The real world beckoned me. Between staying away from the house and being surrounded and devoured by Shooter, it was the perfect band aid to go back into reality.
Shooter protested that I needed more time off, telling me that I had enough PTO hours for like a month off. I started to question how he knew that, but I already knew the answer.
As much as I wanted to stay in our little world, it was a daydream, not reality. I had a plan in motion and a reality to get to. A couple days later when I knew I had to leave, I snuck out. Shooter was knocked out from ensuring I knew he wanted me and proving it over and over again. Walking with wobbly legs may not have been good, especially how he treated me like a pretzel and at one point tied my hands to the bed post so I could be eaten out for what felt like hours.
And he thought I would be the one too tired, I snickered at an “old man” joke, keeping it to myself.
With a sleeping Shooter resting, I snuck out in his shirt and sweatpants with my tote in hand. I tried my best to stay quiet, but a few pairs of eyes stared in my direction.
Before I could make it to the door, I heard a familiar voice, “He’s not going to like this.”
“Too bad I wasn't looking for permission from him,” I snarked back. I turned to see Hound Dog looming close to me.
“Mia, please tell me you didn’t drug his ass.” he groaned.
“If you call fucking him senseless into a deep sleep a drug, then yes,” I joked.
Hound Dog groaned, shaking his head, and a few of the brothers laughed. Hound’s eyes zeroed in on the marks around my throat. “Why didn’t you come to us sooner?”
“Because there are some things that aren’t worth bringing into the club. Y’all already have a lot going on that I wasn’t going to add to it,” I protested. It was still true, I was close to finishing and then it would be a thing in the past.
He sighed. “I don’t like that.”
“Too bad.”
“We would have helped you regardless of if you’re Shooter’s ol’ lady or not,” he grumbled. I shoot him a confused look. “It’s only a matter of time before he asks me to make it official. But you are a friend and a good soul, we take care of our own.”
“I appreciate that, Hound Dog, seriously. But let me do this my way and you’ll never have to worry about it.”
“That’s the thing, he’ll make sure it’s taken care of and bring it into the club.”
“Then tell him no.”
He scoffed, trying to avoid a laugh. “Have you met the man?”
He had a point. Shooter was too stubborn and didn’t accept any other way but his. “Regardless, I’m going to work. Have fun with sleeping beauty. If he asks, I get off at six pm, and I’ll come back.”
Before Hound Dog would tell me otherwise, I left and headed to work looking like a walk of shame. I hoisted the tote of essentials and walked into my nursing station with Sarah andJennie raising their eyebrows, watching the mini train wreck unfold. Thankfully I had packed my vest I wear with my scrubs sometimes in my backup bag.
I scrambled to find my fresh scrubs and the toilette bag. I turned, feeling like I was a child sneaking candy. Without a word from them I headed toward the showers and made myself at least somewhat presentable before my shift.
I stared at the woman in the mirror, she was different from the last time I looked. She wasn’t on the verge of death, she didn’t look scared. There was brightness in her cheeks, a hint of a smile in the corner of her mouth. My hair looked longer, I couldn’t remember the last time that I cut it. Maybe it wasn’t anything. It was starting to meet the bottom of my neck. Months, it had been months since I last cut it.
It couldn’t mean that much, could it?
I brushed off the thought, pulling my mind to focus on the day ahead. As I stepped out for morning passdown, I felt the heat of Jennie and Sarah’s eyes staring at me. Once over, I couldn’t scurry out fast enough before the two of them called for my attention.
“You want to talk about it?” Jennie asked, as she leaned on the counter.
I shook my head, thrusting my hands in my pockets, looking down at the ground, hiding all the fidgeting signs.
“Hmm, you sure? Seems like a lot has happened. You seem… jumpy,” Sarah inquired.
“Just ready for the day ahead,” I lied. I really wasn’t ready for the day, I was ready for the distraction, hiding some of the emotions and sentiments that were expressed the previous nights.
Jennie’s face twisted to say “whatever you want to believe”, pursing her lips, and grunting a sound of disappointment.
“Well, I’m already going to call you a lying little hussy,” she said, shifting to her elbows with her chin resting on top of her hands.
