Free Crazy Dreams by Dawn Pendleton Page A

was hysterical laughter.
    I fought the urge to roll my eyes again and instead helped him down. He almost toppled me over, but I managed to keep the both of us upright.
    By the time I got him into the apartment and pushed him on the couch, I was exhausted. Once on the couch, Stone curled up and promptly fell asleep. Figuring he would be okay for a minute, I ran to the truck to grab all his paperwork, the prescription I stopped and picked up at the pharmacy on the way home and my purse. He was snoring loudly by the time I got back to the apartment, so I set everything down and went to work cleaning up the kitchen.
    We left in such a rush, there was blood everywhere and food was sitting out. I grabbed some paper towels to clean up the mess and then grabbed some bleach out of the laundry room to get rid of the blood. Once everything was cleaned to my satisfaction, I pulled some strawberries out of the fridge. I was hungry, but I didn’t exactly feel like cooking, so I figured I would have a little snack and maybe later, I would make something for Stone and
me
to eat. That was, if he felt like eating.
    As if he knew I was thinking about him, he groaned from his spot on the couch, calling my name.
    “What’s wrong, Stone?” I asked him, walking around the couch so I could see him.
    “My finger hurts.”
    No shit. “I know, hunny. I’m sorry.” My voice even sounded sincere.
    “Will you kiss it?”
    “No.” I wasn’t about to get close enough to him for him to touch me. I knew he wasn’t truly himself at the moment, and I wasn’t going to risk a kiss. Especially because if he was half as good at kissing as I suspected he was, I wouldn’t be able to pull away from him.
    “You’re mean,” he mumbled before drifting back to sleep.
    “Something like that,” I allowed, forcing myself to go back to my berries.

Fifteen
     
    Stone
     
    I woke up a few times during the night, but mostly, I slept. Every time I opened my eyes, Ember was there with a reassuring smile or kind word. She was keeping me safe, which helped me sleep.
    It seemed off when I woke up the next morning and she wasn’t right there. I wondered if she went to her own room to sleep. My finger hurt like hell, but all that sleep and the pain pills were definitely doing their jobs. I’d always been a fast healer, so long as I got plenty of sleep. And I hated the pills. I wouldn’t be taking any more while I healed up.
    I sat up a little on the couch and didn’t feel completely drugged up for the first time in twelve hours or more. My head hurt, but I expected it to. I got up off the couch, swayed a little and then went to the kitchen to get myself some water and something for my headache. Just as I swallowed the pills, Ember came into the room.
    “What are you doing up?” she asked, her voice all motherly.
    “I was parched,” I admitted. “And I needed some ibuprofen. The pain meds made me feel like shit.”
    “Well, I’m glad you’re feeling a little better,” she commented, walking closer to me. “How’s your finger? I really need to redress it, but I didn’t want to wake you.”
    I held out my hand and Ember gently examined my wrapped finger. “Go ahead and redo it. I’ll just close my eyes.”
    She chuckled. “Yeah, your little problem with blood surprised me.”
    “Don’t tease me about it – I’m sick. You’re supposed to doctor me and make me feel better,” I whined.
    “Whatever. You’re like the worst patient ever.” Her words didn’t match her tone. She was being sarcastic, but the inflection in her voice wasn’t quite so irritated.
    “You like playing doctor. Admit it,” I challenged.
    “Don’t flatter yourself,” she huffed. “I’m just doing what needs to be done. If Dallas
were
here, I’d make him do this.”
    “Liar.”
    Her eyes flew to mine, her pupils dilated.
    “You can’t hide from me,” I informed her.
    “You’re more attentive when the drugs wear off.”
    I laughed. “That’s usually what