Page 57 of Kill Me

“Oh, for sure, turning the dark into something light is the only way forward. It’s just a shame it has to even be a thing in the first place.”

“I know. But until we can figure out how to stop an international pandemic of violence against women, we can only do what we can do.”

I hear Quinn getting out of the shower, and I walk back to her room, knocking softly on the door.

“Come in,” she calls out.

I open the door with my hands over my eyes just in case, and I hear her giggle. God, I missed that sound.

“The fact I said come in implies I’m dressed, you know, Bones.”

“Little Magpie, we both know you find me irresistible, so I wouldn’t put it past you to trick me.” I meant it in a light-hearted way, but the look on her face says it didn’t land like that.

“Yeah, because I’m just a master manipulator, right?”

“I didn’t say that. I was only joking.”

She takes a moment to contemplate her words before she responds. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t mean it in a negative way; it’s just really hard to break the cycle of feeling like everything someone says to me is meant in a demeaning or critical way.”

I walk over to her, reaching my hand out for contact but waiting for her to meet me halfway. I don’t want to overstep boundaries; I want her to know that her consent is important.

She steps towards me and grabs hold of my hand.

“Magpie. You never have to worry about that with me. Sure, we will have to have some tough conversations throughout your treatment, but I’ll never put you down or intentionally make you feel less than. I’m not perfect, but I’ll never treat you how they did. Now, how are you feeling?”

“I feel better. My pain is increasing, but the aching from the treatment is lessening. The memory blanks are still there, moments of not knowing where I am or what I’m doing…”

“For some of us that’s just ADHD or the menopause.” Lools laughs as she walks through the door. Quinn steps back, eyes wide.

“Don’t worry, Magpie, this is my cousin, Lulu. She’s safe.”

Quinn’s shoulders relax immediately. “Hi, Quinn. I’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to put a face to the name. If my little cousin gives you any trouble, you know where to find me.” She winks at Quinn and walks back out of the door.

“Wow. She’s stunning.” Quinn’s mouth is agape like she just laid eyes on the crown jewels.

“Careful, Magpie, I might think you’re going to run off into the sunset with my cousin.”

She whips me with her towel. “As if, Bones. You're like my very own concierge. You’re stuck with me and my baggage forever.”

“Baggage makes it sound like that’s a con of you being in my life. I call it life experience. And in my opinion, the more you have, the better a person you have the potential to be.”

She smiles—but it’s not one that spreads to her eyes; it’s the kind of smile that shows you she’s just responding how she believes she should in the moment. I tuck that nugget of information away later.

“Okay, time to get some food into you and fill you in on the plan moving forward.”

“I’m not—”

“Don’t even think about it, Magpie. You’re going to sit your exquisite little ass at the kitchen table and eat the food that is put in front of you. You’ve barely had any nutrition for the last few days, and god knows what you were fed in that hellhole. We have a lot of work to do to get you better, and you need to be at your best. A full stomach is the next step.”

“I suppose I’m a little hungry. I could eat something.”

“Thank God because X has been cooking up a storm in the kitchen for hours, and I don’t know if you know, but chefs are cantankerous at the best of times. We wouldn’t want to upset him unnecessarily, would we?”

“Has anyone ever told you you’re scarily persuasive?”

“It’s all in the charm.” I wink at her and lead her into the kitchen where Lulu and Rhiannon are already waiting, setting the table. X has his back to us, but there are flour marks on his black shirt, and batter stuck to his face.

Quinn laughs, which grabs his attention, and he turns to greet her. “Hi, Magpie…”