Page 88 of Unexpected Heroine

For. Now.

“I think I’ll just call you babe in front of her.”

“I should tell her. I’ll face what I’ve done. It’s not on you to do this for me.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I wouldn’t be doing it for you. It would be for me. Because if I tell her, she’ll convince me to leave you. And I don’t ever wanna do that.”

He says something under his breath. While I can’t be certain, it may have been something like... you will one day.

“You know, I was thinking.” I pause, waiting for him to respond.

Man alive. It’s like my first day with a new brain. I didn’t ask him anything, so why am I waiting for his answer? He doesn’t typically respond unless I ask him a direct question.

I blow a raspberry to silence my inner critic. “Maybe I should check out this therapy place.”

He nods, leaning closer and intensifying his gaze. “If you think that’s a good idea, just say when.”

I wasn’t expecting him to balk at the idea, but his instant agreement is somewhat unexpected. Yes, I know that doesn’t make sense. But this is the level of brain power I’m working with at present.

The low purr of his vibrating cell phone increases my pulse.

“That’s them. You ready, baby?”

Am I ready to see my best friend? Always.

Am I ready to see the pain etched onto her face because of what’s happened to me? No. Never.

I meet Stella in the foyer. Although neither of us are known for being quiet—especially when together—we don’t speak for a while.

All we can do is embrace.

She’s another one whose hugs are worth the pain from my ribs.

When we finally break apart, she pulls back to study my face. “Hey, Lettie bear.” Her voice is so quiet you’d think she was trying to avoid waking a baby. Only baby here is me, though.

My eyes are glassy with unshed tears, making it hard to see her freshly dyed blue hair and midnight black eyeliner. “Hey, Stella Bella.”

“Bet you didn’t think you’d see me again this soon, huh?”

As far as the calendar goes, I suppose I only saw her a little over a week ago. It feels way longer.

“Can’t say I did.”

Our little reunion is interrupted when a beefy man with biceps as big as my thighs comes thundering up the front stoop. He’s got a large duffel bag on one arm and a cage containing something terrifying hanging off the other.

“Oh, Stella. You did not.” My feet shuffle me backward until I bump into Tomer, who steadies me by my shoulders. “How could you?”

Moving quickly, I dart around him to hide behind his back, wrapping my arms around his waist.

The man carrying Stella’s belongings makes it into the foyer. “Where do you want this shit?” His gaze bounces between the three of us. When he sees me bent and cowering behind my boyfriend, he furrows his brow before blinking away his confusion almost instantly.

Tomer answers, “Down the hall, Jonesy. First room on the right.”

He hefts Stella’s belongings past us wordlessly. When he comes near me, I scurry to the other side of Tomer’s back to keep distance between me and the cage.

I recognize this Jonesy character. Only I’m not sure from where.

What a shocker? My memory being shitty? Who’d a thunk it?

---