A Slave to Love

Chapter 39: Blood and Chocolate

"I can't believe you left me alone in gym," Katie said as we sat down in the cafeteria for lunch. Like Aidan had said, it had gotten absolutely arctic outside, meaning it was way too cold for us to sit and eat under our tree like usual, which meant we were stuck eating lunch in the cafeteria until spring.

"Sorry," I said. I genuinely wished I could have participated, but for the foreseeable future, Mona had effectively put an end to any kind of physical exertions.

"Why'd you leave her alone in gym?" Landon asked. I hadn't yet explained what happened this weekend and was doing my best not to limp around when my friends were watching since they couldn't see the stitches under my sweatpants, the only pants loose enough not to rub against my leg in a way that made me ache and made me queasy when I remembered the fact that Jordan had stitched me up. I had tried to shimmy into my jeans this morning, but my leg had been far too sensitive in the more form fitting fabric and I had immediately cut my losses. It was fine. Sweatpants were comfier anyway.

"I got hurt yesterday," I hedged, "I tripped and fell on a glass table and cut my leg open on some glass. I had to get stitches." I shuddered at the memory and the resounding ache in my leg the reminder brought.

Mick's jaw dropped. "Oh my God! How did that happen?"

"I didn't see the edge of the carpet and it caught me up," I said. A lame excuse as far as lies went, but it was all I had, though I would have loved to--rightfully--throw Mona under the bus and rant about her.

"Does it hurt? How's your leg? Should you be walking?" Landon asked, peeking under the table as if he could see the wound through my sweats.

"Yeah, I just have to take it easy. It doesn't hurt so bad now," I said, not willing to admit just how much it did actually hurt. My leg had sore and stiff and aching when I woke up this morning and I'd severely debated getting up and going to school, but that would be letting Mona win and I had no interest in that at all. I'd had to force myself to ask Jordan about it over breakfast, just because I wanted to make sure it was fine and nothing worse was happening like an infection that would require more needles or painful procedures. But he assured me it was normal and that I'd get used to it soon, and passed me a painkiller to get through the school day.

"Blade took you to the hospital?" Landon asked, squeezing my waist comfortably.

"No, the cook, Jordan, took care of it," I said. Thank God for that, I didn't know how Aidan or Blade would be able to drive because of all the blood. Aidan from getting sick and Blade from wanting to drink it. There was no way he was fine with it, even if he had it under control. Now that I was more clearheaded, I couldn't help wondering how he'd managed it. I mean come on, that one day when he knocked out boy toy he was thirsty and he wanted to drink from me and I wasn't even bleeding. You're going to tell me that my leg was gushing blood in a way that was almost horror movie worthy, and he was fine?

"The cook," Nate echoed. "That guy is lucky. Big house, filthy rich, good looks, hot girlfriend, lives alone...the guy is living the perfect life."

"Hot girlfriend?" I bristled. I already hadn't liked Mona but after this weekend? She was dead to me. "She's a fucking psychopath."

"So?" Mick asked, giving me a weird look, "I'm gay and even I had to admit she was a looker."

"Huh, and here I thought you were looking at Blade...or another certain someone," I said, because if I spent anymore time thinking about or talking about Mona, I was sure to let something slip that I shouldn't. And I just generally wanted to forget about her existence.

His cheeks darkened but he couldn't help his grin. "Guilty. But can you blame me? Aidan was cute and he had that whole surfer boy thing going on."

"That's what I thought when I first met him too."