“What?” Tully barks out, gaping again before the uncontrollable laughter claims her.
“I got to see this,” I laugh, briefly wondering where the hell Noah had a bright pink dildo stashed and if I need to be concerned about him. I mean, there are some things I’m willing to do behind closed doors, but there’s definitely a limit to how crazy I’ll get. A ten inch dildo…maybe not. I’d prefer the real thing.
I make a break for the door with Tully barging out right behind me as I hear Aria in the kitchen singing, “Dildo, dildo, dildo.”
Fuck. That’s going to be a hard one to explain to my father.
The second I step out the door, the cold morning wind hits me, but I power on. There’s no way I’m about to miss this. My eyes quickly search out Rivers’ Firebird that sits right at the top of the drive and swaying proudly from left to right in the wind, is indeed, a massive, pink rubber dildo, and let me tell you, it’s definitely more than ten inches.
I stand and gape at Rivers’ new hood ornament, Tully rolls around on the ground, clutching her stomach while howling with laughter, Noah smirks from beside me as though he’s the proudest motherfucker around, while Violet desperately tries to hold Aria back, refusing to let her see what the hell a dildo is.
This day could not get any better. I swear, some kind of natural disaster could rip through here and the memory of this pink dildo will still manage to keep a smile on my face.
Noah’s hand slips into mine and I look up at him as he watches Rivers manhandle the thing, trying to pull it off…and not in the good way. “Do I even want to know where you’ve been hiding that thing?”
Noah looks down at me before sending a devastatingly sexy wink my way. “Would you think differently of me if I told you it was in my bedside table?”
“I guess it depends on why it was there?” I laugh, raising a suspicious, accusing eyebrow.
“Hey,” he warns. “I like chicks.”
“Uh huh.”
Tully calls out to Rivers, dragging my attention from my possibly closeted boyfriend. “You’re being too rough,” she tells him. “He doesn’t like it.”
“Fucking watch it,” Rivers snaps back at her.
“Do you need some help?” she grins wickedly. “I can show you a few things.”
“Fuck me,” Noah groans beside me
Rivers eventually gets the dildo unstuck and does so without recruiting Tully’s help, though my guess is that it was a pride thing or maybe he just wanted to prove to the world that he could handle the big fucker. Who knows?
Our morning pretty much gets back to normal and before I know it, I’m sitting in Mr. Carver's biology class, looking down at the completed scholarship application form on my desk in front of me.
The end of class bell sounds but I hang back in my chair, waiting for the students to file out as Tully waits by the door. “Ah, you filled it all out?” Mr. Carver inquires fondly.
“Yep, I sure did,” I tell him.
“Great timing,” he says before digging through the papers on his desk. “I printed off your recommendation just an hour ago and spoke with your other teachers. They’re all working on their plans to get you the extra credit you need, and hopefully, we can make this happen.”
“Thank you,” I say as he hands me the recommendation. My eyes desperately want to look down and read through it, but with the guy standing right before me, it feels a little too personal. I’ll read it when I get home.
“No drama,” he tells me, walking back to his desk and organizing his things. “There should be some instructions on the application detailing how they expect it to be submitted, so make sure you do all that and let me know how you go.”
Wow. Ok, shit. This is actually happening.
“Thanks,” I tell him again. “I’ll go over it at lunch and get it submitted.”
“Good work, Henley,” he tells me. “You deserve it.”
With that, I file out of the room until Tully is looping her arms through mine. “Well, let’s see it then,” she tells me, slipping the recommendation out of my fingers. “It’s almost unbelievable that someone here would have something good to say about you.”
“Shut up,” I laugh. “I’d like to see any of the teachers here give you a recommendation.”
“Whatever,” she huffs. “I don’t need a recommendation from those bitches to know how fucking cool I am. All I have to do is walk into a room.”
I roll my eyes as she scans over the recommendation. “Ugh, are you sure Carver just isn’t trying to get into your pants?” she says, taking in what he’s written.
“Get lost,” I tell her, snatching the letter back out of her fingers. “He is not. He’s just trying to help his students make something of themselves.”
“Yeah, after he gets a slice of your cherry pie.”
“Geez,” I groan. “It’s no wonder your brother hasn’t adopted you out yet.”
“I know. We’ve gotten close a few times, but he just can’t seem to get rid of me.”
“Oh well, here’s to hoping.”
The rest of the day goes by in some kind of a blur and before I know it, I’m walking down to the student parking lot, searching out Noah’s car, but not able to find it anywhere. "Where’s Noah?” I ask Rivers as he drops down in his car beside the spot Noah usually parks in.
"On a job,” he tells me.
“What?” I grunt, my head whipping towards him. “Without you?”
“Yeah, no big deal,” he says though the look in his eyes suggests otherwise. “We go solo all the time.”
I scrunch up my face. “I don’t know if I like that.”
“You don’t gotta like it,” he tells me. “Just deal with it knowing he’ll come see you as soon as he’s done. Now, get your ass in. I’m taking you girls home.”
Well, that’s one way to shut down the conversation.
Tully walks down and comes straight over to Rivers’ car as though she already knew he was taking us home. I let her take the front and when Rivers doesn’t instantly start reversing out of his spot, Tully snaps at him. “What are you doing, dickwad? Get a move on.”
Rivers face scrunches up in a way that I’ve never seen before. “Don’t hate me, ok,” he begs, turning to Tully. “I sort of promised Alyssa I’d drop her home too.”
Tully’s face falls. “Get fucked,” she growls before reaching for the door handle.
“No, don’t,” Rivers says, latching onto her arm and pulling her back. “Don’t go. She only lives around the corner. She’ll be out of here before you know it. I don’t want you walking home. It’s too cold.”
“So, I’ve got to sit in here and watch you walk her to the door. Kiss her goodbye. Yeah fucking right.”
“Come on, Tullz,” he says. “You’re the one who said you’re cool with this. You’re still dating Rocko.” He lets out a breath. “I promise. I won’t walk her in.”
“Whatever,” he says, staring out the window and pointedly looking away, especially when Alyssa strides down and climbs into the car.
She looks cautiously to me and Tully before leaning over into the front seat and pressing a kiss to Rivers' cheek. “Thanks,” she says. “You didn’t have to take me home.”
Tully looks back with her perfect bitch face. “Then walk.”
“Ignore her,” Rivers murmurs, instantly backing the car out of the spot so no one has a chance to get out. I know, I’m probably the safest bet as to which of us girls is more willing to be here right now, but the level of tension radiating around this car has me wanting to be the one to Superman dive out the door. I’ve never done it before and I’m sure as hell it would hurt, but I’m willing to take the risk.
It’s like ice cold in here and I don’t mean because of the weather.
I pull out my phone.
Henley – You’re in so much trouble for leaving me to deal with this stupid Tully/Rivers/Alyssa love triangle bullshit.
Noah – Why? What happened now?
Henley – Rivers pro
mised to drive Alyssa home as well.
Noah – Fuck. Hide anything sharp. Either Rivers or Alyssa are about to meet their maker. I’ll make it up to you when I get home.
Henley – K. Love you.
Noah – Fucking love you too, Spitfire.
Just as Rivers had said, Alyssa lives nearby and we’re at her place in the blink of an eye. She leans forward into the front to say goodbye, but this time goes for Rivers’ lips.
Tully’s eyes narrow on the girl and her hand reaches for a fistful of hair.
I move faster than lightning. My hand shoots out and the loud sting of my hand slapping against Tully’s is heard throughout the car, but lucky for us, neither Rivers or Alyssa can figure out where it came from.
I give Tully a nasty look and she shoots one right back, more than pissed that I stole her opportunity to take a bitch down.
As Rivers promised, he doesn’t walk her to the door, but he waits patiently for her to walk inside her home before he pulls away from the curb and looks over to Tully. “Thank you,” he murmurs quietly.
“For what?”
“Being on your best behavior.”
We both scoff. If nearly ripping out chunks of hair is his definition of best behavior, then yeah, she did great.
The tension disappears from the car and we get on our way. Tully turns up the music, I sit back and sing along, while Rivers steals sneaky glances at the scary as shit, badass woman sitting beside him.
He brings the car to a stop at a red light and waits patiently as Tully blabbers on about her day, though I don’t doubt he’s hanging on every word she says. He hits the gas and moves forward across the intersection as the light turns green.
“FUCK!,” he yells, swerving across the road and throwing his arm up in front of Tully’s chest.
My eyes snap up to the road to take in the red car, speeding through the red light and careening towards. “NO,” I scream as my heart instantly begins to race.
The last thing I hear is Tully terrified gasp before the car smashes into us, sending us hurtling across the intersection and slamming into a tree.
My head spins.
In and out of consciousness.
It’s hard to breathe.
My chest.
Noise sounds all around me as a strange smell stings my nose. I try to peel open my eyes and blink back a few times. The world continues spinning around me but the sound of Rivers’ voice cutting through the fog has me finally able to zone in on him.
I lay on the rocky asphalt, my body burning from…something. “No, baby. Don’t you dare go to sleep. Keep your eyes on me,” Rivers begs with tears in his eyes.
I focus more.
Tully is cradled in his arms as blood pours from a gash on his forehead.
She was closest to the tree.
Panic tears through me and my eyes flutter closed before I force them open once again.
Sirens sound in the distance and I keep my eyes trained on Tully, waiting for her to move, but the last thing I see before completely passing out is her body falling limp in Rivers’ arms.
Chapter 18
The constant beep of the monitor makes the raging storm inside my head unbearable and has me peeling my eyes open despite my better judgment.
The room is too bright. Big clinical lights shine down on me from above as that awful hospital smell hits me. Shit. What have I done to land myself here?
That’s right. The car crash.
Tully.
Fuck.
Movement has my eyes flicking across the room to take in the three large bodies sitting at the end of my bed. “Henley,” Noah sputters out, flying to his feet and rushing forward as he notices my eyes are open. His movement has Dad’s head whipping in my direction before relief settles over his features. While Rivers remains still, looking completely deflated.
“How are you feeling?” Noah rushes out as Dad gets to his feet and comes to my other side. Both of them grabbing a hand each.
“How long was I out?” I murmur, hating how the sound of my own voice makes my head feel that much worse. “How bad is it?”
Noah cringes, not wanting to answer, but dad has no reservations. “You hit your head pretty bad, Squish. You’re pretty cut up, but nothing you can’t handle,” he says before glancing up at the clock. “The ambulance brought you in about two hours ago.”
“Damn,” I grumble.
“How are you feeling?’ Noah repeats.
“I could use some painkillers,” I tell him, making his hand squeeze mine. “My head is pounding.”
Dad cuts in. “I’ll get the nurse. Hopefully she’ll just dose you up and I can get you home in your own bed.”
Damn, that sounds so good.
A moment later, Dad’s rushing out the door and I follow his movements as he passes Rivers. I can’t help but linger there, watching as his head hangs low. A vision of Tully laying limp in Rivers’ arms flashes through my head and is enough to have me trying to get out of bed to go searching for her. “Tully?” I question as Noah tries to push me back down in my bed. “Tell me she’s alright,” I say with tears brimming in my eyes. “Where is she?”
Rivers’ head raises just a bit. “She’s in surgery,” he says, his voice coming out as barely a whisper.
The red light. The tree. She was sitting right where we hit the tree. Oh, God. No. If I’m this banged up, then she must be…
No.
A sob gets stuck in my throat as I clench down on Noah’s hand, looking up into the eyes that are so much like his sister’s. “Is she ok?” I beg, fearing the worst.
He shakes his head and I see the need within him to break. Hospital rooms and sisters are all too familiar for him. The last time he was in one, he lost his little sister. It can’t happen again. I don’t know what kind of man he would be if he walked out of this hospital an only child. It would change him forever.
He’s trying to be strong for me, but doesn’t he know he doesn’t need to?
“Noah,” I prompt, needing to know how bad it is.
When Noah struggles to get it out, Rivers sighs a sound that I’ll never forget as long as I live. “She has extensive internal blee-”
“NO,” Noah roars at him through the too small room, his voice sounding like a hammer against my skull. He strides across the room, grabbing Rivers in a heartbeat and slamming him up against the wall. “You don’t get to respond. You don’t get to have a damn fucking thing to do with her after this. She’s on that fucking table because of you. You put her there.”
“Fuck you,” Rivers growls, pushing him back. “If you didn’t try to be a fucking hero and take that job, you would have been there, driving her home yourself.”
Noah slams his fist into Rivers' gut. “Oh, so this is my fucking fault?”
Rivers pushes him back and the two of them crash into the end of my bed. “You could have fucking killed her,” Noah roars. “Both of them.”
Shit. This is more than just a fight. This is as real as it gets. If they’re not careful, they’re going to get hurt and it’s not going to be pretty.
“Don’t you think I know that?” Rivers yells back at him. “You weren’t fucking there. I was the one who pulled her out of that fucking car while she was drowning in her own blood. Do you have any idea what that was like? No. So, don’t stand there telling me what could have fucking happened, because I know too fucking well.”
“Stop,” I yell, throwing the blankets back and storming out of bed, only to get caught on the fucking drip pulling at my wrist. “Both of you fucking idiots. Stop it.”
Naturally, they couldn’t give a shit what I have to say about it.
The door of my room is barged in with my Dad storming towards the boys with about three doctors, a few nurses, and some guy who probably shouldn’t be here.
They instantly start scuffling around, trying to break it up. Dad clocks a shoulder to the face, a doctor gets shoved into a wall, and some old bat gets pushed and tumbles onto my bed before they can manag
e to get it under control.
“Right, you,” Dad says, grabbing Rivers by the scruff of his shirt. I almost want to laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of it. Dad is a big guy, but Rivers still towers over him. “Get the fuck out of here. You can go and wait for Tully with the rest of her family.” Dad practically barges him out of the room and I’m surprised as hell when he doesn’t put up a fight.
“As for you,” Dad says to Noah. “Keep your shit under control. I know you’re stressed about your sister, but this room right here is about the health of my daughter. If you can’t, you can go and fuck off too.”
Noah nods his head and takes a deep breath before dropping down on the chair he had been in earlier, probably with a million thoughts flying through his head, some old, but definitely some new ones too.
“Now, Squish,” Dad says turning to me. “Why the fuck are you out of bed? Get your ass in there so the doctor can look you over.”
I quickly nod and scramble back into bed. Dad hasn’t had to pull out his ‘Dad’ voice in years and honestly, it’s kind of terrifying.
He drops down into the chair beside Noah as he mumbles to himself. “It’s like dealing with a bunch of fucking children.”
With that, the doctor turns to me as a nurse tends to the drip in my wrist which apparently is half out and looking a little like a murder scene with the way I’ve been flailing about. Who would have known?
----------
Observations. Concussion. Unknown dangers. Ok, I fucking get it. I have to stay here longer than I thought, but so far, we’re creeping up to the thirty hour mark and it’s killing me. Don’t get me wrong, I know the medical professionals know what they’re talking about and all that shit, but I just want to be home in bed, watching Netflix while Frog goes ‘round and ‘round in her bowl.
Is that too much to ask?
Tully was in surgery for about four hours and was left in recovery for a few more after that. Noah didn’t want her all the way over there and put up a fuss, insisting she would heal better if she had her friends with her, so here we are, our beds side by side in a squishy room.
Untameable: Haven Falls (Book 3) Page 17
