Deviation (A Defined Series Book 1) (5 page)

Chapter Six

Edith

   I feel like someone has taken me and beaten me with whatever blunt object they found, then ran me over with their car. My body hurt, my eyes hurt…god, even my hair hurt. I can tell it is loosely braided and hanging over my shoulder. If I could have slept forever that would have been perfect.

   “Edie! Oh, my god! Is she okay? What happened? I just got the text.” Shelby yells into my room, and I swear her mouth is right up against my sensitive ears, making me groan.

   “Miss Moore, please. Edith hasn’t woken up yet.” I recognize Jack Hamilton’s voice right away. I wonder how I got here.

   “I’d say she’s about to by the look of her heart monitor. Have they given her any pain medication? If it’s the flu, it’s too late for Tamiflu, but they can keep her comfortable.” Good old Aiden is here, too, ready to doctor me up like a lab rat.

   “When did you bring her in? Why didn’t she call us to let us know?” Shelby sounds tearful. I want to reassure her I’m okay, but I feel too tired to respond. I can feel a hand lightly rubbing my arm. In a strange way, it hurts because my skin is so sensitive and achy, but it’s warm and comforting, too.

   “I found her yesterday afternoon alone in her apartment. Her fever was so bad, I brought her here. Dehydration and the flu is the diagnosis. Her phone was dead, and it looked like she hadn’t moved from the couch in a while.”

   Aiden grunts. “So you charged her phone, then texted us.”

   “I figured she’d want familiar faces when she woke up. There’s no next of kin on her school forms.”

   “She wouldn’t want them here anyway,” Shelby snorts. She is right about me not wanting my parents here. I open my eyes and squint. Everyone seems busy making plans about what happens next, ignoring me.

   “So, what’s the plan? I mean, how long will they keep her here?” Aiden asks, putting his arm around Shelby, who is hovering near the end of the bed.

   “If she wakes up a bit and takes in some fluids, they’ll discharge her…provided she has a place to go.”

   “We’ll take her home,” the duo offers. The thought of going to Aiden and Shelby’s new love nest is not on my list of places to recuperate. I’ll be fine in my own home.

   “I don’t think so,” I force myself to croak between labored breaths. I pray my aches and pains will diminish with each forced action.

“Whoa, easy there.” Jack grabs my hand and gently squeezes, while his other holds my shoulder down. I don’t know why he thinks I would attempt to move, as I’m feeling so shitty. It’s also the first time I let myself think of him as Jack and not just Mr. Hamilton.

   “I better find a nurse to check on her,” Shelby nods, leaving the room.

   “You need to rest, Edith. You scared the shit out of me,” Jack brushes my hair off my face. I wince at the touch, not sure if it’s because my hair is gross or if I’m in actual pain.

   “Hurts, huh?” Aiden is checking my pulse.

   “I’m not paying your co-pay fees, Aiden,” I cough the words out.

   “I’m revoking your right to an opinion on any medical matters, Edith. Seriously, just rest and let us figure everything out.” Jack squeezes my hand again and pulls Aiden out into the hallway. I wish I could hear what they are saying, but Jack closes the door. I swear I hear him getting loud in the hallway, but I’m so tired. Maybe I drift off because the next thing I remember is Shelby gently re-braiding my hair.  

   “Oh, hey. You’re awake.” I open my eyes and watch Shelby as she ties off the end of my hair. “Jack went to go make sure you were clear to be discharged soon. Doctor just has to check you over.”

   “Shelby?” I was confused. She is calling Mr. Hamilton Jack now? What transpired in the last twenty-four hours?

   “Aiden had class and a Biology lab this morning, but he said he’d come back later.” Shelby is refusing to look me in the eye, which makes me think that something is definitely up.

   “What’s going on?” I ask her, but then Jack and the doctor walk in.

   “I’ll just wait outside.” Shelby backs away, pushing Jack out with her.

   “Miss Willows, you’ve given your friends quite the scare,” the doctor says, looking over my chart.

   “So I’ve been told.” My voice is still hoarse and a little husky. I watch the doctor flip through my chart and make notes. He listens to my chest and declares me alive, though I might have disagreed with him at this point.

   “It’s not often we get a flu patient in a private room, but no worries. You’ll be on the mend soon. I don’t see why we can’t discharge you today. I’ll give you some scripts for some medication to manage your symptoms.” The doctor nods and quickly leaves. I’m sure that little consultation will be a hefty fee.

   “Private room? What?” I whisper. My mind reels as I notice how the room is much nicer than your standard hospital room. I don’t know how I will pay for all this. There is a reason I lied on my college paperwork to save me on expenses like insurance and other things I’d rarely need.

    Jack returns and sits down on the bed next to me. “Easy, Edith. I see your mind spinning. Everything’s been taken care of.”

   “Where’s Shelby?” I ask nervously.

   “I sent her to Whole Foods to bring back some food, other than Jell-O and high sodium chicken broth.” Jack holds my hand and, although I feel like an eighty-year-old woman with every joint swollen and in pain, a flutter in my belly reminds me that, for eighty, I still have a healthy libido.

   “Edith.”

   “Jack.” We both speak at the same time and I feel my skin blush, which has nothing to do with my fever.

   “Go ahead.” Again we speak at the same time, which frustrates me more.

   “I want you to come home with me.”

   “I
want
to go ho… Wait. What? With
you
?” I’m so confused. I start to wonder what the heck is in these fluids they are pumping into my body.

   “Yes, Edith. With me.”

   “No,” I say flatly.

   “Why not?”

   “Because I want to be in my home. My space. Alone.” He’s not listening and it’s pissing me off.

   “Well…I kind of broke the door to your apartment. You can’t live there without a door.” Jack is annoyed, which is fine because I am far from happy.

   “It’s not my fault you’re destructive,” I pout. I would have crossed my arms if I didn’t think it would have tangled up the IV line in my hand.

   “The doctor says you need help the next few days, and I’m offering. Besides, I can help you study for your exam.”

   “It’s
your
class! Isn’t that kind of like cheating?” I try to sit up, but he gently pushes me back down.

   “I don’t proctor my exams, and they’ve already been written by Professor Roth for the semester. I haven’t reviewed them yet. Besides, you need to learn the basic principles to pass the exam.”

   “You’re going to get fired and you’re going to blame me when it happens.” I try to push him away, but he just grabs me and pulls me closer. His face is against mine and his hot breath heats my already overheated skin. I swear my legs are wet between my thighs, which makes me realize I’m not even wearing underwear at the moment. I squirm under his direct gaze.
Damn.

   “The only thing that’s pissing me off right now is my inability to let you go. What have you done to me?” Jack’s voice is husky. He rubs his nose against my cheek and ear, slowly dipping his head down to my collarbone, nipping it before returning to my cheek. I moan softly at the feelings that make my nipples pucker under the scratchy hospital gown. I close my eyes again and feel his lips against mine, forbidden and soft. When I smell the faint scent of sweet mint, my lips reach out and finally connect with his. His tongue grazes the edge and I open my mouth. He groans in unison with my own feeble sounds.

   Nipping, licking, and sucking, I feel his hands trail down to cup my already aching breasts, fingertips barely touching the peaks. I grab him to kiss him deeper. Holding on like a lifeline, I suck his tongue into my mouth. I instantly realize I’m giving him my germs! I push him away, and he holds his forehead against my sweaty one, breathing heavy.

   “What the fuck was that?” I whisper.

   “The law of probability?” He chuckles and I try punching him, but I’m just too tired to make the effort right now.

   “I’m transmitting my flu germs to you.”

   “Impossible. I’ve had my flu shot. Kiss away, lovely girl. I rather like your sweet tongue in my mouth,” Jack growls and kisses me again, more gently this time, sweeping his tongue inside my mouth, making me crave him more.

Jack

   The doctor finally discharges Edith into my care. He damn well should since I wrote the hospital a check covering all the expenses. Edith doesn’t know it yet and I know it will only be a source of contention, so I decide to omit telling her. Waiting for the hospital bill to never appear is my brilliant thinking.

   “Easy, Karate Kid. You’ve been upright all of an hour,” I say to her. She looks like hell knocked her over and came back for a second swing.

   “Those references only highlight our age difference, you jackass,” she grumbles as I force her to sit down on my couch.

   “It’s only bothering you at this point. I can’t help it if you kids only watch garbage television and overpriced box office slumps.” I can tell she’s trying to not smile. Even weakened by her illness, she still looks beautiful to me.

   “Ugh, I could sleep for another week.”

   I push her messy hair off her face. “How about a shower?”

   “Is that your polite way of telling me I smell?” She cocks her head in my direction, looking ready to pass out.

“Nah, I’d just tell you, but I’m thinking you’ll be more comfortable scrubbed clean and in clean clothes. You can nap while I catch up on work.”

   “Right, because you stayed there with me all night long.” She looks at me and smirks, so I feel the need to instigate her just a little.

   “Although, you do have hospital breath, so maybe I should loan you a toothbrush or something.” Her smirk changes. Maybe I went too far, but it’s fun getting Edith to give me a genuine reaction and not this thing we’ve both been fighting.

   “Jackass! Egotistical, arrogant, jackass!” she yells, picking up the pillow next to her and smacking me with it. I can’t help but laugh when she turns a few different shades of purple when angry. Once I disarm her of the pillow, I pull her down onto the couch and lay on top of her. She puts her hands on my shoulders, and I fit myself between her legs. I grab one and pull it up over my hip so I can rub my length against her hot sweet spot. She fights me for a second before giving in and I kiss her again, showing her how much I really couldn’t care less about her hospital breath.

   Edith lets out a whimper that I think is sexy as hell and I wonder who is teaching whom. I push her arms up over her head and fully cover her body with mine. I hate that we have clothes in between us, and I hate that my couch isn’t big enough to roll her over on top of me. I reach down and push her shirt up. Small breasts meet my hand and I touch her through the thin cotton of her bra. With how little fat is on her body, she probably doesn’t even need one.
I should cook her dinner and fatten her up,
I think. She’s far too skinny right now to be healthy, and I’m sad no one has taken better care of her. It pisses me off her parents are useless and self-absorbed. I aim to change that.

   “Jack, what are we doing?” Her eyes are closed as I skim my lips down her neck and to her chest. I suck her nipple, biting gently and licking it with my tongue. I kneed the other one until her hips buck underneath me.

   “I’m learning you. Learning what you like, learning what gets you mad with desire until your eyes roll into the back of your head. Edith, it’s never been like this for me before.”

   I push farther down, kissing and licking her stomach, making slow circles over her navel, watching her eyelids squeeze shut as she bites her bottom lip. I pull her pants and panties down, pushing them off her legs. I rub my nose all over her, breathing in her scent. I pull her thighs apart until I’ve got her legs over my shoulders and can see her damp curls and pink flesh swollen with need.

   “Jack, I haven’t ever…”

   “Shhh… Let me learn you, baby.”

    I see the glisten of tears at the corner of her eyes, and it breaks my damn heart. As much as I want to go all caveman on her pussy and claim her as mine, I slow it down. The rational side of my brain reminds me that she’s just gotten out of the hospital and, like a pervert, I’ve jumped all over her.

   Taking my fingers, I gently spread her wider, kissing her inner thigh and licking along the rim of her opening. Her legs are shaking. She looks lush and delicious, but not yet ready. I kiss her sweetly and before I can even penetrate her, she starts convulsing in my arms, whimpering and panting. Resting my forehead on her stomach, I put my hand over her heart and feel it beating fast.

   “J-Jack…” She’s crying. I don’t know why and I don’t ask. I should, but I’m feeling overwhelmed. I never had these kinds of feelings with past partners and I feel a nagging sense of guilt.

   “Shhhh, Edith. I know. Me, too.”

   I let my hands roam her body until she stills. I look up and my poor girl has fallen asleep, tears staining her pale cheeks. She’d be mortified to know I was looking so intently at her while she lays so vulnerable on my couch but, damn, who wouldn’t? I pick her up and take her into my bedroom, pulling down the covers of the bed. I strip the rest of her clothing off and tuck her in. I jump in the shower and clean myself up, taking care of business. This may be the longest weekend of my life.