The Devil's Deal

chapter nine

Penny

My head is still pounding and no amount of water or Advil pills I take is stopping the pain.

At this point, I consider it to be a punishment for how unaware and naïve I was a few nights ago. How stupid I was to wander out into a dark alley by myself and the guilt over Connor getting beat into a coma that has me subconsciously blaming myself for everything that's happened. That guilt has been building steadily all throughout my short stay at the hospital up until now, and I don't think it will be going away anytime soon.

"Hey sleepyhead," A voice sounds from the doorway, I shift on the bed so that I'm facing Brooke who is leaning against the door frame holding a tray with an assortment of different breakfast foods on it.

I push myself up into a seated position and rub the sleep out of my dreary eyes before she sets the tray down onto my lap.

"Hey, thanks for this... really," I say, a small smile pulling at my lips.

Brooke rubs my back, her hand snaking around my shoulder to steal a cube of cantaloupe out of the bowl which she stuffs into her mouth smiling mischievously as she runs out of the room, but not before yelling over her shoulder, "Remember that you promised to come shopping with me later!"

I groan and lean back against the headboard, dragging my hands down my face.

I had totally forgotten. When she asked me last night during our Harry Potter movie marathon, I agreed, without really acknowledging what she had asked. It came out almost like a grunt because I was too focused on what was happening on screen with my favorite characters. We were in the middle of watching my favourite of all the movies, The Goblet of Fire, and she had asked me during one of the best scenes during the final challenge where Harry and Cedric meet up in the maze.

So of course, I was too focused to understand that she had asked me to go shopping with her. That is the last thing I want to be doing right now, I hate shopping, with a passion, but if it will make Brooke happy then I'd do it for her.

She has been my rock these past few days after what happened at The Den, even with my nightmares she's let me stay with her each night, soothing me after I've been pulled from sleep screaming uncontrollably. Even when I run to the bathroom clutching my stomach vomiting up my last night's meal into the toilet, she's been right there next to me holding my hair up, rubbing slow circles against my upper back.

There is no way I can repay her for how much of a support system she's been to me, so to make up for some of the trouble I've caused her, I agreed to go along with one of her favourite pass times.

I consider my meal sitting in front of me and my mouth begins to water as I spot the bacon strips alongside some different piles of fruit and banana pancakes. She really does know the way to a girl's heart.

-

"Okay babes, what about this one?" Brooke calls from the dressing room as she comes out in her outfit.

My jaw drops open wide as I take in what she has on, her skin is thoroughly exposed in a black chiffon two-piece set consisting of a cropped halter top that is tight-fitting and opaque in the breast section but completely see-through as it continues down her abdomen, stopping just above her midriff. The matching skirt makes my eyes bulge out of their sockets, it's stunningly fitted to her curves, hugging her all the way up to just above her belly button, the fabric is a glittering black that shines in the bright spotlights that shine down on us in the room.

"Oh My God," Marlee exclaims from beside me, "You look hot... Like hot, hot."

Like me her mouth is open wide, her eyes mirroring mine.