Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Einar interrupts my thoughts with another question.
“Of course I don’t.”
“Alright, tell me what happened.”
“I got the bike out and I went for a ride and I crashed into a bush. Not really much to say,” I say, admitting everything because nothing matters anyway.
“You rode recklessly and hurt yourself, and you did that somewhere between getting caned and now. Do I need to ask if you had help, or can I assume Kirin helped you cover this up?”
“I’m not telling on anybody,” I say.
He drops a kiss on my forehead. It’s unexpectedly sweet. I don’t know how to read this man. Sometimes he is sweet and other times he is so fucking mean. I can’t start to read or understand him.
Einar
The doctor comes in and does his tests and things. Darcy is actually quite well behaved for the whole procedure, which surprises me. Her words are still echoing in my ears. Being accused of abandoning her rankles. I didn’t know her. She was just a random kid, and there were others far more qualified to look after her than I was.
Then I think about what it must have been like growing up in the academy with nobody really taking a true interest in her. The director is an admirable woman, but she clearly did not provide any extra attention to Darcy. My mate had been raised in an institution, and I could have done something about it.
“Mr. Bitten?” The doctor pulls me from my reverie.
“Yes?”
“Scans and blood indicate no serious internal damage. She should feel better in the next few days, once the bruising subsides. Maybe keep her off the road. I’ve given her some pain relief that will make her somewhat sleepy. I’d put her to bed for the rest of the day.”
“I feel good,” Darcy grins. “Really good.”
I do just that. I take her home and put her to bed. The meds the doc gave her seem to kick in pretty quickly, so she has less to say for herself than usual, at least for the first part of the drive home. Once she gets into the house, it’s like a switch has been flipped as I help her up the stairs.
“I hate the uniform. It doesn’t fit and it feels bad.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell her.
“I hate the academy. I want to be a delivery driver.”
“Mhm. I know.”
“I am a good delivery driver,” she mumbles. “I was really, really good at deliveries. I did things nobody else would and I got the packages where we, where they needed to be. You should let me be a delivery driver. I miss Jory.”
“Who is Jory?”
“Used to be my friend, but now he’s getting married and he can’t be my friend because I’m a bad influence.”
“Are you now.”
“Yes. I can’t be around decent people, or good people. That’s why I should be a delivery driver. D2G doesn’t care if I’m a good people.”
She’s slurring her words, and mixing some up, but her meaning is clear. She’s a sad girl and she doesn’t think she’s capable of being good. I wish she had any comprehension of how incredible she really is. Now is not the time to tell her, though, mostly because I don’t think she’s going to remember any of it.
Once we’re upstairs, I help her get her clothes off and put her into bed.
“You’re tucking me in,” she mumbles.
“Yes, I am,” I say as I settle the comforter where it needs to be.
“I’ve never been tucked in before. Maybe once, when I slept at Jory’s house years and years ago. His mom tucked us both in. That was the one time. She’s dead now.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“She was a nice lady. You’re a nice…” She peers up at me. “You’re growing a beard.”
“Mhm. And you’re going to sleep. I’ll see you when you wake up.” I drop a kiss on her forehead and go turn the light out.
“Wait, Einar.”
“Yes?”
I turn back to see what else she has to say, but she’s already asleep.
Rafe gives me a surprised look as he enters the room. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at school?” He slings himself into an armchair nearby and gives me an inquisitive smile.
“I had to bring Darcy home because she was injured in a motorcycle accident that nobody told me about.”
Just as I say that, Kirin walks into the room. He hears the words ‘motorcycle accident,’ shakes his head no, and spins on his heel to leave.
“You should stay, Kirin,” I say. “There’s a lot we all need to talk about.”
He gives me a look, folds his arms over his chest, and leans against the door frame. Good place to be if you plan to make a quick escape.
“We drilled pretty hard today,” I say. “A lot of sparring. Darcy was slower than usual. Turns out, she was in an accident last night. An accident nobody reported to me, or got her medical care for.”