Tender (Book 1 - Complete)

Chapter 32 - Jamie

Turns out my foot wasn't nearly as bad as it had looked with blood caked to it. Once cleaned, I realized it was just a small puncture where the glass had pinched my skin. But man did it hurt to walk on.

So, for a week, I was basically bed-ridden. Dillon would come by often and we'd watch movies or play video games. Some nights my mom and I would order in pizza and have movie marathons on the couch. Anyone else, though, I'd avoided completely for one simple reason:

Hygiene.

I couldn't bathe because I couldn't walk, and my mom didn't have the upper body strength to hoist me up and into the bathtub. So, I just sat around rotting. Mom would sponge bathe me every day, but that can only do so much.

By the time my stitches healed and I was given permission to continue on, I nearly kissed my doctor. The laugh that had left my lips in that moment was something resembling a possessed sheep. Not pretty, but I didn't care. I was free.

Apparently, because I did no walking during the first week of my injury, the wound healed quicker. Not like I had a choice. I literally couldn't walk. I guess that turned out to be a blessing though.

Now that I'm healed up, I'm ready for some action. I've been going stir crazy in this place and am dying to get out into the world again. Giving Lynn a call, I silently pray she's not too pissed with me about not calling her over the past week.

"Yo," she answers, and I can hear the strain in her voice like she's struggling with something.

"Hey." I wait for her to hang up on me, but when she doesn't, I continue. "You busy?"

"Nope, not really." She huffs as something shatters in the background. "What's up?"

"Thought we could hang out."

That's when the phone goes quiet. I'm not sure what she's thinking really. Maybe she's more irritated with me than I assumed, or maybe she's distracted. There's no way to know, so I just wait.

"Yeah," she says slowly—unsure. "Okay. I suppose we could."

"You suppose?" I question, curiosity mingling with the humor in my voice.

"Well, you haven't called in over a week," she explains. "And after treating me like dirt at the haunted house, I assumed you never would."

"Treated you like dirt?" I'm confused. Had I actually treated her any differently from the rest of the group?

"You are actually so stupid," she groans, and I hear something slam against the ground on her end of the line.

"Um... okay?"

"Just saying," she tells me flippantly. "If you couldn't see how rude you were to me, then there's something seriously wrong."

I sigh because I think I know where she's going with this. Honestly, I am aware of my actions, but I had a good reason for acting the way I did.

"Can we talk about this in person?"

"Sure," she answers almost begrudgingly.

"Where do you wanna meet?"

"My house," she responds instantly. "You're gonna help me clean the attic."

I start to argue but she's already hung up. With a groan of mild frustration, I throw on a pair of jeans and a baby-blue T-shirt and lock up the house behind me.

Lynn must hear me pull up because I can see her open the front door for me as I make my way toward her house. But instead of waiting for me like a normal person would, she simply pivots on her heels and takes the stairs to the second floor.