Songbird

Twenty-Seven: Colt

I got to bring her home the next day, and Lord, was the girl loopy. The combination of painkillers and muscle relaxers she was on had her flipping from goofy to fast asleep in seconds. The muscle relaxers were only for the next few days, so I figured while she remained really out of it, someone should probably stay with her. You can probably guess whom I decided that someone should be.

"You gonna make it?" Carter asked with a chuckle.

I exhaled a cloud of smoke while I sat on the porch of her little cottage. "Why wouldn't I?" I retorted, confused.

"I don't know, maybe because you're staying with the woman you are head over heels for but can't touch?"

I rolled my eyes. "Carter, she's basically a pile of jello that cracks jokes right now. Not exactly thinking about anything romantic."

"Riiiiight..." Carter responded disbelievingly. "Keep telling yourself that."

"Okay, first of all," I began, "she's not in the right headspace for me to even try shit right now, alright? I'm not a fucking scumbag like some people we know..."

"Um, ouch?"

"Secondly, I don't even think I'm ready for that yet," I stated.

"Not ready for what? Her to touch your willy?"

I rolled my eyes. "It ain't about sex with her, alright? I know the second something... remotely romantic happens between us again, it's going to be hard and fast. Like... I know I'm going to end up with that girl. I just don't know if my headspace is ready yet. So... until I can answer that question: awkward friends we remain."

"Is it really that awkward?"

"At times," I stated with a sigh. "Not currently because she's pretty much on another planet, but before the accident, sure. There were definite times we were hanging out and shit got weird. Not like... physically, but, like, one or the other will make some comment that isn't really a friend comment, or someone will crack a joke about when we get married are some shit..."

"Oh shit. Wedding talk, huh?"

"Carter, come on," I responded with a chuckle. "There's no way in hell I'd marry anyone else."

"Sounds like you're pretty sure to me."

"It ain't about not being sure. I know that I'm sure about her. It's about me being ready. Me being able to give her the man she deserves," I stated. "Wasn't all that long ago that I broke her heart, Cart. I won't do it again."

I could hear the smile in Carter's voice from the other end of the phone. "I think the fact that you're worried about it means you're already that man, but I get what you're saying. I don't wanna pressure you into anything you're not ready for."

I chuckled a bit at his faith in me. "We got time. Neither one of us going anywhere."

"Especially her. I can't imagine the amount of pain she's in."

"Nah, she ain't moving anywhere. She's been passed out for a good hour now." Just as the words left my lips, I heard a crash and a yelp of pain. "Take that back. I gotta go."

"Go take care of the princess."

"Will do."

I hung up, just as I heard a somewhat strangled: "Cooooolt."

"Comin', babe." I jogged toward the bedroom where I left her, but instead found her in a pile on the floor in the bathroom, next to her giant claw foot tub, T-shirt stuck over her head. "Girl, what are you doing?" I asked, trying not to let my amusement show too much.