14
When I arrive at the hospital with an armful of flowers, two men leave Thatcher’s room while I’m on my way down the hall. The badges clipped to their belts tell me they’re police. Detectives? So she’s feeling strong enough to talk. That’s a good sign.
The sight of her banged-up face still takes my breath away, though I try to hide it. “Good morning,” I chirp with a smile, holding up the flowers. “Thought I’d bring you something to brighten up this room.”
She lets out a long breath. “Been worried sick.” It’s still not easy to understand her with the swollen lips, but she’s clearer than last night.
“I should’ve called. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” I leave the flowers on a table across from the bed so she can see them before pulling up a chair. “Everything’s fine now.”
“Fine?”
“It’s a long story.”
She snorts. “What else am I doing?”
Good point. I’ll never have such a captive audience again. “You’re not going to believe it. I wasn’t ever going to tell you, but there’s no way to explain how I got away without telling you about them. The guys.”
“Guys? Plural?”
“Just promise me something, okay? Promise you won’t judge me.”
She reaches out a hand. “Never. Not ever.” And I believe her because she’s the only constant in my life, and she’s never let me down. So even though it’s not easy to break the news, I do it. All at once, like ripping off a Band-Aid. Needing the money—she knew about that part. How I decided to earn it. How genuinely nice the guys are and how they wanted to help me.
How they did eventually help me. So much. This morning could’ve dawned much differently if it hadn’t been for them coming in when they did. I could be in a bed like the one Thatcher’s in now. Maybe worse.
“And that’s it.” I finish with a shrug, feeling weak and shaky but relieved now that it’s over. I told her everything and lived through it. No sudden lightning bolts, no fires of hell, or anything like that.
“Three men,” she whispers, staring at the wall. “Three at once.”
“Yeah. I think you’d like them. And they’d like you—not that way.”
She makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like choking. I jump up from the chair, ready to call out for a nurse. “You? Three men? All at once in a sex club?”
She’s laughing. “You evil bitch,” I whisper while she keeps laughing, harder now. “Making me think you’re having an episode or whatever.”
“Maybe… I am…” She wheezes before laughing again. “Ow, it hurts.”
“Then stop laughing at me, maybe.”
“I can’t help it.” She drags her hands over her cheeks to catch the tears. “You, of all people.”
“You know I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t have to. I needed a way to come up with the money, fast.”
“You were smart, coming up with that idea.” Her lips twitch. “Was it fun? You didn’t mention that part.”
My cheeks go hot, and I can’t fight back a grin. “Yeah. It was fun. A lot of fun.”
“I’m so jealous. But you deserve it after everything. You deserve to be happy.”
Happy. Am I? “I don’t know if I’d take it that far. They’re great, but it doesn’t mean anything more than what it is. We had fun, and they made it so I can leave town and be comfortable. They care a lot more than they need to, for sure. But it’s not anything deeper.”
“Maybe not for you, but you just said it yourself. They care.”
“Because they’re decent.”
“You sure about that? It’s nothing more?”
“What else could it be? I mean, I guess they like… being with me.” I can let all three of them fuck me, but I can’t talk about it without my stomach getting all fluttery and my tongue getting tied.