Thursday (Timeless Series #4) (10 page)

My parents walked out and stood in the hallway.

Axel walked around my bed until he was on the other side, giving the doctor plenty of room. He pulled up a chair then grabbed my hand. “I won’t get in your way.”

The doctor eyed him as he adjusted his gloves. He obviously didn’t see him as a problem because he returned to his work and ignored him.

Axel interlocked our fingers together and kept his eyes on me. “It’ll be okay.”

I felt his warm fingers in mine. His hand was much bigger than mine, and feeling his touch was comforting. Just a moment ago I was worried about the procedure but now it was barely in the back of my mind. “I’m not scared.” I noticed the dryness of his skin and the way his veins popped out on his hands. His forearms were full of definition, every muscle highlighted like it was chiseled out.

“I’m going to begin.” The doctor grabbed my hand with his then placed his other hand on my elbow.

“Look at me.” Axel rested his other hand on my elbow, his fingers comforting.

I stared at him and tried to ignore what the doctor was doing.

“What did you do today?”

“I had class.” I looked into his blue eyes and noted how different they were from Francesca’s. Hers were green like moss while his were brighter than the tropical ocean.

“Did you get Francesca’s homework?”

“Yeah. She has a lot of it.”

“Great…” He gave me a smile.

I loved that smile
.

The doctor twisted something, and that made me cry out.

Axel squeezed my hand. “Don’t look.”

Why didn’t he want me to look?

“What did you do over the weekend?”

The pain was excruciating. The doctor twisted my arm in unnatural ways, and the image in my head was sickening. “Nothing. Just stayed home.”

“Hawke took me to a bar downtown. The city was pretty cool.”

There was a final snap and the pain was enough to make me throw up.

“It’s in,” the doctor said.

Within seconds the pain started to ebb away but it never fully disappeared. My arm was returned to the sling and the doctor removed his gloves.

“It’s all done.” Axel kept his hand in mine. “The hard part is over.”

“It’ll take a few weeks for it to get better,” the doctor said. “You can go home in the morning.”

“Thank you…” Or was I really thankful after the way he bent my arm like origami?

He walked out and shut the door behind him.

Axel never pulled his hand away. “It looks like I’ll be taking care of both of you now.” He chuckled slightly.

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “I have my other arm.”

“You can’t drive,” he reminded me. “You definitely can’t work.”

“Shit…” I didn’t even think of that. Without work I wouldn’t be able to pay my bills. My parents would help me if I asked for it but I didn’t want to resort to that.

“I’ve got you covered. Don’t worry about it.”

“I can’t take your money.” It was one thing to let him pay for Francesca’s expenses but I wasn’t letting him pay for mine too. I’d figure something out.

“You aren’t taking it. I’m giving it to you.”

“No.” I could be stubborn just like Francesca. “You’ve said several times you don’t get paid much.”

“For the amount of work I do, no. But I do just fine.”

“You have your own rent.”

“You’ve seen my place. It’s a hole in the wall and it’s dirt cheap.” Mentioning his apartment, the place where we hooked up, made him shut his mouth and fall silent. That night was just a fun evening but now we both seemed to regret it. A part of me wished it never happened, and I think he felt the same way too. “Marie, I really don’t mind.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

“I’d never take your money.” The look in his eyes showed the truth of that statement. “Right now, you shouldn’t stress out. I’m helping you and that’s the end of the story.” The determination was still in his eyes, glowing bright.

The door opened, and instead of seeing my parents walk back into the room I saw Francesca. I did a double take because I almost couldn’t believe she was there. Her hair was a mess like it always was, and her clothes looked several days old. But there was emotion in her face. Her eyes crinkled with a different kind of sadness. “Marie…” She rushed to my bedside and grabbed my hand. “I just got your mom’s voicemail.”

Axel quickly pulled his hand away, ending our affection.

I felt cold the moment he was gone.

Francesca eyed my shoulder then stared at the bruises all over my face. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

I squeezed her fingers. “I’ll be alright. Just a few scrapes and bruises.”

She squeezed my hand before she wiped her tears away with the back of her forearm. “I love you…”

“I love you too.” She hugged me, making sure she didn’t touch my injured shoulder, and held me there, like she needed it more than I did.

I held onto my best friend, seeing her for the first time in over a month. All she’d been was a zombie around the house. Her true self was gone, somewhere I couldn’t follow. But now she was here—she was back.

Recovery

Marie

It was good to be home.

The hospital bed wasn’t very comfortable, and the constant beeping of the monitor made it difficult for me to sleep. I hadn’t sat in one of the chairs but I knew they were uncomfortable for everyone.

I got settled on the couch, my arm still in a sling. I could still do things on my own but only having one arm made it difficult. I didn’t realize how much I took my health for granted until that moment.

Francesca was still in her funk but she came out of her shell slightly. “Are you hungry? Can I make you anything?”

“No, I’m okay.” I grabbed my tablet and downloaded a book. “I’m just going to read.”

Francesca sat beside me on the couch. “Is there anything else you need? A blanket?”

“I’m not helpless. I can get it myself.”

She still seemed worried.

“Really, I’m fine.”

She leaned against the couch and pulled her knees to her chest. Her eyes glazed over again, like she was slipping back into her depression. The only thing strong enough to pull her back out was my injury.

Someone knocked on the door and made us both turn to the entryway.

“It’s probably Axel.” Francesca got off the couch, her jeans practically falling off her body, and headed to the door. When she opened it, it was clear it wasn’t him. “Hey, what brings you here?”

“Is Marie around?” Cade’s voice came to my ears.

“Yeah, she’s on the couch.” Francesca walked into her bedroom and shut the door.

I’d totally forgotten about Cade. He didn’t know about the accident or my hospital visit. How could I forget to tell him?

Cade came to the couch. “Francesca looks…different.” That was his nice way of saying she looked absolutely terrible. He stopped when he realized my arm was in a sling and I was beat up. “Whoa, what the hell happened?” He sat beside me and eyed my injuries.

“I got into an accident. No one else was hurt.”

“Damn, you broke your arm?”

“My shoulder came out of place. They put it back in the socket and now everything is fine.” I grabbed my prescription and shook it, hearing the pills rattle inside. “But I got some Vicodin.”

“Holy shit. You’re okay, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. My arm will be in a sling for a few weeks, but after that it should be back to normal.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Everything happened so fast…it just slipped my mind.”

He didn’t seem angry, just concerned. “I’m glad you’re okay. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“No. I have Francesca and Axel.”

He nodded. “Well, you can call me for anything.”

“I know, Cade.” He sat beside me on the couch and turned on the TV. “I guess all I can do is keep you company.”

“Yeah…it’s better than nothing.” Now that we sat side-by-side together I didn’t feel the attraction I once felt before. If anything, he seemed like a friend. Cade was a nice guy with great looks, but I just didn’t feel anything anymore.

And I couldn’t figure out why.

***

Axel walked inside in his office clothes. “Ready for school?”

“You really don’t need to take me.” I placed my bag over my good shoulder.

“I don’t mind. You really shouldn’t drive with one hand anyway.”

“Lots of people do it.”

“Yeah, but they shouldn’t.” He guided me to his car and opened the door for me. Once we were inside he drove to the campus. “Francesca didn’t offer?”

“She did but I don’t trust her to drive right now.”

“That’s probably best.”

“Besides, she’s slowly crawled back into her hole. I thought my accident might keep her out of it for a while but it didn’t last very long.”

“At least she crawled out of it to begin with.”

“I guess…”

He grabbed a Starbucks coffee from the cup holder. “It’s medium roast with soy milk. I know it’s not exactly what you drink but it was the best I could do.”

I stared at it and tried to keep the emotion from seeping into my face. He did thoughtful things without me even asking. He paid attention to the things I liked and disliked. Axel had always been innately selfish but I was realizing just how wrong I was. When it mattered most, he was there. “Thank you. That was sweet of you…” I took a sip.

“I know I’m grouchy without my morning coffee.”

“I’ve never seen you grouchy.”

He chuckled. “Ask Francesca. She’ll tell you.” He parked as close as he could to my first class. “Need any help? I can walk you.”

“I’m not handicapped.” It was sweet Axel and Francesca were concerned but I still had two legs and one arm. I could get by just fine. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Anytime. I’ll see you at three.”

“I can just take an UBER.”

“Or you can get a free ride from a dashing guy like me.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

I chuckled and felt my cheeks tint. “You make a compelling argument.”

“Then I’ll see you at three.”

“Okay.” I opened the door but didn’t get out. I felt like I was missing something, forgetting to do something important. My body automatically wanted to lean in and give him a kiss goodbye, something I’ve never done before. I wasn’t even sure where the urge came from. “Bye.”

***

Axel took me home then started dinner in the kitchen.

I almost couldn’t believe the sight. “You know how to cook?”

“A few things. Francesca taught me.” He cooked the steak on the grill and warmed up the tortillas in the microwave. “My mom used to make tacos at least once a week. It was my favorite.”

Francesca made tacos all the time, and now I knew why. “Well, thanks. Can I help?”

“No. Just chill.”

“Chill?” I couldn’t help but make a face.

“Yes. Chill.” He gave me a playful look before he returned his attention to the stove.

I felt the pain in my arm begin to throb. It’d been four hours since my last pill and I needed another one. I was trying to take as few as possible because substance drugs could get addicting. But the pain was too unbearable and I caved. I swallowed a fat pill with a bottle of water.

Axel noticed my movements. “Still having pain?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Give it more time. It’ll be gone before you know it.”

“I hope so.” I glanced at the hallway and wondered if I should even bother trying to get Francesca to have dinner with us.

“Don’t worry about her.” Axel didn’t look at me but he seemed to know what I was thinking. “I’ll handle it.”

“Don’t you feel like she’s our child?”

He chuckled. “I’ve always felt like she was a child.”

“It makes me never want to have kids.”

“I know what you mean. Too much work.” He turned off the stove then prepared the food in the dishes. “Dude, I’m so hungry.”

“Dude?”

“Sorry, you know what I mean.” He set everything down on the table then prepared two tacos for me, sliding the plate in front of me. “I’ll round up the little terror.” He walked down the hallway and knocked on her bedroom door. “Dinnertime.”

“I’m not hungry…”

I rolled my eyes and stared at my food.

“I don’t give a shit,” Axel snapped. “Get in here and eat like a big girl.”

“Go away…”

“I’m sorry you’re going through a hard time but you’re totally pathetic. What would Mom think if she saw you like this? You remind me of Dad. Good thing there’s not a loaded pistol in there.” He slammed the door so hard the house shook.

I stared at my food in shock, surprised Axel snapped like that.

He came back to the table and fell into the chair, his shoulders tense.

I stared at him, speechless.

He started to eat like nothing happened.

Since he was in a bad mood I kept my head down and remained silent.

Axel ate with his elbows on the table, too angry to practice his usual manners. “I’m sorry but I’m sick of her shit. When I saw Hawke I lied and said she was fine. She’s back at school and work like nothing happened. She’s been moping around the house for over a month now just because he’s gone. She was just as pissed with our father as I was, but yet she’s doing the exact same thing. She needs to have some pride, for the love of god.”

I ate quietly because I wasn’t sure if I should say anything. Axel was upset for more than one reason.

“When our parents died, you know what I did?” He stopped eating and stared out the window. “I got off my ass and lived my life. I didn’t just stop because they were gone.”

“And neither did Francesca.” She was heartbroken over what happened but she kept going. She went to school and took care of herself. After her parents left she wasn’t the same but she was still strong. Maybe he needed to be reminded of that.

“Well, this is different. She’s acting this way over a boyfriend. It’s pathetic.”

“We don’t understand what she’s feeling.” I didn’t think Francesca should stop living her life just because Hawke was gone, but I knew breakups had an impact on brain chemistry. It was just as real as any physical pain.

“If I got dumped I would get over it.” He drank his beer, his eyes still glued to the window.

“I understand why you’re frustrated. I feel the same way. But insulting her isn’t going to get her out of bed quicker.” There were other ways to go about it. Telling her she was pathetic wasn’t one of them.

He picked up his taco again and took a few bites.

“She’ll get better in her own time. We just have to be patient.”

He shook his head in disappointment. “When I’m on my deathbed she better be there to wipe my ass.”

There wasn’t any doubt in my mind she would be—whether he was there for her or not.

***

Cade texted me.
Hey, Beautiful. Can I take you out for a drink?

I hadn’t been thinking about him much. And that made me feel guilty. We weren’t anything serious. In fact, we only went on one date—which didn’t end well. But now I was beginning to think I was wasting his time.
Yeah. But I can’t drink because of my medication.

Then can I take you out for a cold glass of water?

I chuckled to myself.
Yeah. That sounds nice.

Alright. You’ll be ready in an hour?

I’m ready now.

Even better.

I did my hair the best I could with one arm and changed into something more appropriate for a date. I could have just told him we were done over a text message but I thought that would be cold. We could go out and have a good time and I would tell him how I felt at the end of the night. I wanted to be friends with him, and ending on good terms was essential for that.

He picked me up an hour later and we left for a small café downtown. It was better than any bar because it was quaint and small. He told me about school and his job for the county. Then he asked me about my arm.

“It’s getting better. But I’m still having some pain.”

“Did the driver’s insurance cover everything?”

“Yeah. My car is totaled so the insurance company is giving me the value to replace it.”

“Well, that’s something to be thankful for. How have you been getting around?”

Saying his name made me uncomfortable, like I was hiding something. I fidgeted with my hair, feeling nervous for no particular reason. “Axel has been taking me around…”

Cade finished his sandwich. “Sounds like a nice guy. That’s Francesca’s brother?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, he seems pretty cool.”

He was the coolest person I knew
. “He’s very thoughtful.”

He drank his water then eyed mine. “Nice water, huh?”

I chuckled. “Best water I’ve ever had on a date.”

“That’s what I’m talking about.” His basket was empty of the sandwich and chips he devoured.

Now that we reached the end of the meal I knew it was time to tell him the truth. He really was a nice guy so I felt bad for letting him go. But it didn’t seem like he was really into me anyway so it should be okay. “Cade, you’re a really nice guy and I like you but…I think we should just be friends.”

“Just friends?” He wiped his mouth with a napkin and regarded me with complete bewilderment. “Why?”

“I just…I guess I don’t feel a real connection between us. It’s not you. I just don’t want to lead you on.”

“Well, we haven’t really had a chance. Our first date wasn’t that great because I screwed it up, but I promise nothing like that would ever happen again. Come on, give me a try.”

Axel’s face kept popping up in my mind and I wish it would stop. “I don’t think I’m going to change my mind. It’s either there or it’s not…”

Cade looked disappointed as he stared at the table between us.

“I hope we can still be friends.”

“Of course we can be friends.” Cade looked up at me again. “I just wish you would give me another chance. With Francesca being sick and your car accident we haven’t really had much of a chance to get things going.”