
“For resting.”Oh, that. Boring.
“Sofa please.”
Rennie helps me through to the living room, then fusses around me like a mother hen. Piles of pillows, extra blankets, three bottles of water, a basket full of snacks in reach. I don’t know when he did all this.
“I’m sorry I’ll be gone all day, but I’ll leave the patio door unlocked and have a couple of people pop in and check on you. OK?”
I told Rennie I’d accept his offer of help and a place to stay while I can’t manage stairs to my flat, but under no circumstances is he to take time off work to look after me. I can’t be that much of a burden.
“Who?” I don’t really want anyone to see me like this. It’s bad enough that he has, but I don’t have the energy to protest.
“I’ll leave it as a surprise.”
“Please no, not the tennis mums?”
“No,” he smirks. “I think you’ve suffered enough.” He fusses around a little, plumping cushions he’s already plumped.
“So here’s the remote.” He sets it on the armrest next to me. “TV is all fairly self-explanatory. Do you want me to put some porn on for you?” he laughs.When will this torment end?
“Fuck off Renn. Go to work.”
“OK, OK,” he says, hands held up to his chest, palms facing out as he backs away from me. “I’m gone.”
“Be safe. And bring ice-cream home with you.”
Rennie has barely been gone an hour when Alyssa appears at the patio door, arms laden with flowers and gift bags.
“NO!” she shouts at me through the glass pane when I move to get up and open it for her. I sink back down into pillow mountain.
“Oh my god, look at the state of you,” she says, sliding the door closed behind her. Her no BS attitude is actually quite refreshing after Rennie’s “you look fine, everything isfiiine“ approach.
“Right, these flowers are from me, and these are from Janet and Andrew.” Janet and Andrew are Rennie’s parents, they must have called in an order, and they’ve already texted a few times to make sure I’m feeling at home. She lays them down on the coffee table next to my leg and I wonder if Rennie even owns a vase. “Then I’ve got recuperation gifts from Graeme and Liz, the whole team at David’s, Moira, Louise, and all the beauty girls at Lucie’s, too. Oh and a gift basket from Mrs Marshall. She’s horrified.”
Mrs Marshall is head of the town council, and along with her, Alyssa has named practically every small business owner on the high street. News of my predicament clearly spread fast.
“It’s mostly snacks for while you’re laid up, and if it seems like a couple of chocolates are missing, don’t blame me.” I will blame her, the sneaky bitch.
“So the whole town is talking about it. Rennie rushing to your side, pulling you from the burning blaze. What a stud.”
“Please, that is not what happened. There was no fire.”Though I can’t deny the stud part.
“I know, but you know how this town is. We’ve been overdue a bit of excitement. The last big thing was when Mr Marshall’s basement flooded. Though come to think of it, that was mainly because Rennie was soaking wet.”
