AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey, you out jogging again?”
She laughed and I detected a nervous edge to it.
“No, Viv, I’m at home. I’m just, you know, I’m just watching a film, you know.”
The clock on Minty’s wall said two p.m. Rupert and I must have been out for an hour at least. I settled back next to him, tilting my head as he ran his fingers through my hair.
“What film?”
“Um, Titanic….” For someone who seemed immensely distracted, her answer was specific.
I chuckled. “Titanic? You hate that film.”
“Yeah, I know… I’m giving it another try.”
“Didn’t you say those were three hours of your life you were never getting back?” I joked.
She huffed. “It was a while ago now. Tastes change.”
I ran a hand down Rupert’s bare chest, marvelling at the ridges and curves of his muscles. As much as I hated being here after everything that had happened in the last thirty-six hours, I knew in my bones I could never leave this man again. And after the rights he just read me about bowing out, I knew he wouldn’t let me.
“You can’t be enjoying it too much if you’re calling me halfway through.” I rolled my eyes at Rupert, whose focus was on the caress of my fingers along the hairline below his belly button.
“Well, I just remembered, I’m out of Bas and wondered if you could get me any more while you’re there?”
My hand froze and Rupert’s eyes quickly found mine. She knew why I was there – to deliver information, not to fill my pockets with a drug that was forbidden to all but the top one per cent.
“You still have a month’s supply, Pegs.”
“No, I don’t,” she snapped. My head jerked backwards; she’d never spoken to me like that before.
“Peggy… What’s got into you?”
Rupert pushed himself up to sitting.
“Look, it doesn’t seem to work as well as it did at first, Viv. I’ve been taking double doses so… I’m almost out and the next delivery isn’t due for two weeks.”
“You shouldn’t have taken more than you were prescribed. This stuff doesn’t grow on trees and I can’t guarantee your deliveries will continue for much longer.” I glanced warily at Rupert. I didn’t know what exact plans he had up his sleeve but… “I’m sure you’ll be fine if you wait.”
“NO,” Peggy gasped, making my insides harden. “I’ll go back to how I was before. I’ll be in so much pain, sleeping all day and not being able to move. I can’t go back there, Viv. Don’t make me go back there.”
I shuddered. This wasn’t like Peggy. She was usually so quiet and unassuming. She would never burden anyone with her problems, let alone beg for something, especially when she knew how many hoops I’d had to jump through to get it in the first place. I didn’t know what else to do.
“Okay, just… leave it with me.”
I hung up and stared at my phone, not entirely convinced I hadn’t just imagined that whole conversation.
“Is everything okay?” Rupert’s voice sliced through my confused mind.
“Um, yeah,” I replied despondently. “Actually, no.” I looked up at him. He didn’t seem surprised that something was off. He looked almost ready to respond.
“Peggy wants more Bas. She’s been having to take bigger doses to get the same pain relief, which is weird because she’s managed just fine with the dosage she’s had until now.”
Rupert rubbed a hand over his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “What exactly did she say?”
“She’s been taking her usual dosage but the effects don’t seem to last as long or something, She’s burned through nearly a month’s supply already. I’m really sorry. I know how hard it is for you to get this to her as it is.”
Rupert stared at the floor making me suddenly anxious. What was going on? What were people not telling me?
