Chapter 5
Séamus ‘Shea’
Fine. I’ll show her. She’ll get grossed out and maybe I can get her back to town somehow tomorrow. Pulling my shirt over my head I sit on the cut log top coffee table in front of her.
“The directions say three times a day to speed recovery and ensure elasticity in the skin. How often have you been doing it?” she asks.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see her squeeze lotion into her palm and rub her hands together to warm it. “I can only reach the front and top of my shoulder and the back of my neck.”
“That’s what I suspected. Here we go.”
Her gentle touch on my neck and shoulder send a shiver down my spine.
After rubbing the lotion over my skin, she begins to carefully massage it in.
It’s painful at first, but nothing like the debridement treatments.
It’s been months since I’ve had any human touch.
Hell, I’ve talked more today than in the last six months.
I’ve never been the most social, that was Chris. Everyone in town knows about his death and they’ve kept their distance from me. I’m sure now that’s due to Noelle and her mom and things they’ve said.
Because of my injuries I missed my best friend’s funeral.
I was angry and resented the time they kept me in the hospital for treatment.
Since being on my own, I can acknowledge I should have stayed longer.
The affected areas are tight and itchy at times.
Her touch is so soothing I lose track of time.
“Shea, I want you to drink a water and then lie on the bed so it’s easier for me to work your mid to lower back.”
In an almost dream state, I hit the head, drink some water, and lie face down where she’s pulled back the covers.
The warmth of another’s touch is soothing, calming in a way I haven’t felt in…
forever. I don’t ever remember this feeling of peace.
The way her hands stroke up and down my back, following my spine from the top of my shoulders down to the curve of my buttocks.
The tightness and tension begin melting away.
I feel—almost human. And tired, so tired.
A light weight settles over me, a warmth wraps over my low back and spoons along my side, molding to the curve of my body. My hand is clasped in another’s.
Tonight, I’m not alone with my demons. Tonight, an angel is guarding me, and I can let go and sleep. Tomorrow will be soon enough to worry about the mistakes I’ve made. Tomorrow I’ll again battle the anxieties of regret and failure.
I wake lying on my back, a weight on my chest and another draped over my hips. Something sweet smelling and soft is tickling my nose. My palm is cupping a perfect round globe. I flex my hand again testing the lush weight.
“Stop. I have to pee, but I’m too comfortable and don’t want to move yet.”
My eyes fly open. Glancing down my body I see Cady has covered us with a blanket. Her head is on my chest under my chin, one arm wrapped over my ribs, a hand on my chest, and one leg draped over my hips. My cock chooses that moment to wake up as well.
“You’ve done it now. I’m going to have to go relieve myself. I’ll put on coffee when I’m finished. Leave your shirt off. I want to put more lotion on you.”
Waiting until she’s finished and heading to the kitchen, I climb out of bed and make own trip. I can honestly say I have never felt better than I do right now. My sleep was deep and restful. My body still hums with a sense of belonging.
Shirt in hand I enter the kitchen. Coffee is brewing, and she’s at the counter whipping eggs.
“I found cheese and a can of mushrooms so we’re having omelets.
The bacon is in the oven. Once I have this mixed up it can cook in the oven while I put more lotion on you.
Why don’t you pour coffee for both of us.
One third of the cup needs to be cream or milk and the rest coffee for me. ”
“Little bossy, are we?”
“Computer nerds are logical, analytical and detailed. Everything we do is calculated. Especially our coffee. Don’t touch my electronics. It makes me cranky and paranoid.”
Once she slides the eggs in the oven, she rounds the counter and takes a sip from her mug. “Aha, yes. I needed that.”
Grabbing the lotion, she squirts some into her hand, warms it between her palms then rounds the end of the breakfast bar to stand behind me. “Watch the clock. I need to stir the eggs and flip the bacon in fifteen minutes.”
Her touch almost immediately sends me back to that warm relaxed place I went last night.
When the time is up, I feel refreshed. I can stretch each arm above my head with less of the stiffness on the right and the biting pain on the left.
It may only be an inch or so, but my left arm goes a touch higher than yesterday, and it feels significantly looser. “Okay, you were right.”
Her look is totally gloating. She dishes up breakfast, and we eat in companionable silence. For the slender little thing she is, she can pack away the food.
“Thank you. Breakfast was great. I usually have cereal.”
“I guessed that when I saw like ten boxes of the same cereal in the pantry. Breakfast is my favorite meal. Bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, French toast, omelets, quiche, the good stuff. The rest of the day I can survive on coffee, granola bars—which you do not have any of—and fruit, also sorely missing.”
“Dually noted.” I grin. “I’ll do the dishes.
” Grabbing our empty plates, I round the counter to the sink as something starts chirping.
When I look at her, she rolls her eyes, stands and goes to the end of the counter where I now see she’s plugged in her phone to charge.
Scowling, she starts speed typing with two thumbs on her phone.
I never mastered that with my big fingers. “Something wrong?”
She shakes her head. “No. Noelle wants to borrow my computer, and she can’t find it. Which means she’s picked the lock to my bedroom. Again. I told her I have it with me.”
“Cady, does your mom know where you are?”
She glances up from her phone. “No. Honestly, I don’t tell them anything more than I have to. They come and go as they please. Now, so do I.
“The only time they care is when one of them wants to borrow something of mine like the keys to my junker car when hers is out of gas. Or my phone when she’s forgotten to charge hers.
Today, she wants my computer, which is really code that she wants to try and shop using my accounts.
Which is why all my electronics are always in my backpack. ”
“Doesn’t she have her own trust fund from her father?”
“She did, but I’m pretty sure she’s blown through most of that. She’s hoping this guy she’s dating can support her the way she wants to be taken care of. His daddy has money. What she doesn’t know is his daddy has him on a tight leash. He may drive a Mercedes, but it’s his dad’s old one.”
“You know all this how?”
She tilts her head and smiles. “Two years of cybersecurity classes?”
“Reckless and a little scary.”
Her laugh does something to my chest and my breathing. She’s so beautiful, smart, and kind. Chris was right, when he said she best of all of us.
“Get to your homework, I’ll clean the kitchen.
“Uhm, I do have a paper I need to work on for school. Do you have ink in that printer?” She nods toward the electronic station where her phone was charging next to the printer.
“Yes. I’ve been sending out resumes and trying to figure out what I want to do. I would have fallen into construction but with my injury….”
“You should go back to school. You were always smart, and you have the GI Bill. We could go together. Commuting would be so much easier with both of us,” she throws out before switching subjects.
“I have a shift later at my online customer service job. It’s all internet chats so I don’t need a phone or anything. ”
“No problem. Do whatever you need. I have some work I need to do as well.” Like getting my head back on straight. She’s talking, acting like we’re a thing. Commuting? Together? As in a couple? Lovers? My heart is beating so hard I’m surprised she doesn’t hear it.