Page 13 of Bailey

“Bailey, wait,” they called after me.

I ignored them. As I closed my door, I heard Gray shout, “You guys really need to make this supply run sooner rather than later. I keep missing all the fun stuff, and I feel like you all are fucking everything up! I need out of this bed!”

I placed my back against the door and slid down it, drawing my knees up and hugging my legs as my head fell forward to rest atop them. I couldn’t hold the tears back as I began to cry quietly. I didn’t want to attract too much attention, but I knew this house, sound traveled. If I had one wish at this very moment, it would be that I could react to shit like a normal human, not some broken shell of a girl.

I froze as I heard someone approach. I felt the pressure through the door as they sat quietly on the other side and leaned against it. There was a light thud from what I assumed was their head hitting the door as they rested back on it.

“You never have to apologize to us for pushing you to your limits, Bailey. Ever.” Boone. I should have known it would be him. “It’s us who should be apologizing to you. We know you need to go slow, but sometimes, our desire for you takes over, and we forget ourselves. You did everything right just now, Honey Bee. Never hold back because you’re worried about how we will feel when you have to stop. Do what feels right to you at the moment. We’ll survive, I promise.” I didn’t respond, but my tears stopped falling, and I could take a deep, shaky breath. Baby steps. The only person judging me for my issues is me, and I’ve had many years of practice doing so. This might not be so easy after all.

I groaned when I woke up later, curled up on the floor in front of my bedroom door. Not the best place to fall asleep. I stood and stretched out the kinks before opening my bedroom door. Boone’s sleeping body fell backward when I did, and we looked at each other in shock as his sleepy brain fought to catch up. “What are you still doing sitting outside my door?” I asked him.

“I didn’t want you to be alone, but I guess I fell asleep,” he replied as he climbed to his feet.

“So did I. I woke up on the floor. Not my best idea,” I said with a laugh.

“Bailey?” Gray called out. I exchanged a look with Boone and went to Gray’s room. He was quickly becoming a problem patient.

“What’s up?” I said, leaning against the door frame. I felt Boone behind me and caught movement as he rested a hand on the top of the door frame.

Gray was sitting up in bed with his arms crossed and a pout on his face. “You promised you would have lunch with me, and now it’s almost dinner,” he accused.

“You’re right. I did promise, but then things got all wonky. How about I have dinner with you?”

“Deal,” he said, grinning. “But just us. The rest of them can eat in the kitchen.”

“Gray, you can’t steal her for yourself during meals,” Boone protested.

“Sure I can. The only time I get to see her is when she is in this room, so as long as I am stuck in this bed, I’ll claim every single meal she will let me. Consider it your incentive to go on that supply run so I can be mobile again.”

“It’s fine,” I said to Boone. “He is cooped up in here, and that’s got to be boring.”

“But we’ll miss you,” Boone whined playfully.

“Something tells me you’ll survive,” I said dryly.

“You’re probably right,” he said, kissing my cheek quickly. “Why don’t you hang out here with Gray, and someone will bring you food when it’s done.” He gave me another wink while he flipped Gray off, then left.

I pulled the chair near Gray’s bed closer and took a seat. “So how ya feeling, other than bored? Same?”

“Yep.”

“Good. That’s a good sign. Thank God you’re healing up much better than I expected.”

“How are you? I know my idiot brothers have been chasing your ass. Say the word, and I’ll tell them to back off completely.” I could see Gray's seriousness and couldn’t help but smile softly at him.

“Thank you, but I think they’re helping. I can’t heal and be normal without being pushed out of my comfort zone.”

“If you’re su-” Gray was cut off by the sound of the front door slamming open and a lot of shouting. We exchanged worried looks, and I held my finger to my lips as I slipped my knife from its sheath and went to the door. I peeked down the hall and saw strange men standing by the door in my kitchen. Boone and Caleb stood in front of the hall, blocking the hallway as they held their hands up.

Did someone really think they would come into my house and threaten us? I don’t fucking think so. I ignored Gray’s frantic movements as he tried to get my attention and silently crept to my room. I grabbed my guns, including my shotgun, and crept back down the hall, Boone and Caleb’s bodies blocking my movements nicely. Let’s see what these assholes have to say for themselves.

Chapter seven

IreachedBooneandCaleb and saw them stiffen as they registered my presence. So help me God, if they try some macho bullshit and try to protect me right now, I’ll… I don’t know, smack them or something.

“Now, everybody shift around the room towards the door. This house officially belongs to me, and I’m going to need you to vacate the premises,” a man said. Yeah, that wasn’t going to be happening. I slipped a couple of handguns into the waistband of Boone and Caleb’s jeans, then nudged them with the barrel of my shotgun to move apart. After a moment of hesitation, they complied, and I stepped forward and pointed my shotgun into the man’s face.

“I’m afraid you are mistaken. You see, my name is Bailey, and this house is mine. It’s been mine for the past ten years. You think you’re the first piece of shit to come and try to take it from me?” His gun swung towards me as he eyed my shotgun nervously. He had dark hair and mud-colored eyes; with him was a frail-looking woman and a girl who didn’t look like she was more than ten. They were all dirty and skinny. “Boys, arm yourselves,” I said to my guys.

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