SOPHIE BROOKS:
Party, hook-up, hangover, repeat.
I don't do rules, responsibility, or monogamy.
So when the chance to sleep with the hottest Olympian swimmer in the country presents itself, you can be damn sure I take it.
And sneak out before he wa...
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"Hi."
I look up from the book I'm reading to find Jen hovering in the doorway with a bouquet of flowers.
Visiting hours just started, so I'm not surprised that she already showed up. Jen's been fussing around me since I got admitted, and I know it's just a way for her to deal with her anxiety, so I let her.
I wish I had a similar coping mechanism. So far, my escape has been to re-read John Green books, which, given my current situation, might not be the best decision.
I lay the Fault In Our Stars down on the blanket, covering me as I smile at my best friend. She patters inside, pulling away the blinds, revealing the view of Ann Arbor from my hospital room.
All the houses are covered in a thick layer of snow. We're just going into February, so we probably still have a little while with snow left.
It might still be there once I'm discharged.
If I'm discharged.
I shake my head, looking up at Jen as she's arranging the flowers on a small table at the foot of my bed. White lilies. Pretty.
"How are you?" she asks me as she fiddles around, ensuring everything is perfect.
"I'm okay, you know, just reading." I lift the book in my lap, waving it a bit.
Jen makes a face. She's the one who brought the books for me, but she doesn't approve. "Isn't reading that right now, you know, kinda morbid?"
I shrug, thinking about something doctor Mallory said once. "Maybe I am just morbid."
She presses her lips together, not arguing. She's placating me a lot these days, basically walking on eggshells. I get that she's scared; hell, I'm scared, which is exactly why I need her to treat me like she usually would.
Jen takes a seat beside me, putting a glass of water on the bedside table and sending me her best fake smile.
We sit in silence for a bit as she fishes things out of her bag. New books for me, a few of my creams, and other products that I was missing. Eventually, she sits back, watching me intently while I pretend to read the book.
"Are you going to call Jayden today?"
I knew it was coming, so I act indifferent, continuing to turn the page. It's the third time she's asked me in as many days.
She asked the day I was admitted. Then again yesterday before my biopsy, and now today too.
I take a deep breath, giving her the same response as the other times. "I don't know."
I want to call him. Or no, I don't. The very idea of picking up that phone and having to explain the situation to him scares me more than anything they might do to me here. But I do want him here.
