10
Anna’s hushed words at my bedside may as well have been yelled at point blank range in my ear as I palm the hot foam cup full of coffee between my palms.
Sighing, I bring my fingertips to my forehead, pressing down where the migraine is brewing the strongest.
“David stayed here all night?” I ask, both surprised and confused as I sink back into the firm cushion of my hospital bed. Aside from the migraine, I woke this morning with a mild hangover thanks to the drip, and no recollection of last night’s events past dancing with a cute stranger, who Anna has now informed me is a fuckingdate rapist.My doctor came earlier to give an update on the drug used and how it affected me. Pending results of my latest blood test, she has given me the all clear to go home, hopefully with a few pain meds up my sleeve for my head.
“Yeah,” Anna replies. She sinks into the arm chair beside me with her own cup, still wearing her black mini dress from last night. We both have smudged mascara ringsaround our eyes and unbrushed hair, but at least we’re safe. “He left just before you woke.”
I glance down at my hospital gown.
“Who, uh, dressed me last night?” My cheeks flame with embarrassment at the thought of David stripping the gold dress off my unconscious body, as if I needed to present an even more hopeless version of myself to him. He must think I’m the world’s most colossal disaster.
“Me, obviously,” Anna says, raising her brow over her cup. “With the help of a nurse.”
“Right.”
We sit in silence for a moment while Anna takes a long sip. I continue to breathe in the aroma of the coffee and monitor the state of my stomach. So far, so good.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Anna reaches for my hand and squeezes gently, her eyes round with concern. “I was terrified when you started to lose consciousness.”
I squeeze her hand back. “That must have been scary for you. Sorry I was stupid enough to let it happen.”
Useless. Dumb. Nothing.
The kernel of shame that’s been floating around my chest explodes like popcorn in a microwave, ricocheting around my ribcage as Anna’s eye widen further, anger marring her brow in a way I rarely witness.
“Don’t youdaretake the blame for this, Gianna!” She fumes, almost spilling her coffee in her haste to sit forward and stare me in the eye. “You are the victim, here. Don’t even try to take responsibility for the actions of a fucking rapist!”
And that’s exactly what I am. Always avictim. I’m sick of it.
Nausea flattens me when I think about how close I came to being violated last night. I squeeze my eyes shut to stopthe tears building behind my eyes and focus on taking deep breaths.
In and out.
I’m fine. He didn’t touch me. I’m safe.
“Sounds like I was lucky David was there.” My voice is shaky as I exhale. When Anna doesn’t reply, I crack open an eye.
She’s sitting there with a lazy grin on her face, and I groan for a whole new reason. I know exactly what’s coming, but honestly, I’m glad for the distraction right now.
“Why didn’t you tell me how absolutely delicious he is!” Her squeals pierce my brain, and I check to make sure the nurse shut my door on the way out. “Not to mention how he stepped in and saved you. Like your own personal superman,” she swoons, hand on her heart and all.
I roll my eyes and regret it instantly when it ramps up my headache. Considering I was drugged last night, I feel better than I ought to.
“Superman? I think not. Did I not tell you how rude he was to me? Ontwooccasions, no less,” I grumble, finally taking a slow sip of coffee. It makes it all the way down to my stomach and seems to want to stay there, which I’m thankful for because my throat is still raw with all the projectile vomiting I apparently did all over David last night. I guess that’s the silver-lining to short-term memory loss- I have no recollection of it happening.
“I’m pretty sure him saving you negates that,” she says, eyeing me way too closely. “Did you even know he was at the club?”
“I think I spotted him right before I was drugged, but it’s all a bit hazy.” I roll my bottom lip between my teeth. “I remember dancing with that guy, then nothing until I woke up an hour ago.” I try to sift through my memories but giveup when it makes my head throb harder. “Did he mention anything about it?”
“Not really,” Anna says slowly, lowering her cup onto her lap. “I think he said something about the owner of the club being his client?”
“Right. Explains him being at opening night.”
“And then there’s the fact he stayed by your sideall night long.” She reaches for the spare blanket at the end of my bed and throws it over her lap, propping her feet up on the bed rails. “I was a bit hesitant to have him in here, being a stranger at all, but fucked if I could make him leave.”
“Like my own little Labrador,” I joke, taking another hot sip. I don’t know how to take David’s actions last night, so I’ll do what I do best and make light of it. Before last night he’s only been cold and detached. The thought of him spending the night at hospital to make sure I was okay is just… strange. Doesn’t fit with the man I know.
