“Yes, ma’am.”
“Thank you, my sweet child.” Her sigh of relief floods my ear, and I can’t help how easily it makes me smile. “I love you, Leonor.”
“Moi aussi.” I hang up my phone, slide it into my pocket, and stare out into the back garden while finishing my smoke, truly appreciating Justine and Pierre for the first time in areallylong time.
If they hadn’t stuck with me through my self-imposed seclusion and reclusive isolation, I wouldn’t even be here.
After too many close calls, Justine makes sure my meds get delivered, and makes sure I go to my appointments by either accompanying me or sending Pierre in her place. She’s the one who helped me get off the painkillers, antipsychotics and daily anxiety meds. Justine still sets up my med box, checks to make sure I take everything I’m supposed to and never run out. She keeps an extra close eye on my sleeping pills and PRNs, and she makes sure I always have the glucose chews and my emergency insulin. And that’s not to mention all the meals she makes and brings over, all the routine things Pierre does around my apartment and for my car.
Justine and Pierre really are fucking saints, and I owe them so much more than I can ever repay, but I’m going to try.
And it starts with eating whatever the hell Mark is cooking right now because it smells amazing.
12
LEONOR
“So, you have to do that every time you eat?” Mark asks from across the island in my kitchen.
I nod as I swallow down my enzyme pill.
This isn’t something I normally do in front of an audience but it’s fine. Especially because I want them here as much as possible, and sometimes I’m a dumbass and forget to take care of myself.
Which is a great bonus feature, the PTSD memory losson topof all the other shit wrong with me.
“Since you guys are going to be around, I need to be real with you about some stuff.”
Lucky’s eyes flash as he shoots Pete and Norm a look, and I know right away it means he already knows some of what I’m going to tell them, and probably some other things I have no intention to spill.
He’s the one person I’m sure Justine has shared every one of my fuck-ups and roadblocks with, solely because he forced her to, so basically Lucky is going to mother me to death.
Who am I kidding? These guys areallgoing to be super intense with staying on top of me, they were before and havemore reason to now. And I won’t lie, I like the idea of them being my protectors again. Hell, I like it even morenowbecause they aren’t going to cockblock me anymore. Not that I need to be thinking about that…
I grin a little as I go into the cupboard under the island and pull out my small pharmacy, and when I start setting shit on the counter, all four of them go wide eyed and I laugh.
“As much as I want to know why you have all that,” Pete says as he motions to the multiple pill bottles while I go back in for my insulin and meter. “Can you explain one thing first?”
“Depends on what it is.” I arch a brow and keep that intense eye contact he likes so much.Wow, I forgot how pretty Pete’s eyes are.
“Smart ass.” Lucky chuckles, successfully pulling me away from a staring contest I was starting to have an inappropriate reaction to.
“Perhaps. But I’m not ready for full disclosure yet. Baby steps fellas, can’t tell you all my secrets now, there’d be no mystery left.”
“I once stood watch while you pissed on the side of the road in broad daylight, in the middle of rush hour traffic because you slammed a gallon of water and couldn’t wait for a rest stop,” Mark deadpans. “You tour with someone three times for no less than four months each, well there isn’t much mystery left after that, Sugar.”
When did Mark’s lips get so full and pouty?
I shake my head—and thelongdormant thoughts rolling around in it—and open my mouth, but don’t get a chance to say anything because Norm starts laughing even before he speaks.
“Or what about the time you were so ripped on ecstasy you climbed on top of our tour bus and started stripping while singingI Want To Break Free,emphasizing the beat with yourfinger guns each time you threw an article of clothing over the side? You were rolling your tits off.”
Ireallylike Norm with scruff on his face.
“Yeah, and my big ass was the one who wound up climbing after her before she got totally naked.” Lucky shakes his head with a deep rumbly chuckle. “You threw your fucking boot at me.”
“I missed though.” I shrug and give him an evil grin.
“Which just proves how fucked up you were. I am not an easy target to miss. Especially that close.”
