Perfectly Toxic (The Sterling Shore Series Book 9) (15 page)

Chapter 30

ETHAN

Since Bella refuses to take my phone calls, I’ve been reduced to walking into the hospital and essentially stalking her. Again.

“Bella Pierson? Know where I can find her?” I ask some chick who walks into a wall when she sees me.

She clutches her head while turning a wonky shade of red.

“It’s her day off,” the girl says, swallowing nervously.

“Who? Bella’s?” another woman asks.

“Yeah.”

“Nah, they called her in to cover for one of the girls who went home sick. I think she’s on the fifth floor. She’s checking in on a friend right now because her shift just ended.”

I just nod before ducking into the elevator. A hospital as big as this shouldn’t know a girl by name. But I bet everyone here knows Bella. There’s like a gravitational force around her that just draws people in. Could be the blunt way she usually speaks.

Last night really didn’t work out in my favor. I’m hoping she’s calmed down. Considering she’s at work, maybe she won’t be as likely to yell at me. Hopefully.

When I step out onto the floor, my feet cement themselves to the ground. Children are walking around, pushing their IV stands from place to place. I really feel like a bastard now.

Kids are fighting for their lives, hidden away like they don’t exist, and I’m the selfish asshole who hurt one of their heroes. Bella is seriously prideful, but she put aside her pride that night at the charity ball when she was trying to save a boy’s chance to walk again by begging strangers for donations.

My eyes flit over to see her inside a room that has the door wide open. She’s grinning at some kid who is wide-eyed and in love with some kind of magazine that she’s handing him.

Bella laughs at whatever he says, and she speaks to a woman who is wiping tears away from her eyes. It takes me a second to realize that must be Daniel. He’s having surgery in two days, and Bella is here checking in on him.

And I’m the dickhead stalking her at the wrong time to make up for an idiotic move.

Deciding not to be a bigger bastard and interrupt this moment, I back toward the elevator, but Bella decides to walk out at that exact moment. Panicking, I grab a kid who is running by—he’s running, so apparently he’s healthy—and I hold him over my face like that will somehow keep her from seeing me.

“Stranger danger! Stranger danger!” some kid yells very close by. Then I realize it’s the kid I’m holding… and his belly is right in front of my face…

Oh shit. This looks bad. Bad. Bad…
Really
fucking bad.

“Stranger danger!” the kid yells again.

“Shhh!!” I hiss, trying to put him down, but he kicks at that same moment, clocking me right under the chin.

The taste of blood taints my mouth, and I groan while dropping him to the floor. Fortunately, the agile little asshole lands on his feet, still pointing at me.
Un
fortunately, he’s still yelling.

“Stranger danger! Stranger danger!”

I look up in time to see a large woman barreling toward me like hell’s linebacker, and she tackles me—fucking tackles me!

Her arms wrap around my waist, and she takes me down like I’m a little bitch instead of a 6’4, grown-ass man. I slam into the cold floor, and she pins me down, thoroughly crushing me in the process.

“Someone call the cops!” the woman harps, clutching me in a death grip while suffocating me.

“Help,” I wheeze.

“Ethan?” Bella’s voice is just the icing on the humiliating cake.

I manage to look around the wad of wild, dark hair in my face to see Bella staring down in horrified shock.

“Help,” I repeat, losing every ounce of fucking dignity I’ve ever had with that one word.

“You know this perverted fool?” the evil, freakishly strong woman on top of me asks Bella.

Bella rolls her eyes. “Yeah, Berta. I know this perverted fool,” she says, sounding exasperated as she pinches the bridge of her nose. “What the hell, Ethan?” she asks me.

“Can’t. Breathe,” I manage to say with strain.

Freakishly strong linebacker woman lifts off me just a little, and I gasp in the air my lungs are starved of. When she climbs off me, I start to raise up, but she shoves me back down with a hand on my chest.

I stay put. It’s not like I have any pride left at this point, and I’d rather not be tackled again.

“Why are you attacking kids in the hospital?” Bella asks me.

“I want to know that too,” Evil Linebacker says.

“I wasn’t… I came to apologize, and this crazy, supernaturally strong woman tackled me.” I point an accusing finger at said woman, who snorts derisively at me.

Bella arches an eyebrow while crossing her arms over her chest and staring down at me, annoyed.

“You can’t go picking up random kids.”

I glare over at the kid who is laughing at me, but he smothers it with his hand when Berta cuts her eyes toward him. That kid is a jerk.

“Look, I—”

“Daniel’s room is at the end of the hall. Feel free to stop in and tell him you’re his hero. I need to get home.”

With that, she steps over me, and I stay on the ground, staring at the ceiling for a second. This really didn’t work out the way I planned.

“So I’m not calling the cops?” Berta—the evil woman—asks.

“Not this time,” Bella calls out. “But feel free to tackle him if you ever see him again.”

I swear that evil woman grins at me like she can’t wait. Fuck my day. This sure as hell didn’t go as planned.

Chapter 31

BELLA

My phone chimes for the eighth time today, and against my better judgment, I look down, seeing the preview of a picture.

It’s from Ethan, and it’s a picture of him in a suit. As if I want that now. It’s a little too late for that.

Maverick answered my phone? So the hell what? Ethan is a freaking five-year-old for giving me the silent treatment without even asking me what was really going on.

I’m glad I have the day off, because I feel like death. I’ve definitely been overworked and underpaid.

Dragging my ass out of bed at noon, I start sifting through my fridge, looking for something to eat. My phone chimes again, and I groan while looking at the message.

ASSHOLE: I know I fucked up, but give me a second to explain. Please. Don’t make me track you down.

ME: That didn’t work out so well for you yesterday.

ASSHOLE: I don’t need a reminder. Next time I plan to be more successful.

ME: Stranger danger!! Stranger danger!!

MAVERICK: Why are you sending me stranger danger?

Ah hell. That was a good one too, and it went to the wrong person.

ME: Not meant for you, Mav. I’m mad at you, BTW.

ME: Stranger danger! Stranger danger!

This time that message goes to Ethan, and I giggle a little. Then I curse the giggling because it hurts.

MAVERICK: Ethan already took a shot at me. You don’t get to hit me too.

It gives me a juvenile sense of pleasure to know Ethan hit him. But he’s still getting paid back from me too.

ASSHOLE: Real fucking funny. I want to forget that day ever happened. Can we meet somewhere?

ME: The person you’re trying to reach has decided you’re dead to her. Now kindly fuck off. The playground is waiting for you.

ASSHOLE: I deserved that. But it’s the last shot I’ll take before tracking you down. I’m serious.

ME: Go. Away.

ASSHOLE: I’d rather go down…

ME: Now is so not the time to talk dirty to me.

ASSHOLE: Go with your strengths when you’re down in the ninth inning.

ME: Baseball metaphors or analogies or whatever will deduct even more points. As of now, I’m done. Keep calling, and I’ll give Berta your address.

Like a brave girl, I turn my phone off, groaning when my head thuds around like a pitiful balloon with rocks inside it.

After that, I spend the day taking a bath, watching old movies, and maybe fantasizing about shoving Ethan’s head in a hospital toilet. And I might also abuse that picture of him in a suit while I’m using my Magic Wand.

Didn’t say I was a saint.

By six, my head is seriously killing me, and my body aches.

I question if those rocks in my head are shaking or if someone is knocking on my door. Whimpering, I drag myself off the couch, and Allie is waiting for me when I open the door. She’s also holding roses in a really pretty vase.

“You shouldn’t have,” I tell her dryly, even though my voice sounds off.

“You look like shit,” she replies, eyeing me. “Are you sick?”

She walks in, and I shut the door behind her, collapsing against it.

“No. What’s that?” I ask her, looking at a suspiciously pretty present that she’s putting beside the roses.

“I have no idea. I rolled up just as the delivery guy did, and I signed for all this. I didn’t know you were dating anyone.”

Groaning, I snatch the pretty present, and glare at the card on the roses that says:
Look, I can be sweet. I can also be your favorite asshole.

I’d laugh if it didn’t hurt to try.

“I’m not dating anyone. But I’m too awesome not to have admirers,” I say, sniffing and wiping my nose at the same time and killing that witty retort with my utter grossness.

Her lips twitch, and I wink while sluggishly moving back toward the living room.

“Yeah, you look awesome right now,” she says with a coy grin.

“You should feel what I’m feeling. I’m starting to think that dream I had about riding hippos across the arctic tundra before they trampled me later on was real.”

She laughs, and the sound grates on my fragile nerves. I’m ill, tired, and sick. Motherfucker, I’m sick. Damn those jackasses for finally making me sick.

I rip open the present, too curious not to find out what it is. Not that I’ll keep it. I sure as hell don’t want to owe Ethan Noles anything.

“Why is your vibrator out?” Allie asks, coughing on air as she side steps my Magic Wand.

I shrug, feeling completely shameless. “Don’t you make your little lady happy when you feel like ass? It always makes me feel a little better.”

She laughs while groaning. “I often wonder if I can ever learn anything new about you, and then there’s a vibrator on the living room floor.”

I laugh, but then groan when it hurts. Allie frowns as she reaches over and feels my forehead. I’m too busy opening up my pretty present to bat her hand away.

“Holy hot girl, Bella. You’re burning up.”

“I’m sick,” I state flatly. “And you need to go before you get it and make my niece sick later.”

She stands and moves across from me like that will somehow keep her from getting infected.

I roll my eyes when I finally get the stubborn box open. My arms are weak, and so is my grip. Tearing into that thin box was like tearing into a wooden crate that had too many nails.

“What is it?” Allie asks, and I pull out the slinky nightie to answer her question.

“Something that will be returned to the sender. After I hack it into tiny pieces.”

I start to get up and get scissors, but my body feels too heavy, as if it’s getting worse by the second. I had so better not be sick in the morning. I only have one damn shift tomorrow. I’d rather be sick on a double shift day so that I can call in and really stick it to them.

I drop the box instead of expending precious energy on cutting the nightie to pieces. Not worth it.

“Get out of here. Save yourself,” I say dramatically as I curl up on the couch and cover my eyes.

“I’m not leaving you like this with no one here to take care of you. We’ve always helped each other out when sick.”

“Things change, Allie. I’m a big girl now. Promise. I even have the big girl panties to prove it.”

I expect her to laugh, but when I look over at her, she’s staring at me with tears in her eyes.

“I take it back? I’m not a big girl now?” I say playfully, still hoping for a smile.

“I feel like I’ve abandoned you, and you’re starting to push me away like you do everyone else.”

A heavy sigh leaves my lips, and I attempt shaking my head. Bad idea. Never shake your head when it feels like a bowling ball on your shoulders. I miss the balloon feeling it had earlier now.

“No, Allie. I swear I’m not. I’m just trying to adjust… Same as you. I’m sick. I’m not dying. You have a life with a really great guy, and your daughter has never been happier. Go live that life, and stop worrying about me. It’s really annoying.”

I smile to let her know I’m joking, and she returns a watery smile at me.

“I’ll go buy you some supplies at least.”

“If you must,” I say around a yawn. “My debit card is in my purse.”

She stands, and I watch her walk out without my debit card. Damn good friend is going to get her ass kicked if she tries to pay for my sick-girl supplies.

My eyes grow heavier and heavier until I’m suddenly on the back of a rhino who is tackling a hippo. Damn hippos are everywhere. I better not get trampled again.