White-Knuckled Moments by Madeleine Ribbon

Author:Madeleine Ribbon [Ribbon, Madeleine]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: LGBT Multicultural
Publisher: Loose Id LLC
Published: 2012-09-21T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

I woke to freakishly loud banging on my apartment’s paper-thin door. The kitchen timer beeped faintly in the background. I rubbed my eyes and dived for my glasses. By the bright light streaming in through the grimy windows, it had to be morning. My head felt swampy and muddled, my muscles ached, my tongue was thick and swollen, and I was at least ten hours overdue for my medication.

And the bed was wet. I cursed quietly and rolled out. My head throbbed as I pulled the blankets back and assessed the damage.

“Cory?” a muffled voice called anxiously. “Cory, if you’re in there, open up!”

I didn’t dare call out, not with my head pounding so fiercely. I pulled all the sheets and mattress protector off the bed, stuffed them into the hamper, and threw on my discarded jeans. I grabbed fresh sheets from the top shelf of the closet and tossed them toward the bed before I realized what the biggest problem would be.

It smelled like the stairwell of a parking garage, and I just wasn’t okay with Tai walking in on that.

I threw open both windows, letting the icy wind sweep through the apartment and wake me properly. I snagged the air freshener and sprayed it over the bed. Then I went to the door and cracked it.

Tai squeaked as he leaped back. His puffy coat nearly swallowed him whole. “Shit, Cory, you scared the fuck out of me. Your brother called me and asked me to check up on you since your phone was off. I’ve been here for fifteen minutes at least. I’m charged with getting you somewhere that your mother and the other church ladies won’t find.”

I stared at him for a moment, brain still foggy, and head still pounding.

“How did Blake get your phone number? He said my mother is coming?”

“He stole my number from your phone. That’s what he told me, anyway. And yes, your mother is on her way. Your brother didn’t make it sound like a good thing either. Can I come in?”

I blushed. I really didn’t want him in the room until it aired out properly, and I needed a shower. The smell of sweat and less pleasant things clung to my skin, and I moved back self-consciously. Tai took that as permission to enter and walked in.

“Holy shit, that’s cold,” he said as another gust of wind swept through the apartment. “What the hell are you trying to do? Freeze yourself to death?

“Stay over there.” I waved at the couch. The smell was dissipating rapidly, thanks to the arctic breeze. “I’m going to jump in the shower a second. It has not been a good night.”

He perched on the couch arm, as far from the rat cage as possible. I fled into the bathroom with a towel and fresh jeans.

When I came out again, he’d shut the windows, turned off the kitchen alarm, and was busy making my bed with the fresh sheets. The coffeepot made happy noises, and the dark roast smell overpowered everything else in the apartment.

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