Page 59 of Distortion
At The Heath, two of the doctors were together and he’d open doors for her, give her innocuous touches when he thought no one was looking. He’d smile at her and listen to her when she talked. Shade and Blaze don’t seem to do any of those things.
Someone should probably tell them.
‘Well, feel better,’ she says to me with a sweet smile and a littleunderstandingpout that makes my skin crawl even more than it already is.
She reminds me of one of the nurses at The Heath. She was all smiles and empathy while the doctors were around, but as soon as it was just her and the blanks, she was about as sympathetic as a lion scenting prey.
No, I don’t like Laurie or Jolie at all.
‘See you later, Shade,’ she says, giving him a little smile and blinking at him rapidly.
Maybe she has something in her eye. The friend continues to watch Blake, but he doesn’t look up and she lets out a small huff as Laurie pulls her away.
‘You’re boyfriending wrong,’ I mutter, relieved that I can speak again now that I’m a little calmer.
‘What?’ Shade asks, his eyes cutting to me.
Surely, you mean, ‘sorry, or I beg your pardon’. Rude.
‘You’re not good boyfriends,’ I say, still sipping my water.
‘What do you know?’ Blake sneers.
‘More than you,’ I scoff.
‘I doubt that, shut-in. You’ve probably never even kissed a guy.’
I take another sip of water through the straw, trying not to think about how Shade’s lips were on mine this morning. It’s not a ‘now’ thought. It wasn’t my first kiss anyway.
That was when he and I were thirteen. I try not to think about that either. It was the same day as what happened with Mike.
‘Maybe I’m not into guys,’ I say, looking up when I hear an odd choking sound coming from Shade.
He grabs his drink and gulps. Blake is looking at him.
‘You okay?’
Shade nods. ‘Yeah,’ he rasps. ‘Are you done?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Let’s get out of here.’
Blake leaves the booth and goes up to the bar, I guess to pay the bill.
Shade just gets up and stalks out, the door banging behind him. I finish my water quickly. They haven’t told me where we’re going next and I’m afraid I won’t get anything else. I wish I could stomach the shrimp just in case, but even without the hangover I wouldn’t be able to do it.
I follow Shade outside and see his car by itself in the lot. The truck is gone.
Of course. Mav must have taken it when he had to rush off.
I’m still damp. What am I going to do if Shade doesn’t let me into his car again? I don’t have money for a taxi. I don’t even have a phone to call one. I guess I can ask inside, but I still don’t have anything to pay with.
Blake walks past me and gets into the passenger seat, leaving me standing on the sidewalk in front of the bar like a lost child.
They’re talking to each other. Gesturing at me. Finally, Blake opens the door.
‘We’re waiting on you, shut-in!’
