Mockingbird: a Songbird Sequel

Twenty-Six: Lennie

It was official. Colt was the only person allowed to pick hotel rooms for the rest of our natural born lives. For a man I was pretty sure would be fine sleeping in a tent every single day, this man had a knack for finding the cushiest, coziest hotel rooms I had ever seen. Today's rivaled even the room we'd gotten for my birthday. The bed legitimately looked like a cloud, all white and cushy, and I couldn't wait to curl up in it for however long I was to be stuck in Nashville.

"Where do you find these places?" I asked with a laugh as we entered the suite. The thing looked more like a damn apartment more than a hotel room. There was even a little kitchenette if the mood to cook struck us. I was pretty certain we'd be living on room service, but it was a nice thought.

Colt just shrugged as he shut the door. "Figured if we're gonna be stuck here for a while, might as well be comfortable."

I sighed and flung myself onto the bed. Yup. Like. A. Cloud. "How long do we have to stay here?"

"Doc said at least the next four days. Got an appointment Thursday and then we'll see."

I groaned and covered my eyes with my forearm. "It's only Sunday!"

"I know, baby."

"I just wanna go home."

"I know, baby," Colt repeated, sinking into the mattress next to me. He slung an arm over my waist and used it to tug me into his chest. "I know this isn't what either of us want right now, but we gotta do what's best for you and the little one..."

"I know..." I sighed, snuggling into him as much as I could. He was so warm, so safe. My home, whether we were in Snyder or not. I was always just one hug, one embrace away from home. "Could be worse, I guess," I stated, lifting my face to meet his. "At least I've got you."

"Yup. And I'm not going anywhere without you ever again," Colt stated, his voice beginning to soften with slumber.

I giggled a bit. "I think that might be a bit extreme."

"Fine, I'm not taking off for six weeks with some trashy twenty something that I didn't trust in the first place," Colt stated.

"You deserved the opportunity, Colt. You and the boys," I stated, stroking the palm of my hand over his cheek. "I wish it could've been the experience you've earned."

"I don't imagine this was the experience anyone expected."

"Yeah, this one's definitely gone off the rails."

Colt chuckled as his eyes began to close. "That's one way to put it."

"We need to go get your stuff."

"Cora and Travis are bringing it later," Colt stated through a yawn.

"They stayed too?"

"Yeah, at least for tonight. Cora wanted to make sure we were okay," Colt answered. "Only Leon has left as far as I know."

"Carter still here?"

He shrugged. "Don't know, don't care."

I gulped; my eyes cast down to the mattress. He had no idea I'd heard him in the hall outside of my hospital room, but I had. I'd heard him shouting, and I heard Carter. And unfortunately, the sadness in his voice had gotten to me. "I heard you earlier. He came to the hospital, didn't he?"

Slowly, Colt's eyes opened again. "I thought you were asleep."

"Little hard to sleep with you barking right outside the door," I stated with a hesitant smile.

Colt sighed heavily. "Yeah. Yeah, he came. And then he left."

"Colt..."

"Len, I'm not doing this," Colt interrupted, his exasperation at the whole situation already more than clear. "I don't wanna hear how I should forgive him or listen to him or any of that shit. He fucked up, not me."