Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 86158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Oh,” Molly said, grimacing. “That might need stitches.”
“Fuck that,” Charlie replied as she laid down on her side and rested her head on her arm. “Get some of those butterfly bandages and hook me up.”
“We better clean it first. Do you want to take off those shorts? I can cut them off—”
“I can take them off,” Charlie replied, hopping to her feet. She reached under her dress and peeled the shorts off, gingerly pulling them away from her thigh.
I glanced at Farrah and then looked at the floor as Charlie crawled back onto the bed, her whole ass on display around a purple thong.
“He’s seen it all before,” Charlie said to the women, making Molly snicker.
“I figured,” Farrah said dryly. “When he stopped making eye contact.” She elbowed me in the side.
“Holy crap,” Kara yelped as she came in the door behind me. “That looks gnarly.”
“Looks worse than it feels,” Charlie said. She hissed as Molly laid a wet washcloth on the scrape. “Okay, that smarts a little, but not terrible.”
“I found the branch you scratched it on,” Kara said, holding it up in the air.
“Sweet,” Charlie said, reaching for it. “I’m putting that thing up on my wall.”
She grimaced again as Molly started scrubbing gently at the wound and I grit my teeth so hard my jaw ached. She was acting like it was no big deal, and it didn’t hurt, but I could see the tightness around her eyes and the way she kept freezing in place any time Molly hit a particularly tender spot. It was making me crazy.
“Maybe you should go out, doll,” Farrah said to me quietly. “Think it’s bothering you more than it’s bothering her.”
“I’m good,” I replied, stuffing my hands into my pockets. I could feel the dried blood on my hand scraping against the denim and pulled them back out.
“It’s really no big deal,” Charlie said to me, shooting me a small smile. “I’ve had worse. I bet you have, too.”
I crouched down near her head. “You’ve seen the scar on the back of my calf?” I asked.
She nodded, inhaling sharply as Molly did something to her leg.
“Wiped out on an old rake at my Uncle Beau’s when I was thirteen,” I said, reaching out to smooth her hair away from her face. “So, on top of fifteen stitches, I also had to get a damn tetanus shot that made my arm sore for days.”
“You gotta keep an eye out for rusty rakes,” she said sympathetically.
“That sounds like the title of a romance novel,” Farrah said with a chuckle. Then more quietly to Molly, “I’ll get some tweezers.”
“Make sure they’re clean,” Molly replied. “Just wash them off with soap real quick.”
“Got it,” Farrah said.
“How’s it going in here,” Casper asked, peeking his head in the door.
“I’ll live,” Charlie said, looking up at him. “But my ass is hanging out, so you might want to—”
“I’m gone,” he replied quickly, disappearing into the hallway.
“I’m gonna go out and check on Reb,” Kara whispered to Charlie. “You need anything before I go?”
“I’m good,” she replied. “Go.”
After Kara was gone, Charlie sighed and looked at me. “This was not how I thought my grad party would end.”
“Who said it’s ending?” I asked. “We’ll get you patched up and back out there.”
“Just no more softball today,” Farrah said with a huff as she came back into the room.
“Right,” I agreed.
“Only you would slide in a damn dress,” Farrah said, watching Molly work.
“I was wearing shorts,” Charlie pointed out.
“Are those shorts?” Molly joked. “I thought they were an extra pair of underwear.”
Charlie pointed at her mom. “I’ve seen you in shorts smaller than that.”
“Well, I was probably dancing on a table, not sliding into third.” She paused. “At least until you were no longer present.”
“Oh, ew!” Charlie snapped. I felt the back of my neck heating in embarrassment, but I couldn’t stop my laugh and tried to cough to cover it up.
“It’s not funny,” Charlie said to me. “It’s gross.”
“How the hell do you think you got here?” Farrah asked mildly. “Immaculate conception?”
I laughed outright at the look on Charlie’s face.
“Can we please change the subject?” she spat.
“You really need stitches,” Molly said, sitting back on her knees. “It’s still bleeding a bit and it’s deeper than I’d like.”
“Just the little bandages,” Charlie replied stubbornly.
“It’s going to leave a scar if—”
“Bring it on,” Charlie said shortly, cutting her off. “Seriously, I’m not going to the hospital.”
“Charlotte,” Farrah said in admonishment.
“Sorry, Mol,” she said with a sigh. “Please just bandage me up.”
“I swear to God,” Molly said, shaking her head. “Sometimes I think you’re just like your mother.”
Farrah smiled.
“And then shit like this happens and I see you’re just like Casper,” Molly continued. “I’m going to go over it one more time and make sure there aren’t any slivers I’ve missed before I close it up.”