AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What did you do with the rest of your night?” I ask, unable to let it lie.
“I ran into an old friend. I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t come looking for you as fast as I really should have. I came by your flat, but you weren’t there. Then yesterday morning, I had a message from Jodie saying there had been an accident and you were here. How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better,” I confess, although I quickly realise that isn’t just because of what’s happened, but also the company.
7
NICO
After the guys left, I gave up fighting my exhaustion and crawled onto the bed, although sleep didn’t come as quickly as I was hoping.
I didn’t take the last lot of painkillers and it was starting to show.
But I was done feeling drowsy, even if sleeping did make it all go away.
It was time to stop hiding like a pussy and try to sort my shit out.
And that needed to start with talking to Brianna.
I just wasn’t sure how that was going to happen.
For all I knew, she had a security guard on her door to stop me from seeing her. The guys never said anything, but I wouldn’t put it past one of them to agree to protect her. She seems to have them all wrapped around her little finger just like she does me these days. Alex especially seemed keen to see her, something that’s still pissing me off.
I know he wouldn’t do anything like he threatened, but the thought of him hanging out in there with her makes fury bubble away in my stomach. I want to be the one in there making sure she’s okay. It’s my fault she’s here in the first place, I want to try to make it up to her in any way I can, and if that means being her little bitch while she recovers, then so be it.
When I wake, the lights are on, illuminating the room, and there’s a nurse pottering around.
“Ah, good evening, Nico. How are you feeling?”
“Great,” I lie. Truth is, I ache like a bitch and all I want to do is curl up in a ball and block it out. “Any chance of getting discharged? I’m done here.”
“Uh…” She looks like she’s on the verge of saying no, but something about my expression must change her mind. “As long as you’ve got someone who can keep an eye on you at home, I don’t see why you can’t be recouping there instead of taking up one of our rooms.”
“Careful, you’re starting to sound like Janice. It’s not possible for you to hate me that much.”
Her chuckle lets me know that she’s aware of Janice’s distaste of all of us.
“I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to see that you’re off her patient list when she clocks in in the morning.”
“Hey, you might even get a raise out of it,” I tease.
“Let me check you over, then I’ll go and get the paperwork sorted. You have clothes, right?”
“Sure do,” I agree, glancing at the bag in the corner of the room that I found after the guys left.
They might be pissed off with me, but that didn’t stop—Theo, I guess—from swinging by my place and grabbing me some things.
“You can shower, and I’ll redress your nose when I come back.”
I sit still while she does her thing and before long, she’s leaving me alone once more, not wanting to waste a second more of my time in this room, I pad through to the bathroom and turn the shower on.
Finally, I shed the ugly fucking gown and step under the water.
A groan rumbles deep in my chest as the hot water hits my skin, and I stand there for the longest time letting it pound down on my shoulders. If only it could wash the events of the last few days down the drain with it.
Part of me not wanting to take those painkillers was the hope that more memories might return. I thought that remembering taking Brianna in the bathroom was going to be the beginning of the night emerging for me, but even after Theo explained what he knew, I was no clearer as to why I left that place like it was about to blow up around us, dragging Brianna behind me.
What happened inside that bathroom, Nico?
