Chapter 14
LIZZIE
I wasn’t sure where I expected to be when my eyes fluttered open, but it wasn’t being stared at by all of the girls.
All of them.
Just hovering.
“Well,” I rasped out, “morning to you guys, too.”
“She’s awake!” Jasmine yelled.
I winced as I heard the familiar cadence of Marla rushing into the room. “It’s about time. Someone help me with this food.”
My nostrils flared as someone helped me to sit up. It took me a beat before I realized that it was the sisters, Amanda and Ariel. My head flopped back against a pillow as someone clicked on a light somewhere off in the corner.
I was thankful for the near-darkness still as my eyes continued to adjust.
“Don’t crowd her,” Marla said as I tried to focus. “He must’ve worn her out.”
“Judging by those sounds, he did,” Jasmine said.
I cleared my throat. “Sorry, what?”
The girls paused before Marla climbed into bed and settled next to me. “You need coffee.”
“Drinks,” Amanda commanded.
A mug of coffee was slotted into my hands and the first thing I thought was whether or not I could have caffeine.
I stayed away from it, simply because I wasn’t sure how that kind of stuff reacted to my medication.
But when I slowly looked around and saw all eyes on me, eagerly, I decided I needed it.
I took a long pull.
“Didja have fun last night?” Jasmine asked with a grin.
“Yeah,” Amanda said as she lounged across the foot of the bed, her head propped up on her hand. “Seemed like you and Doc had a bit of a romantic thing last night.”
My cheeks blushed as I busied my mouth with another chug of coffee.
“Heard some fun things, too,” Ariel said as she waggled her eyebrows.
That made me choke a bit. “Wait, what?”
The girls fell apart in giggles as Marla rubbed my back. “You didn’t think you were being quiet last night, did you?”
Oh boy. “Well, I just—”
Jasmine flopped down onto the bed with a soda. “God, did you hear him roar? I’ve only been able to make Ghost roar like that once.”
My eyes widened. “You heard him!?”
Amanda threw her head back with laughter. “Honey, the entire town heard him.”
My cheeks blazed with embarrassment as I took another long pull from the coffee. “Hey, I have to keep up with you guys somehow. Can’t hear you guys every night and not want to do something about it.”
“Oooooh, so you like listening, huh?”
“Was it just a one-time thing?”
“Were you out on a date? Was that his version of taking you out since we can’t go out yet?”
“That’s so romantic.”
“I should talk to my guy about that. See what he thinks.”
“Guys,” Marla said as she held up a hand before plucking the empty coffee mug out of mine, “one at a time. Don’t overwhelm her. She literally just woke up.”
They all grumbled out their versions of apologies as I looked over at my best friend.
She had a satisfied smile on her face, and I knew that could have only come from one person.
I smiled softly at her. I wasn’t sure when Doc sank beneath my skin like that, but I understood now why she preferred spending her time with him.
Why she was always with him. Why she always had his back, or wanted to help him with things.
Because already, I wanted to go in search of Doc.
Just to be near him.
Three quick knocks rattled my door before it swung open anyway. Anna leaned against the frame, twirling a knife in her hand, not quite in the room yet. “Well, well, well. Thought he fucked you into a coma, but here you are. Color me impressed.”
“Anna!” Marla squealed.
“What!?” Anna said as she shrugged at us. I watched her whip that knife around in her hands, open and closed, like a seasoned professional. “Don’t tell me you guys didn’t hear them last night. I closed all my damn windows and still heard them.”
I’d never known a blush to hurt. But I blushed so hard that my jaw joint tingled and my mouth salivated.
Wasn’t sure what that was about.
Maybe I’d ask Doc later.
He’d know.
“Well, technically,” I said as Anna came over and perched on the edge of my bed, “I got laid by the hot tub, too.”
Anna narrowed her eyes before she flipped and twirled the knife in her fingers until it was pointed at me.
I just stared at her before she spoke. “I need all of those details. Every single one. The hell you talking about?”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, but couldn’t help my grin. “He lined me up with the jets.”
I could tell by their faces that they had no idea what I was talking about. So I tried it in a different way.
“He took me from behind and lined me up with one of the jets,” I clarified.
Marla was the first on the uptick. Always was, always would be. “No he fucking didn’t!”
She shoved me as Jasmine broke out in a cackle. “Holy fuck, that’s genius!”
“Oh God, I don’t think Polly could take all that,” Jasmine said.
Anna furrowed her brow. “Polly?”
Jasmine shrugged. “What? Dudes name their dicks, why can’t I name my clit?”
Anna tossed her hands into the air. “Genius! Why doesn’t mine have a name!? Hey, Brutus!”
She got up from the bed and raced out of my room in the blink of an eye, and my head fell back with laughter. I heard Brutus already groaning from down the hall, and I wondered about the two of them. But I shook the thought from my head.
Brutus couldn’t stand the woman. There was no way they would get together.
No way in hell.
Marla nudged me back into the present. “What else did he do? Come on, give us the dirty details.”
I furrowed my brow and looked around at the girls. “Do you guys always do this? Share stuff like this?”
Their sea of heads on my bed nodded. But it was Marla who looked a bit guilty.
“We would’ve included you sooner, but…”
Ariel finished her statement. “We got the impression that you were a prude and didn’t like this kind of stuff.”
I balked and looked at Marla, who just shrugged. “I tried to tell them otherwise. But you have been a bit on edge lately,” she added quickly. “Which is fine. I was like that when I was still heavily recuperating. Didn’t want any sound, or anyone touching me, or anyone near me.”
I wanted Doc touching me again, but I shoved that thought away. “It’s all right. I get it. I haven’t been the most pleasant to be around.”
“You’re healing,” Amanda said as she reached out and smoothed her hand along my ankle. “You’re allowed to be whatever you wish in order to get you to the other side of that healing.”
“Yeah,” Ariel said with a punctuated nod.
It felt nice, gabbing with the girls. I told them all about the soup, the fresh bread, and the fruit salad.
I told them about how courteous Doc was, or how insistent he was last night that I eat and save my strength.
I told them about the fireflies, and how they seemed to ignite around us, simply because we were there.
I told them everything.
It felt so good to smile.
Then a knock came at the door.
“Ariel?” Cap asked through the door. “You in here?”
“We all are!” Ariel called out with a chirp.
Cap swung the door open and nodded at me. “Hey, Lizzie.”
I lifted my hand and waved. “Hey.”
Cap turned his attention back to Ariel. “Church in five. Shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Twenty, at the most.”
Ariel blew him a kiss. “Let the guys know we’re up here, would you?”
Cap simply nodded. “Will do. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
“AWWWWWWW!” I said really loudly.
I stuck my tongue out playfully at both Cap and Ariel.
“Hey,” Cap said as he pointed at me. “Don’t think we aren’t giving Doc a hard time today. Heard you guys were on a rollercoaster last night or some shit. Lots of yelling.”
I balked as the girls busted into laughter.
Ariel threw a pillow at him just as he whipped the door closed.