Chapter 11
At the end of the night, my pockets bulged with all of the birthday tips I’d received. When my eyes sought Kill's, he flashed me a reassuring smile, and I hoped it was to convey everything was fine between us. I wanted to feel confident that I wouldn’t lose him due to my drunken idiocy.
We ended up at the twenty-four-hour diner we sometimes went to after work. Thankfully, Bambi had a date and couldn’t make it. Kill sat next to me, stealing food off my plate. A big glass of ice-water was set in front of me.
"Oh, I didn't order this," I told the waitress.
"I did," Kill said, shooting the waitress one of his smiles. "You need to rehydrate, Slick."
He was right. My stomach was doing u-turns anytime I smelled food. I took a big sip, and Kill smiled at me, patting me on the leg under the table.
"Here, open this," Jessie said, handing me a wrapped present.
"Jess, you didn't have to get me anything," I said, at the same time ripping the paper off. Kill laughed at my eagerness and squeezed my leg.
"It's beautiful, Jessie. Thank you!" I unveiled a journal with fireworks bursting across its cover.
"Open ours next," Jet said with a smile. Amy handed me a long box, and I tore into the paper with the same enthusiasm as I had Jessie's present.
I blamed the alcohol on my naivety at opening a present from Jet and Amy in front of everyone. I spit water on the table when I opened the box to see a bright-green vibrator.
Kill coughed into his hand and wouldn't look me in the eyes when they snapped up to glare at him. Amy and Jet laughed hysterically. Catcher hadn’t seen what was in the box and asked what it was. I shook my head, refusing to answer.
"It's a BOB," Amy answered for me. Catcher's face glowed red, the flush extending over the top of his bald head.
"Here, Faith," D said, handing me a long box after.
"Did you get her the same thing?" Jet asked, taking note of the shape.
"No, I knew you’d have her covered on that," D answered as Jet tried to get a high-five out of him.
"D, it's beautiful," I said when I opened the box to reveal an anklet with a microphone charm attached to it.
I went around the table, handing out hugs. When I reached Jet, I smacked him on the back of the head. "It was worth it," he said, rubbing where I’d connected.
It was one of the best birthdays I'd ever had, and the unease I usually felt all day in the past wasn't present. On the way home, I fell asleep in Kill’s Mustang, exhausted from work and too much alcohol.
“Hey, birthday girl,” Kill said, opening the door to his Mustang and unbuckling me.
He lifted me out of the car and carried me upstairs. I didn’t bother arguing with him as I was unable to remove myself from the clutches of sleep. After carefully removing my shoes, jeans, and shirt, he slipped another shirt over me, and I was immediately enveloped in his scent. I clung to the shirt, knowing it was the one he’d just been wearing.
“I'll be back in a little bit,” he said, kissing me on the cheek after tucking me into my blankets.
Iwoke to a bottle of water and four Advil next to my phone. When I sat up, the boulder in my stomach made its presence known, rocking back and forth. I sprinted to the bathroom and made it to the toilet just in time to heave all the other roommates out of my stomach, leaving the boulder blissfully single again. As I leaned against the wall, absorbing the coolness into my overheated skin, the door creaked open. Without opening my eyes I knew it was Kill, just from the burst of energy that followed him wherever he went.
He sat down next to me and handed me the bottle of water and pills I’d abandoned on my nightstand. The lid was already cracked loose from the seal, making the bottle easier to open. My eyes prickled with tears. If it hadn’t been for his rockstar status, he would be the perfect match for me.
I mumbled my thanks, mostly because I now had morning and vomit breath combined and figured the less I opened my mouth the better. After the nausea subsided, I turned my head toward Kill. He was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. A frown marred his perfect face, making him look like the badass rocker he was. He turned his head so we faced each other and offered me his half smile.
“Are you going to make it?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.
I nodded my head, still aware of the vile concoction in my mouth. I needed to brush my teeth something fierce.
“Good. I didn’t want to have to find a new best friend.” He was trying to make me laugh, but there was something hidden in his statement, and I felt too awful to investigate it further. “Get in the shower, Slick. I'll take you to school today.”
I opened my mouth to protest but shut it with a snap, not wanting to unleash the toxic breath I was sporting, so I just nodded my head. He leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead, shutting the door behind him as he walked out.
Kill had dry toast waiting for me when I emerged from my room. After downing a handful of Tums, I was starting to feel better. I chewed the bread slowly, making sure it was going to play nicely with the boulder. When Kill was satisfied I’d put enough in my stomach, he grabbed my messenger bag and led me to the garage toward his sex on wheels.
