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.”Alex lets out a deep laugh.“Eric…” There’s a warning in Calvin’s voice where he stands with a finger pointed at me, his newly dyed green hair heavily styled around his face.“Sorry!” I say, my smile breaking through.“I’m sorry.I’m just messing with you.I really am grateful.”“Thanks to you, too,” I say to Alex, “for everything.”“Any time.” He cups my face and strokes his thumb over my bruised cheek.The gesture creates a prickling sensation in my nose, and I swallow to hold back my tears.His touch feels so good.Terry steps up behind Calvin and shoots me a wink.God, I’ve been so horrible to Terry.I’m so in love with Alex that it hurts just to be in the same room with him, but I know now that I can’t ruin things for Terry by trying to steal Alex away.I’ll just have to suck it up and keep my hands to myself, which should be easy with one of them in a cast.Plus, never in my life have I been this unattractive.I don’t even know how to act when I’m this ugly.“You can move about the house today,” says Alex, “but with help, because you’re still on some heavy medication.I have to run by the office to get some files, but I’ll be back shortly.”I adjust myself, wincing because my ribs hurt like hell.A waft of heavy smell of sweat hits my nose.“Can I take a shower?” I ask, hoping that Alex was too far away to get a whiff.I’d die if he did.This type of sweat isn’t sexy; it’s just nasty.“Sure, I’ll help you when I get back,” says Alex.No way in hell! He’s gonna smell me for sure.Plus, I don’t want him to see my naked body.Not only because it’s horribly bruised, but I also get this weird shy feeling at the thought.“Okay…” says Alex.I didn’t know I’d been shaking my head.“Terry?”“No,” I mumble and shoot a quick glance at Terry.It’s not that I think Terry touching my naked body will end up in sex, it’s more that I don’t want the man who’s been touching Alex to touch me.It’ll end up with me thinking about a naked Alex and give me a boner.In fact, I’m sprouting one right now.“Oh come on, I’ve seen your bare ass dozens of times,” says Terry from the doorway, hands folded over his chest.Shut the hell up, you ass.I don’t want Alex to hear about my past sex life.Alex always gets this look in his eyes when my sex life is brought up, just like now.“How about Benji?” says Calvin.“He’s coming by pretty soon to cook.He’s also been a great little nurse.”“Okay,” I mumble.Benji’s never seen me naked, but he did see me in a Speedo by a pool at Calvin’s parents’ house that one time.That’s almost the same thing.I also don’t have a lot of attraction for Benji because a) he was already Rick’s before I joined the group, b) his body build isn’t my type, and c) he’s so not an alpha.He doesn’t fantasize about me for the same reasons.But Alex is right: there’s no way I can walk on my own.I didn’t really feel so woozy while I was sitting, but as soon as I slide down the high bed and land on my feet, I end up sprawled on the floor.Benji helps me up the best he can without touching my injuries or bruises, but he pokes at least five sore spots.I’m not a big man when it comes to pain, so I yelp each time and make him burst out in super-fast chatter.Since I’m only wearing a shirt to ease the peeing process, I get a good look at my heavily bruised feet when we walk past the floor-length mirror.Some are already fading, but I still look like one of Jazz’s abstract paintings.“Stand still, I need to get this off,” says Benji, easily slipping the buttons of my shirt through the holes.“Are we having sex?” I ask.“Because I can undress myself.” Benji shoots me a glare.“No you can’t.I need to remove the bandage.Besides, there’s no way I’d have sex with you stinking like that.”He pushes the shirt open to reveal a white square sticking to my fair skin, leaving the bottom half of the shirt buttoned to obscure my privates.His fingers trace a corner of the bandage and pluck up a tiny bit.“How are you gonna–argh!”Benji stops his slow pulling and goes pale.I bend over and the pain in my ribs nearly cracks my skull open, resulting in more screaming.“Sorry! God, I’m so sorry! There’s gotta be something – maybe hot water or alcohol.Grandma always used alcohol to get out stains when mom hadn’t already stolen the booze.Maybe turpentine or.vinegar! Maybe vinegar would –”“Benji, relax,” I call through his nervous chattering.“I’m okay,” I pant between the stings.“Just rip it off quickly.” “But it’ll hurt!” he says, wide blue eyes staring at me.I nod, already dreading the pain.“Yeah it’ll hurt, but peeling it off will hurt more.Just one quick yank.”“Okay, okay.” Wetting his lips he grabs the dangling corner of the bandage.He pulls slightly, tugging on a couple of hairs.“Argh! Just, just give me a sec,” I say, taking a deep breath.“Here, let me,” says Terry from behind, making me jump so I have to clutch my ribs again.Fuck, it hurts.Strong fingers grab the bandage and rip it off in one smooth swipe.I bite my lip to hold in the scream.Oddly though, after a row of stings and tingles, it didn’t really hurt so much.Nowhere near as much as Benji’s slow torture.Looking up at Terry, I wonder if he enjoyed that.He kinda looks like he did with his satisfied smirk, but then Terry’s into BDSM.“Hmm, maybe we should use wax next time we have sex,” says Terry with an eye-brow wag.What the hell? Are Alex and Terry on a break or something? I don’t even get time to process that because Benji starts chattering again.“Your cast – you need to tape it, but then we’ll have to get it off and rip out some more hair.But we need to do it; the doctor said so.”Terry helps him with the plastic bag while Benji wraps half of a roll of tape around it, trying to leave my skin out of it.Then Benji helps me to the bathroom.“Call me if you drop the soap,” Benji says after he’s gotten me into the shower.“You’re not supposed to bend over because of your ribs.”Like I’m gonna drop a bottle of liquid soap.I let the water soothe my hot skin for a few minutes before I manage to shampoo my hair with one hand [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]