Page 90 of The Fire Walker
“I know we’ve got time,” she said, tugging on my hand. “But having a near-death experience kinda lays everything out for you. It makes the unclear pretty fucking clear. And I never want to leave you again. You’re stuck with me, Cosgrove. Whether you want me ornot.”
Leaning over, I caught her lips with mine, kissing her long and slow. Pulling away, I whispered, “More like you’re stuck withme.”
“I can’t wait until I’m out of thishospital.”
“I can’t wait to take you home and give you another earth-shatteringorgasm.”
“I can’t wait for you to give it to me,” she smiled wickedly, her fingers tracingmine.
Remembering the other night, I smiled to myself. I thought I’d had intense sex with Jessie that first night. What we’d done in her bed had blown that out of the water. Just thinking about it made me harden, and knowing that it would be a while before we could have sex again, just added fuel to the fire. The whole want but can’t have thing drove menuts.
Closing my eyes, it was so easy to fantasize about those things, but it would take time for the image of the accident to fade away. Seeing her on the road, the way her eyes had unfocused. If I’d lost her, I don’t know what I would have done. Probably waste away to nothing and die a sad, lonely oldman.
“Seeing you lying there,” I began, my voice cracking. “It was the single most horrible moment of my life.” We hadn’t talked about that moment, only the short bare minimum details, but it seemed like something I should tell her. We would never have a secret between usagain.
“You don’t have to tell me,” she said. “Iknow.”
“It made me realize that I can’t live withoutyou.”
“I can try to find a job anywhere, Dee. The band is more than your life. It’s your family and your soul. I can’t ask you to leave thatbehind.”
“Fuck, I love you.” I didn’t know what else to say tothat.
“I love you,too.”
“If you won’t budge, then you have to do something for me.” I’d been thinking this over ever since she’d told me her story. Jessie had been alone in the world for far too long. If there was one thing I knew from all those broken hearts and smashed dreams, it was that family mattered. Zoe, Will, Simone, Frank, and Chris… they were my family just as much as my parentswere.
“What?” she asked, her voice full ofsuspicion.
“When you’re better, take me home. Take me to Montreal to see yourfamily.”
She instantly paled, her fingers loosening frommine.
“I know it’s gonna be hard, but family matters,Jessie.”
She didn’t answer, and I knew I’d probably said the wrong thing making it an ultimatum like that. A nurse came into the room then, so any response Jessie was going to give me evaporated into thinair.
The nurse clucked her tongue at us. “Out, out, out, Mr. Dee,” she scolded me. “Your lady needs hercheckup.”
Jessie gave me alook.
“What?” I shrugged giving the nurse a wink. I’d spent the last two days buttering up all the nurses on the floor so I could get Jessie extra pudding. That and I was just too antsy to sit still for five minutes at atime.
“You’ve been busy,” Jessie said, squeezing myhand.
“You know I can make friends withanyone.”
“He’s a sweet talker.” The nurse shooed me away. “I know you young boys like lady parts but out.Shoo.”
I stifled a laugh and gave Jessie a quick kiss on the lips. “I’ll be rightoutside.”
When I went out into the hall, I spotted Zoe talking to Will, Ana, and Ed down by the nurses’station.
“Did you get the flowers from the guys?” Zoe asked, coming to meet mehalfway.
“Yeah.” I laughed, running a hand through my hair. Simone had sent over a bunch of flowers from her, Frank, and Chris. And when I say a bunch of flowers, it also included a giant stuffed monkey with a guitar. I’m sure that was a reference to something. “Jessie loved the monkey, but I think she’s gonna drop it off to some kids inpediatrics.”
“Shit, she’s so nice,” she said with a laugh. “Are you sure she loves you, you bigape?”
