Katie chuckled. “Truer words have never been spoken.”
“Can I have a few minutes?” Gio asked from the doorway.
“I don’t know,” Katie sassed. “Canyou?”
“It’s fine, Katie,” I said.
She wagged a finger at him as she passed. “Don’t be a dick.”
Gio limped inside and closed the door.
“Get off that leg,” I demanded, sliding off the mattress, and pointing to the chair.
He made his way to the chair and practically fell into it.
“How bad’s the pain?” I asked.
“I’m not here to talk about that.”
“How bad, Gio?”
“Using medical terms? About a twelve.”
“Shit,” I hissed. “Do you have anything left?”
“Yeah, I have a few Vicodin left over.”
“Did you take one?”
He shook his head.
“Why not?”
“Because I was ridin’.”
“Idiot,” I snapped. “Are they here?”
“Yeah. Upstairs. Cabinet above the dishwasher.”
“Don’t move,” I ordered, and rushed upstairs to grab his painkillers, returning quickly with them and some water. I thrust the pill at him. “Take it.”
He did, setting the water on the bureau next to him. “You doin’ okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Are you going to talk to me about all of this?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “It’s a lot to process. I’m working it out.”
“You understand we’re trying to end this right? Jesus, woman, you don’t convict a coroner for murder just because he called the time of death.”
“Gio, just over two months ago, I was a girl living her life, trying her best to cope with what happened to her and now I’m in someone’s basement because I happened to fall in love with the one person I swore I’d never have anything to do with. You need to give me some time to wrap my mind around that.”
He grinned. “Love you too, baby.”
“Stop it.”
He leaned forward, settling his elbows on his knees. “You feel alive?”
