Jack.”
“We’re just friends.”
“Jack, were you and Holly ever just friends?
I grimace when a nurse jabs my arm with a needle. “Friends with benefits.”
“That’s a lot for a pregnant woman to deal with, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know. It was fine. We were fine, and then something changed. Now I don’t know what to do. I think I just fucked everything up, Chelc.”
“I don’t know about that …” She begins, but the rest is lost to my ears on account of the sexy-as-fuck redhead walking toward us. Holly’s wearing a floaty summer dress that’s just a little too tight across her perfect rack, and she walks along with her head bowed. As she gets closer to my room, she glances up. Her jade-green eyes meet mine through the window. Her face contorts with surprise, and something close to pain, and then she lets out a sharp, slightly hysterical laugh of relief and throws her head back. If the sound of the ECG machine weren’t beeping out a relentless reminder, I’d think I had just flatlined. Jesus Christ. Am I in love with Holly Fucking-Make-My-Life-A-Living-Hell Harris?
Holly comes running through the doorway, but stops short when she eyes my hand tucked into Chelcie’s. She frowns, and moves out of the way of the nurse exiting with vials of my blood for testing. Chelcie draws her hand from mine, and rests it in her lap.
“You’re awake?” Holly says, as though she doesn’t quite believe it. There are a thousand different emotions all playing on her face right now. It’s as if she’s having trouble settling on one. I think we’re somewhere between jealous She-Hulk and outright ecstasy—two of my favourite Holly Harris traits.
“I am.” I smile up at her. Seeing her is both good, and awkward as fuck. Does she remember what I said in the car? Did she say anything in return? I don’t remember much of the drive, just feeling like I had to tell her how I felt before I died, and then the sound of metal folding in on itself in the crash that followed. Fuck, this is weird. I chew my lip and make out like it’s not this fucking awkward. “How you doin’, Mamma? How’s the baby?”
“Good. We’re good.” She holds a hand over her stomach. It seems like her belly’s grown in the time that I’ve been out.
“That’s good,” I say, as I stare at her in awe. Chelcie makes a startled little sound, half way between a gasp and a sigh. I feel like a complete fuck-stick, because it’s the first time I remember she’s in the room since Holly came bounding in. “Shit, sorry, Chelc have you met Holly?”
“We met yesterday while you were taking a nap, Jackarse,” Holly says, and then looks at Chelcie for the first time since she walked in. “So I guess you guys have some catching up to do, huh? I’ll leave you to it.”
“Hols, you don’t mind hanging around so Chelcie can follow you home, do you?”
“Why would she need—”
“She’s gonna stay with us for a few days.”
“I am?” Chelcie asks.
At the same time, Holly says, “She is?”
I glance between the two of them and try my best to shrug, but my misused body’s not really on board with that, so I just flop my head back, and talk to the ceiling, “Course. Motels in this town suck arse, and I’ll be home in a few days. It’ll be good to catch up.”
Holly looks about ready to gut someone. I smile, because the fact that she might be jealous is fucking hilarious, considering the epiphany I just had . I really do want to catch up with Chelcie, though, and it has nothing to do with the idea of making Hols green with envy. I might not be interested in bending Chelcie over the bed and screwing her every which way from Sunday, but she’s family. I’d like to spend a little more than five minutes talking to her without the beep of a heart monitor in my ear. Seems like a long way to come without getting to spend some quality time with one another.
Holly folds her arms over her chest, and heads for the door.
“We’re just friends.”
“Jack, were you and Holly ever just friends?
I grimace when a nurse jabs my arm with a needle. “Friends with benefits.”
“That’s a lot for a pregnant woman to deal with, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know. It was fine. We were fine, and then something changed. Now I don’t know what to do. I think I just fucked everything up, Chelc.”
“I don’t know about that …” She begins, but the rest is lost to my ears on account of the sexy-as-fuck redhead walking toward us. Holly’s wearing a floaty summer dress that’s just a little too tight across her perfect rack, and she walks along with her head bowed. As she gets closer to my room, she glances up. Her jade-green eyes meet mine through the window. Her face contorts with surprise, and something close to pain, and then she lets out a sharp, slightly hysterical laugh of relief and throws her head back. If the sound of the ECG machine weren’t beeping out a relentless reminder, I’d think I had just flatlined. Jesus Christ. Am I in love with Holly Fucking-Make-My-Life-A-Living-Hell Harris?
Holly comes running through the doorway, but stops short when she eyes my hand tucked into Chelcie’s. She frowns, and moves out of the way of the nurse exiting with vials of my blood for testing. Chelcie draws her hand from mine, and rests it in her lap.
“You’re awake?” Holly says, as though she doesn’t quite believe it. There are a thousand different emotions all playing on her face right now. It’s as if she’s having trouble settling on one. I think we’re somewhere between jealous She-Hulk and outright ecstasy—two of my favourite Holly Harris traits.
“I am.” I smile up at her. Seeing her is both good, and awkward as fuck. Does she remember what I said in the car? Did she say anything in return? I don’t remember much of the drive, just feeling like I had to tell her how I felt before I died, and then the sound of metal folding in on itself in the crash that followed. Fuck, this is weird. I chew my lip and make out like it’s not this fucking awkward. “How you doin’, Mamma? How’s the baby?”
“Good. We’re good.” She holds a hand over her stomach. It seems like her belly’s grown in the time that I’ve been out.
“That’s good,” I say, as I stare at her in awe. Chelcie makes a startled little sound, half way between a gasp and a sigh. I feel like a complete fuck-stick, because it’s the first time I remember she’s in the room since Holly came bounding in. “Shit, sorry, Chelc have you met Holly?”
“We met yesterday while you were taking a nap, Jackarse,” Holly says, and then looks at Chelcie for the first time since she walked in. “So I guess you guys have some catching up to do, huh? I’ll leave you to it.”
“Hols, you don’t mind hanging around so Chelcie can follow you home, do you?”
“Why would she need—”
“She’s gonna stay with us for a few days.”
“I am?” Chelcie asks.
At the same time, Holly says, “She is?”
I glance between the two of them and try my best to shrug, but my misused body’s not really on board with that, so I just flop my head back, and talk to the ceiling, “Course. Motels in this town suck arse, and I’ll be home in a few days. It’ll be good to catch up.”
Holly looks about ready to gut someone. I smile, because the fact that she might be jealous is fucking hilarious, considering the epiphany I just had . I really do want to catch up with Chelcie, though, and it has nothing to do with the idea of making Hols green with envy. I might not be interested in bending Chelcie over the bed and screwing her every which way from Sunday, but she’s family. I’d like to spend a little more than five minutes talking to her without the beep of a heart monitor in my ear. Seems like a long way to come without getting to spend some quality time with one another.
Holly folds her arms over her chest, and heads for the door.
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