Page 71 of Sweet Pea
Sweet Pea
I was no stranger to pain. My childhood was filled with it. Despite my cool exterior, pain burned inside me as fuel. It wasn’t the cleanest energy source, but it got the job done and was in abundant supply.
I’d laid awake in darkness for the third night in a row, the medication dispenser button gripped tight in my sweaty hand, as I counted down the seconds until I’d be able to self-administer the next dose. As great as the pain was throughout my body, it couldn’t rival the sorrow I felt in my heart. I prayed the meds would help dull both.
The timer on the medication pump beeped only once before my thumb pressed down on the button, providing the much-needed cocktail to course through my broken body. My physical pain subsided greatly, and my eyelids became heavy. As I drifted into twilight, I became more and more aware of the hum of the machinery surrounding my bed. My body began to feel weightless as if it wanted to rise out of my bed, while dark thoughts kept my mind anchored to the earth.
* * *
Callie
Two weeks, three days, and four hours. That’s how long it had been since Sweet Pea dumped me on my ass and how long I’d felt like my heart was disintegrating.
God! This was so stupid. I wasn’t some high school girl whose boyfriend had been caught behind the bleachers with a cheerleader. But, why did I feel like that?
Because he was the best lay you’ve ever had.
It was more than that, though.
The big dumb Viking had gotten under my skin, and I was pretty sure I’d gotten under his, too. But he was freaked, and I didn’t exactly understand how deep that fear went.
The ringing of my office phone dragged me out of my maudlin thoughts, and I picked it up. “Callie Ames.”
“Hey, Callie, it’s Cowboy.”
“Hey, Cowboy, how are you?”
“I’m just reachin’ out to see if you need anything.”
Cowboy and I had only one brief email exchange since our introduction, so I was a bit surprised and confused by his call.
“I’m good as far as I know,” I replied.
“Glad to hear you’re holding up,” he said. “And how’s the patient?”
Now I was really confused. “The patient?”
