Once they take my statement, I just wander around to look like I’m busy doing everything that needs to be done. Then when they finish with everything, Marcus marches me over to Karsyn’s vehicle. Instead of jumping for joy about our lives still being lived, Karsyn scrunches his nose as he looks at us.
“You guys are filthy. I don’t want you in my car.”
“We can strip. Would you prefer that?” I say with a wink that’s supposed to be sexy, but somehow I end up just closing both eyes which kind of feels like a mini nap.
“I grabbed some plastic to sit on. I also need you to take me to the store,” Marcus says.
“What?” Karsyn grumbles. “Does this look like a taxi?”
“No because the taxi driver wouldn’t love me,” I say.
“Ew, what? I definitely don’t love you,” Karsyn says, but he gets into the car and starts driving us. And if anything signifies love, it’s allowing two people coated in blood and dirt and other gross things into your vehicle.
After a stop at a grocery store, which I sleep through, Karsyn drops us off at Marcus’s house, since my car is there. Marcus ushers me inside before handing me three Gatorades.
“What am I going to do with all of these?” I ask. “Juggle? I can juggle balls, if you know what I mean, but I’m not sure about these.”
“I’ll open them, do you want me to open them? Will you be mad if I open them?”
“Who gets mad about opening a Gatorade? Wait… what’s going on here? Can I take a shower?” I ask as he opens one.
“Yes! Just don’t pass out, and drink this first,” he says as he opens a second one.
“Dude, I’m going to be pissing blue for a week if you make me drink all of this. I’m fine.”
He takes a deep breath. “I feel awful about biting you, and I should’ve pulled away myself. I shouldn’t have needed you to ask me to.”
“Sometimes, I wonder if you’re all looks and no brains,” I say as I pat his face. “Let me try this in simple terms. You bleed lot. Slow Marcus, slow. Drink blood. Fast Marcus, fast! We live! Yay!”
He screws the lid back on as tight as he can and hands it to me. “Here.”
I start laughing. “No! Now it’s too tight! Open it!”
He reopens it and I head off with a snicker while sipping my blue Gatorade, which might be my favorite kind. Or maybe the fact that Marcus bought it for me makes it even better.
I take my prosthesis off before taking a shower. When I get out, I see that Marcus must have silently put clothes on the countertop for me. I pull them on, even though they hang on me, and head out to see what he’s up to. The first thing I notice are strange smells telling me he’s cooking something. He’s taken his bloody clothes off and is just wearing a pair of shorts, but I notice he’s almost completely healed.
“Um… what… are you cooking?” I ask in worry.
He scrapes it onto a plate and hands me my meal filled with asparagus, kale, and potatoes. “I googled it. It’s stuff you should eat after giving blood to replenish what you lost.”
I have to have the biggest grin on my face at this moment. “This might be the cutest thing anyone’s ever done for me. Don’t get me wrong, it looks disgusting, but it’s very sweet.”
“Why are humans so much work?” he asks as I sit at the table.
“They’re really not,” I say as I take a bite of the potatoes, the only thing on the plate I actually want to eat. I try the other stuff, but without coating them in potatoes, I’m struggling to eat them.
“I’m going to watch you all night to make sure you’re fine—”
“Ooh, kinky. This night is getting better and better,” I say with a grin. Why he thinks I’m just going to keel over, I have no idea. Clearly, I’m talking, walking, and functioning fine. Yeah, I feel a little funny, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.
“Where do you want me to stare at you at? My house or yours?” he asks.
“We can just stay here,” I say. “The night even ends in a sleepover. I’m going to feel you up so damn hard.”
“No.”
“Eat this,” I say as I scoop up a big wad of green grossness and aim it toward his mouth. He willingly eats it before his face scrunches up.
“Who would eat this shit?” he asks in disgust.
“I know, right? That’s why I’m making you eat it.”
“Do you want something else?”
“No, I’m honestly good. The three gallons of Gatorade helped.”
He even gets me a toothbrush out and then takes me to his huge king-sized bed.
I ruffle Artie’s ears. “Our first sleepover together.”
“I’m going to pull a chair up and stare at you all night,” he decides.
“Get in the bed and sleep. You were shot and need to recover. I’m not going to disappear.”
“But your tiny body couldn’t have much blood in it.”
I glare at him before crawling onto the bed and lying right in the middle, sprawled out. “Take me to heaven, McBitey!” I cry.
Artie leaps onto the bed and proceeds to crush my body with his weight.
“Artemus, don’t crush him. He weighs nothing compared to you. Finn, take your leg off too.”
“Eh…”
“Finnigan. Leg off,” he growls.
“Ooh, I like it when you order me around,” I say as I roll to my side and slide under the covers before removing the prosthesis and setting it next to the bed. It’s honestly the first time I’ve removed it in almost a week, besides to shower, but I feel pretty safe with Marcus beside me.
I roll onto my side as Marcus gets into the bed as far from me as he can, like he might catch something if we brush. Artie paws at the covers until Marcus lifts them and the dog zips right under. “That’s so cute, but I can’t reach you. I’d have to roll over the dog to frolic with you.”
“Go to sleep.”
“I’m too excited,” I say with a grin as I hug the dog to me. “Your Gatorade rejuvenated me. Like my mind is blown that this dog is as long as my body.”
“He’s a good boy. Artemus, protect me from the monster in my bed.”
“Monster in your…” I look at him with wide eyes. “I’m the monster? More like incubus, right?” I give him a wink and sink into the warmth, and even though I have huge plans to not spoil the time in bed with him, I feel myself fading off immediately.
Chapter Fourteen
MARCUS
“Where’s Hayes?” Brooks asks as I shut the door behind me.
I look at Brooks who’s sitting behind his desk. “Helping Karsyn with something. He said he’d be in in a minute.”
“He seems to be getting along with Karsyn much better.”
I nod. “He definitely is. Finn has a way of making everyone like him, and I’m not sure why or how.”
Brooks snickers. “He’s a good kid. Come over here for a minute.”
I walk over to his side of the desk and look at what he has up on the screen.