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I got out of the hospital the next morning. Changed my clothes, hopped into the passenger's seat, and got cleaned up in my steaming shower at home. I had a relaxing evening the day I went home. I read a bit, ate some lunch, and then decided it was time to head back to the hospital. Dallas would be there for at least another four or five days. I wasn't going to wait that long to see him.
They didn't advise against me driving, so I took the car and was there in a matter of ten minutes. Dallas was glad to see me, and I was happy about that because I loved the way he smiled when he saw the door open. His grin was so charming, I wasn't sure how every other girl we went to high school with didn't fall in love with him. Maybe because he never went, but Dallas was notorious around town for his criminal record. You knew who he was, whether you saw him in the hallways of your school or not.
I went to the end of his bedside, and he shuffled around the mattress. He wasn't wearing pants or a hospital gown anytime I visited. All that covered him were the sheets. I cleared my throat and straightened my posture, making sure I got his utmost attention. His deep gaze into my eyes told me I had it.
"Dallas," I started, fiddling with the sheets of the bed, "I know you well. I know you're going to try and fight in the rumble on Friday. Please, you're going to get hurt if you do. You're in bad shape right now."
He clicked his tongue and looked to the ceiling. "I'm fine. Seriously, I could run a damn marathon right now. Keepin' me in here against my will is what they're doing."
"Dallas, I'm going to be completely honest with you." I locked my hands together and licked my lips until I found the right words. "I love the fuck out of you, so if you go to the rumble, I will personally invite myself to fight and kick your ass myself. Then, not only will you be more crippled than you are right now, but you would have gotten your ass kicked by a girl, and that's embarrassing. All I'm saying is I would advise against it."
Dallas stood from the bed, holding the sheets loosely around his waist as he came closer to me. "You love the fuck outta me, huh?"
I swallowed a gulp of air. "Yes." I looked down at him. I wanted every bit of him to be mine. "It scares me."
"I love the mother-fucking shit out of you."
My mouth shaped into a circle before I fell into a fit of laughter. I threw my arms around the back of his neck and rested my head on his shoulder. It was crazy how subtly you could change a person just by getting them to open up a little bit with love. I saw that with Johnny and Dallas in a platonic way, and I admired it. I longed for it even. Affection from somebody who was extremely conservative with how much they handed out.
When I finally received it from Dallas, I felt like I had the world. It was those people that loved the strongest. People like him had the most to give but in the least obvious way. I knew I would have Dallas behind me whenever I would need him. He would have my back, I would have his. That's really how love worked, and with the two of us, a deep understanding and interest in each other, we were inevitably going to have a vehement connection. And we did.
