caught up in something with Hunter Reardon. And as much as I might like Hunter, he’s really bad news. There’s things about him you don’t know.”
Kallie couldn’t help but ask. “Like what kind of things?”
“It’s not my place to say. But trust me—you should really stay away from him.”
“Well…thanks for the tip, I guess.”
“I should go,” Danielle said, shouldering her purse. She gave Kallie a quick, obligatory hug, and walked off.
Kallie stood there a long time after Danielle had gone, just thinking. She was partly angry at Danielle for giving her a lecture and talking down to her, but she was also sickened by the things Danielle had hinted about with Hunter.
Even with Danielle’s veiled warnings about him, Kallie couldn’t help but feel that she wanted to find out more about him. He was so mysterious and yet also, she sensed a trustworthiness and kindness about him. Kallie felt that his intentions with her really might be good at the core—but was it worth finding out that she’d been duped and he was just a jerky guy with a kinky sex life?
Kallie went back into the hospital room, where Nicole was still sitting up, having a cup of water and staring at the TV mounted on the wall.
When she saw Kallie, she smiled supportively. “Did Danielle give you a hard time just now?”
Kallie grinned sheepishly. “She’s a good friend to you.”
Nicole shook her head. “I don’t need her trying to run interference for me.”
“Is that what that was?”
“Come,” Nicole told her, pointing at the chair Red usually sat in—right next to her bed. “Sit. Tell me everything.”
Kallie was relieved to have someone finally just being nice to her, someone who didn’t have their own crazy agenda that she had to try and figure out. She flopped down in the chair and put her face in her hands. “I think I might be losing it.”
Nicole patted her shoulder. “You’re fine, honey. Believe me, you’re not losing it. You’ve just had a crazy few weeks, is all.”
Kallie looked up at her. “Can I talk to you about something personal?” she said.
Nicole grew serious. “Sure. Anything.”
Taking a deep breath, Kallie decided it was time to ask Nicole about what she’d seen in her dresser that morning. “I hope I’m not crossing the line. If I am, just tell me and I’ll never mention it again.”
“Okay. Now you’re making me nervous.”
“The other day, Red had me go and get you some clothes and things from the house.”
“I remember.”
“Well, when I was gathering some clothes for you, I happened to notice that you had like…a few toys in your drawer. You know?”
Nicole’s face grew pale. “Oh…that. That’s embarrassing.”
“No, it’s—“
“I’m so sorry, Kallie. I hope you weren’t offended. We should have been more careful—“
“Nicole, it’s totally fine, I wasn’t bothered.” Kallie put a hand out and touched Nicole’s wrist. “I swear, I didn’t care at all, other than I thought maybe you could help me.”
Nicole got a confused look on her face. “Help you?”
“With this guy problem I’m having.”
“Now I’m really confused,” Nicole said, putting her cup of water back on the tray and pushing the tray aside.
“There’s a man in my life who’s expressed an interest in me.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” Nicole laughed.
She nodded. “Yeah, and I really like him, too.”
“Is it Hunter?”
Kallie hesitated, and Nicole waved her hands. “Forget I asked that. Just, don’t even answer. Go on, go on.”
Kallie laughed. “Anyway, this guy that I like—he wants to be in a—well I guess it’s called a BDSM relationship.” She felt her cheeks flame from the admission.
Nicole’s eyes widened for a second, but then she gained control of her expression, and was more neutral. “How do you feel about it?”
“I don’t know much about it, that’s the problem. I’m a sheltered girl from Ohio, and I’ve never met someone who
Kallie couldn’t help but ask. “Like what kind of things?”
“It’s not my place to say. But trust me—you should really stay away from him.”
“Well…thanks for the tip, I guess.”
“I should go,” Danielle said, shouldering her purse. She gave Kallie a quick, obligatory hug, and walked off.
Kallie stood there a long time after Danielle had gone, just thinking. She was partly angry at Danielle for giving her a lecture and talking down to her, but she was also sickened by the things Danielle had hinted about with Hunter.
Even with Danielle’s veiled warnings about him, Kallie couldn’t help but feel that she wanted to find out more about him. He was so mysterious and yet also, she sensed a trustworthiness and kindness about him. Kallie felt that his intentions with her really might be good at the core—but was it worth finding out that she’d been duped and he was just a jerky guy with a kinky sex life?
Kallie went back into the hospital room, where Nicole was still sitting up, having a cup of water and staring at the TV mounted on the wall.
When she saw Kallie, she smiled supportively. “Did Danielle give you a hard time just now?”
Kallie grinned sheepishly. “She’s a good friend to you.”
Nicole shook her head. “I don’t need her trying to run interference for me.”
“Is that what that was?”
“Come,” Nicole told her, pointing at the chair Red usually sat in—right next to her bed. “Sit. Tell me everything.”
Kallie was relieved to have someone finally just being nice to her, someone who didn’t have their own crazy agenda that she had to try and figure out. She flopped down in the chair and put her face in her hands. “I think I might be losing it.”
Nicole patted her shoulder. “You’re fine, honey. Believe me, you’re not losing it. You’ve just had a crazy few weeks, is all.”
Kallie looked up at her. “Can I talk to you about something personal?” she said.
Nicole grew serious. “Sure. Anything.”
Taking a deep breath, Kallie decided it was time to ask Nicole about what she’d seen in her dresser that morning. “I hope I’m not crossing the line. If I am, just tell me and I’ll never mention it again.”
“Okay. Now you’re making me nervous.”
“The other day, Red had me go and get you some clothes and things from the house.”
“I remember.”
“Well, when I was gathering some clothes for you, I happened to notice that you had like…a few toys in your drawer. You know?”
Nicole’s face grew pale. “Oh…that. That’s embarrassing.”
“No, it’s—“
“I’m so sorry, Kallie. I hope you weren’t offended. We should have been more careful—“
“Nicole, it’s totally fine, I wasn’t bothered.” Kallie put a hand out and touched Nicole’s wrist. “I swear, I didn’t care at all, other than I thought maybe you could help me.”
Nicole got a confused look on her face. “Help you?”
“With this guy problem I’m having.”
“Now I’m really confused,” Nicole said, putting her cup of water back on the tray and pushing the tray aside.
“There’s a man in my life who’s expressed an interest in me.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” Nicole laughed.
She nodded. “Yeah, and I really like him, too.”
“Is it Hunter?”
Kallie hesitated, and Nicole waved her hands. “Forget I asked that. Just, don’t even answer. Go on, go on.”
Kallie laughed. “Anyway, this guy that I like—he wants to be in a—well I guess it’s called a BDSM relationship.” She felt her cheeks flame from the admission.
Nicole’s eyes widened for a second, but then she gained control of her expression, and was more neutral. “How do you feel about it?”
“I don’t know much about it, that’s the problem. I’m a sheltered girl from Ohio, and I’ve never met someone who
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