Pretty Toxic - A New Adult Romance (Imperfectly Yours) by A. Gardner Page B
Authors: A. Gardner
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with his pace, breathing fast. I glimpse over my shoulder. We’re away from the woods. I see a tree branch wave, and behind it is a gaunt, scowling face.
DANE
Chapter Twenty Five
“She’s seen too much.”
She saved me.
While sitting alone in the woods in a pool of my own blood I never expected to see Mikki. Her angelic face was like a glowing light in extreme darkness. I can’t believe I’ve done this to her. My conscience won’t shut up. It has been yelling in my ear since I saw her face.
I’m in a hospital bed. I take a deep breath as Mikki enters the room. There’s something I need to tell her. She’ll find out eventually but I can’t bring myself to do it. We ran to town together and I ended up collapsing on the street. I don’t remember the rest. I woke up in a room with Mikki by my side. She came all the way here. She stuck with me the entire time.
I can’t tell her now. It will crush her.
“How are you feeling?” she asks.
“Better.” I glance around the room. “Now that no one’s asking me questions.”
“What did you say?” Her eyes go wide.
“Nothing,” I quietly respond. I rest my head on my pillow and close my eyes. She sits quietly at my bedside. I see her put her cell phone back in her pocket. “So, what did your Aunt say?”
I’m hoping this turns into a long conversation. I don’t know where to go from here. I don’t know what to say to her. Dad will be arriving soon and things will go back to the way they were. He can’t see Mikki at my bedside. He can’t know she is involved.
“She sounded weird,” Mikki replies. “Not at all like herself.”
“Well that’s good. Right?”
Mikki shakes her head.
“It means she’s saving her freak out for when I come home.”
“Speaking of that . . .” I take a long breath. “You should get back.”
“But-”
“My dad is on his way,” I continue. “I overheard a nurse saying they’d contacted my family. He can’t see you here.”
She looks down at the floor. I feel a pit in my stomach but this is for her own good. She lifts her head with a slight smile on her face. Something’s different about her but I can’t put my finger on it.
“I want to stay,” she insists. An answer I’m not expecting.
“Mikki-”
“Dane,” she speaks louder. I shut my mouth. “I don’t care what your parents think or what your sister thinks. I’m not afraid of them.” She pauses for a second. “Are you?”
“I’m not afraid of my own family, Mikki. It’s just . . . this situation is very complicated and I’d rather you not get tangled in it.”
“Right,” she nods. She stands up with a frown on her face but she doesn’t seem disappointed. She’s angry.
“Where are you going?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she responds. She leaves my room without a second glance. My heart speeds up. I see the line move up and down on the monitor next to my bed. She’s pissed. I have never seen her like this before.
I was right. Today wasn’t that day to come clean.
* * *
I sit up like my bed is on fire. I can hear him - smell him even. I gulp. He won’t be happy with me. I see a figure walking briskly to my door. I can’t tell what Dad is going to say by the look on his face. His face is expressionless like always.
“Sir,” I say, looking down at the bandage on my leg.
“Son,” he replies. “We need to talk.”
“I know,” I say in a low voice. “But I swear. I did what Rig said. I stuck to the plan.”
“That’s not my concern at the moment.” He clenches his jaw. There’s a glossy shine in his eye, almost like the beginning of a tear. “I ran into a friend of yours on the way in.”
“Who?”
He tilts his head like I should already know the answer.
“I’m astonished,” Dad says steadily. He folds his arms and scratches the side of his cleanly shaven chin. “It was a poor move to involve her.”
“What do you mean?” I don’t know
DANE
Chapter Twenty Five
“She’s seen too much.”
She saved me.
While sitting alone in the woods in a pool of my own blood I never expected to see Mikki. Her angelic face was like a glowing light in extreme darkness. I can’t believe I’ve done this to her. My conscience won’t shut up. It has been yelling in my ear since I saw her face.
I’m in a hospital bed. I take a deep breath as Mikki enters the room. There’s something I need to tell her. She’ll find out eventually but I can’t bring myself to do it. We ran to town together and I ended up collapsing on the street. I don’t remember the rest. I woke up in a room with Mikki by my side. She came all the way here. She stuck with me the entire time.
I can’t tell her now. It will crush her.
“How are you feeling?” she asks.
“Better.” I glance around the room. “Now that no one’s asking me questions.”
“What did you say?” Her eyes go wide.
“Nothing,” I quietly respond. I rest my head on my pillow and close my eyes. She sits quietly at my bedside. I see her put her cell phone back in her pocket. “So, what did your Aunt say?”
I’m hoping this turns into a long conversation. I don’t know where to go from here. I don’t know what to say to her. Dad will be arriving soon and things will go back to the way they were. He can’t see Mikki at my bedside. He can’t know she is involved.
“She sounded weird,” Mikki replies. “Not at all like herself.”
“Well that’s good. Right?”
Mikki shakes her head.
“It means she’s saving her freak out for when I come home.”
“Speaking of that . . .” I take a long breath. “You should get back.”
“But-”
“My dad is on his way,” I continue. “I overheard a nurse saying they’d contacted my family. He can’t see you here.”
She looks down at the floor. I feel a pit in my stomach but this is for her own good. She lifts her head with a slight smile on her face. Something’s different about her but I can’t put my finger on it.
“I want to stay,” she insists. An answer I’m not expecting.
“Mikki-”
“Dane,” she speaks louder. I shut my mouth. “I don’t care what your parents think or what your sister thinks. I’m not afraid of them.” She pauses for a second. “Are you?”
“I’m not afraid of my own family, Mikki. It’s just . . . this situation is very complicated and I’d rather you not get tangled in it.”
“Right,” she nods. She stands up with a frown on her face but she doesn’t seem disappointed. She’s angry.
“Where are you going?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she responds. She leaves my room without a second glance. My heart speeds up. I see the line move up and down on the monitor next to my bed. She’s pissed. I have never seen her like this before.
I was right. Today wasn’t that day to come clean.
* * *
I sit up like my bed is on fire. I can hear him - smell him even. I gulp. He won’t be happy with me. I see a figure walking briskly to my door. I can’t tell what Dad is going to say by the look on his face. His face is expressionless like always.
“Sir,” I say, looking down at the bandage on my leg.
“Son,” he replies. “We need to talk.”
“I know,” I say in a low voice. “But I swear. I did what Rig said. I stuck to the plan.”
“That’s not my concern at the moment.” He clenches his jaw. There’s a glossy shine in his eye, almost like the beginning of a tear. “I ran into a friend of yours on the way in.”
“Who?”
He tilts his head like I should already know the answer.
“I’m astonished,” Dad says steadily. He folds his arms and scratches the side of his cleanly shaven chin. “It was a poor move to involve her.”
“What do you mean?” I don’t know
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