Saving Boston (Rewritten)

Anything With Bo Is Better Than Nothing At All

The curly-haired girl breathed down my neck as we walked through the empty bar. She stayed close through the dark hallways as if she thought someone would pop around the corner and scare her. I could feel the heat radiating from her body as I unlocked my office door. I flipped the switches, allowing light to fill the room as she awaited relief.

I wasn't oblivious to the breath she let out after the darkness was drowned out by the golden chandelier hanging above us. It wasn't that I had the answers to why her hands were shaking, but I didn't ask. She didn't want me to question her, and I wasn't in the place to do so. If she wanted me to know, she would tell me, or that is what I hope anyway.

Her curious eyes looked at the blanket sprawled out on the couch as if it made her confused. It was clear I was sleeping in my office most nights, but she didn't say a word as she followed me out of the room. I stepped behind the bar to turn the grill on as she walked around to find a seat.

The silence didn't feel uncomfortable, but it made me wonder if the whole night would be like this. I knew that I would sit in a room without us saying anything if that meant I got to sit with her, though. Anything with Bo is better than nothing at all. So, I settled for the silence and continued preparing the kitchen.

As I broke open the bag of chicken strips, I peeked around the corner to check on her. My lips parted as I watched her pull down the curls I loved so much from the bun she held them in. The chestnut coils fell down her back as I ached to run my fingers through them. She rested her cheek on her palm as her tired eyes looked at the screen of her phone.

"Do you want something to drink?"

Her head snapped up to look at me. "Uh - sure. Can I have a water?"

I scooped ice from the machine before dumping it into her glass. She watched as I pulled the hose over to her glass, letting the machine fill her cup with fresh water. I grabbed a yellow straw from the basket underneath the bar, popping it into her cup.

"Do you need anything else while that cooks?"

"How did you know what I wanted?"

"Well, every time we went out together, you only ordered chicken strips because it was the only meal you could eat with a lot of ranch."

My heart flipped as the corner of her lips tugged upward - not enough for a smile but enough for me to see. Her lips wrapped around her straw before I walked back into the kitchen. The oil popped, sending small droplets to splash against my skin as I dropped in the chicken. After a while, I got used to the pain.

As I moved the strainer around in the oil, she fidgeted around on the barstool. When the bread sizzled into a golden brown, I pulled it from the hot substance. Steam filled the air as I dropped the chicken into the baskets.

"So, are you training again?"

My eyebrows furrowed as she began making small talk. "Yeah."

"For a fight?"

I leaned against the doorway as I looked at the curly-haired girl. "I signed a contract last night to fight the same man I was supposed to meet in Vegas."

She went silent as her head moved up and down. "Tommy, right?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I didn't think you would remember."

"I was supposed to go with you."

"I know," I clenched my jaw. "That's okay, though."

"I was watching that night," she cleared her throat. "I remember listening to my phone go off when everyone started posting about you being rushed to the hospital that night."

"Yeah, I have done a lot of stupid shit in my life."

"Was it my fault?" She swallowed harshly.

My lips parted in disbelief. "Why would it ever be your fault? I chose to take those drugs, Bo."

"I know you, Kinnick," she sighed. "When you don't know how to handle something, you turn to whatever gets rid of the pain the fastest. I was the reason you were taking drugs, though."

"I walked around the city with half of me, knowing the other half is somewhere else in this world trying to forget who I am," I admitted. "You made me feel whole, and when you left, I felt all of me go with you. Did I drink too much? Yes. Was I taking random drugs? Yes. Either way, I am the one who did both. It was never your fault for how I chose to forget."

She didn't say anything else, so I did. "Can you answer a question for me with complete honesty?"

Her eyes lifted from the bar. "Yes."

"Do you know who attacked you?"

A frown settled on her face as she kept her eyes on me. "I knew of him, but I don't know him."

"Do you feel comfortable telling me what happened?"

"After Marcus and I won our case, we went to celebrate at the bar across the street from my firm," she mumbled. "I went back to the firm when I couldn't find my phone. My office door was cracked open. At that moment, I was plastered, so I didn't question if I had locked it before we left. The second I walked through, I saw him standing at my desk. There was no getting away; he already had ahold of me before I could turn around. I tried fighting back to give myself time to run -"

Her voice cracked as tears welled in her eyes. "When I collided with the ground, I knew something had happened, but I couldn't feel the side of my face. Before registering everything, my hand reached up to touch my cheek. When I pulled them away, they were covered in blood. I could feel it pouring down my face."

"Why was he there, Bo?"

"He wanted me to send a message," she whimpered.

"To who?"

"I don't know," a sob broke through her lips. "I don't know. I am just scared."

Without hesitating, I came around the bar. She didn't protest as I wrapped my arms around her. She turned around on the barstool before throwing herself into my chest. I ran my fingers through her hair, trying to soothe her as she cried. The most I could do was be here for her, even if I wanted to be on the streets trying to find the man who hurt my girl.

"What do you need from me?" I murmured into her curls. "I will do whatever you need me to."

"I'll be okay."

"We both know that is a lie."

"It isn't your problem anymore," she pushed away from me, putting distance between our bodies.

"You were never a problem to begin with."

She inhaled deeply. "I am not feeling hungry anymore."

"Have you eaten all day today?"

"I'll be okay," she avoided my eyes.

"Do you want me to give you a ride back to your place?"

Her head moved up and down. "Please?"

"Of course," I cleared my throat. "Let me shut everything down."

"I am sorry all of this was for nothing."

"I will take anything I can get."

"Thank you, though," she murmured.

The corner of my lips tugged upward as I stared down at the curly-haired girl. "Anytime."