Free Lasting Damage by Isabelle Aren Page B

raced.  
    “Why?”
Lily draped an arm over the edge of the couch and rolled her eyes in dramatic
fashion.
    “Because,
you have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    “Really?”
Lily scoffed. “I have no idea why you do the things you do?”
    “Whoa,
bitch fight in process.” Alice announced before taking a long drag off the joint
and offering it to Jane.
    “I’m
good,” she said, waving it away. “Which one of you has something that will
knock me out for a few hours?”
    “It’s
probably just as well that you’re ending things with her,” Alice grabbed a
large bottle of pills from her purse and tossed it at her. “That chick is used
to dating hot models and actresses. You’re kind of a downgrade.”
    Jane
turned the bottle over in her hand. She was stuck between saying something
equally as mean to Alice and taking the high road. She decided it was best if
she stuck to the familiar ground in between. “I am aware of my physical
shortcomings. You don't have to point them out every time you breeze into
town.”
    “And
speaking of breezing into town,” Lily began. “Why are you here?”
    “That’s
between me and my therapist.” Alice answered with a curt shake of her filthy
head.
    “I
see you and your therapist haven’t been working on your hygiene problems.” Jane
popped the top off the bottle, shook three codeine tablets out into her hand
and hesitated. She wasn’t the biggest fan of this particular drug, she always
regretted taking it since it never did much more than make her skin feel hot
and give her weird dreams of furry animals all night long. “Do you have any
valium?”
    “How
many do you need?” Alice asked and started pawing through her purse again.
    “How
many can you spare?” Jane leaned back and closed her eyes. There wasn’t one
good reason she should be this upset. She’d had a few flirtatious moments and a
brunch date. People did it every day and survived.
    “Why
don’t you just open the pharmacy so we can all have a look?” Lily asked as she
stubbed out the joint and tossed it into the small metal box on the coffee
table where she kept her discarded roaches.
    “Okay.”
Alice laughed, flipped the bag upside down and let the contents spill out all
over the coffee table. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”
    “Score!”
Lily laughed as she started picking up bottles and placing them on the coffee
table in a tidy row. “I love it when Bad Alice comes to town. You’re stocked
better than the local Walgreens.”
    “Jesus,
how much doctor shopping you doing?” Jane peered down the table and tried to
work up some enthusiasm for glorious stash but it was a wasted effort. She was
too emotionally conflicted to appreciate Alice’s hoard.
    “Less
than Rush Limbaugh.” Alice she picked up a bottle, read the label, and
carefully placed it back in line.
    “Just
promise me you won't get cornered by the cop in a hotel room with seven  hookers
and a forged prescription for Viagra.” Lily chuckled. “I’ll bail you out but
I’m not dealing with your mother.”
    “I
make no promises.”Alice held up a small bottle filled with wafer thin pills and
shook it. “And who knows? Maybe if I get arrested Jane will finally get to meet
Rachel Maddow and profess her undying love.”
    “You're
gonna be the death of me, you know that?” Jane replied.
    Alice
wrapped her hand around another bottle and grinned. “You're not the first
person to tell me that,” she sighed dramatically and she tossed the bottle into
Jane’s lap. “There you go.”
    “Thanks.”
Jane popped the top and shook two pills out into her hand.
    “Got
a nasty headache?”
    “Working
on it.” Jane lied. It seemed easier than admitting how fragile she felt at the
moment. “Why don't you use the shower?”
    “Is
it me?”
    “If
you’re talking about the smell, then the answer is most definitely ‘yes’?” Lily
announced as she snatched her own bottle.
    “I
meant the headache.” Alice placed her hands