out.
Beside her bed, Ben slept in the recliner he'd moved into
the room, his huge, hard body making the chair look like a toy, his mouth
slightly parted. Dark circles ringed his eyes, making guilt crawl up her spine.
The past hours were a blur. She couldn't think about all the
things he'd done for her or she'd never be able to look him in the eyes again.
She built a concrete wall around the memories and locked them and the rampant
humiliation away. Thankfully, she couldn't remember all of it, but the bits and
pieces were bad enough.
God.
No one, aside from her parents, had ever cared for her the
way he had. Maybe not even her parents. She couldn't remember ever being so
sick.
Trying not to disturb him, she pushed herself to a sitting
position, then had to drop back against the headboard, panting from exertion.
Head spinning, muscles whimpering, she waited for the room to settle back into
place around her. She'd never been this weak, either.
Allison gathered herself and swung her legs slowly off the
side of the bed, then sat still again, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Next
to her, Ben stirred.
"Hey, there," he said, keeping his voice low and
smooth. He placed a hand to her forehead, as he'd done every time she woke.
"How're you feeling?"
"Better, I think," she said, shocked by the
gravelly sound of her voice. "Could I have some water?"
"Of course."
Leaping up, Ben held the water bottle to her lips and cupped
the back of her head, helping her drink. The liquid was room temperature, but
possibly the sweetest thing she'd ever tasted.
"Not too much, now," Ben said. "Let's make
sure you keep it down."
Nodding, she allowed him to set the bottle down.
"Do you know where my cell phone is?" she asked.
"I should check in with a few people."
"Your mom called this morning," he said, retaking
his seat, reaching out and rubbing a hand over her knee. "She sounded
pretty worried on your machine, so I talked to her. Everyone else can wait
until you get your strength back."
But Allison's eyes had flown wide. "What? My
mother?" Dropping her forehead into her hands, she groaned. "Oh,
no."
"She was worried," Ben said, "I didn't think
you'd mind me talking to her."
"No, it's not that, it's—"
At that moment, her front door burst open and rebounded
against the entryway wall, the sound echoing down the hallway.
Jeff Denton's voice hollering, "Where the hell is
she?" made her groan again.
She said, "Brace yourself," to Ben, just before
her bedroom door flew wide, and Jeff barreled inside.
Green eyes wild, Jeff flung out a manicured hand to point
like a laser at Ben, and his voice, when he spoke, was feral. "Who the fuck are you, and what the devil are you doing
here?"
Allison said, "Jeff, please," in her raspy voice,
but Ben had already risen from his chair.
The two of them stood, sizing each other up like a couple of
massive bucks about to lock horns over a doe. Which, given Jeff's sexual
orientation, was ridiculous, but he'd always been protective.
Before either of them could move, three more people shoved
into her small room. Greg latched onto Jeff's arm, while Mia dashed around the
men to sit beside Allison and pull her into a careful hug.
"How are you, sweetie?" Mia asked, while in the
doorway, Derrick surveyed the scene, a heavy frown on his brow.
With a frown of his own, Ben crossed his arms over his chest
and said, "Who are you people?"
"'You people,'" Jeff mocked in his highest diva
voice. "I'm the one asking questions here, boyo , so—"
"Jeff," Mia hissed.
He stabbed a finger beneath Mia's nose and said, "Hush,
you," to which Derrick said, "Hey."
Rubbing her temples with both hands, Allison gritted her
teeth. Bracing herself, she put her fingers between her lips and whistled
shrilly.
All eyes on her, she said, "Now that I have your
attention," in her sick-froggy voice. "Ben, these are my friends,
Mia, Derrick, Jeff and Greg. Guys, this is Ben. My—uh. . ." Looking
to Ben, she broke off. What was he to
Beside her bed, Ben slept in the recliner he'd moved into
the room, his huge, hard body making the chair look like a toy, his mouth
slightly parted. Dark circles ringed his eyes, making guilt crawl up her spine.
The past hours were a blur. She couldn't think about all the
things he'd done for her or she'd never be able to look him in the eyes again.
She built a concrete wall around the memories and locked them and the rampant
humiliation away. Thankfully, she couldn't remember all of it, but the bits and
pieces were bad enough.
God.
No one, aside from her parents, had ever cared for her the
way he had. Maybe not even her parents. She couldn't remember ever being so
sick.
Trying not to disturb him, she pushed herself to a sitting
position, then had to drop back against the headboard, panting from exertion.
Head spinning, muscles whimpering, she waited for the room to settle back into
place around her. She'd never been this weak, either.
Allison gathered herself and swung her legs slowly off the
side of the bed, then sat still again, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Next
to her, Ben stirred.
"Hey, there," he said, keeping his voice low and
smooth. He placed a hand to her forehead, as he'd done every time she woke.
"How're you feeling?"
"Better, I think," she said, shocked by the
gravelly sound of her voice. "Could I have some water?"
"Of course."
Leaping up, Ben held the water bottle to her lips and cupped
the back of her head, helping her drink. The liquid was room temperature, but
possibly the sweetest thing she'd ever tasted.
"Not too much, now," Ben said. "Let's make
sure you keep it down."
Nodding, she allowed him to set the bottle down.
"Do you know where my cell phone is?" she asked.
"I should check in with a few people."
"Your mom called this morning," he said, retaking
his seat, reaching out and rubbing a hand over her knee. "She sounded
pretty worried on your machine, so I talked to her. Everyone else can wait
until you get your strength back."
But Allison's eyes had flown wide. "What? My
mother?" Dropping her forehead into her hands, she groaned. "Oh,
no."
"She was worried," Ben said, "I didn't think
you'd mind me talking to her."
"No, it's not that, it's—"
At that moment, her front door burst open and rebounded
against the entryway wall, the sound echoing down the hallway.
Jeff Denton's voice hollering, "Where the hell is
she?" made her groan again.
She said, "Brace yourself," to Ben, just before
her bedroom door flew wide, and Jeff barreled inside.
Green eyes wild, Jeff flung out a manicured hand to point
like a laser at Ben, and his voice, when he spoke, was feral. "Who the fuck are you, and what the devil are you doing
here?"
Allison said, "Jeff, please," in her raspy voice,
but Ben had already risen from his chair.
The two of them stood, sizing each other up like a couple of
massive bucks about to lock horns over a doe. Which, given Jeff's sexual
orientation, was ridiculous, but he'd always been protective.
Before either of them could move, three more people shoved
into her small room. Greg latched onto Jeff's arm, while Mia dashed around the
men to sit beside Allison and pull her into a careful hug.
"How are you, sweetie?" Mia asked, while in the
doorway, Derrick surveyed the scene, a heavy frown on his brow.
With a frown of his own, Ben crossed his arms over his chest
and said, "Who are you people?"
"'You people,'" Jeff mocked in his highest diva
voice. "I'm the one asking questions here, boyo , so—"
"Jeff," Mia hissed.
He stabbed a finger beneath Mia's nose and said, "Hush,
you," to which Derrick said, "Hey."
Rubbing her temples with both hands, Allison gritted her
teeth. Bracing herself, she put her fingers between her lips and whistled
shrilly.
All eyes on her, she said, "Now that I have your
attention," in her sick-froggy voice. "Ben, these are my friends,
Mia, Derrick, Jeff and Greg. Guys, this is Ben. My—uh. . ." Looking
to Ben, she broke off. What was he to
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