A Slave to Love

Chapter 11: Fractured

I was going to murder Blade.

My hand was now a really ugly rainbow; blotches of purple, blue, brown, green and yellow colored my knuckles, fingers and the back of my hand. I could barely move it without tearing up in pain. 

"What the hell happened to your hand?" Nate asked, nearly spitting out his breakfast in shock as I slid into our usual booth with Katie, holding my tray with my one good hand and somehow managing not to drop it.

"I tripped and fell. There was a rock on the ground and I hit my hand on it." 

"Hey guys!" Landon said cheerily as he slid in next to me.

I made a face and picked up my glass of orange juice with my left hand, since my right hand hurt way too much to pick up my cup, and took a sip.

Landon's eyes fell on my useless bruised hand resting on the table and his jaw nearly hit the ground. "Jeez, did it get run over by a truck or something?"

Seems like I'd be getting that a lot today. "No, I tripped and fell and my hand hit a rock."

He picked my hand up and I nearly dropped the cup in my hand in shock. That fucking hurt.  "Looks painful. You should get it checked out by a nurse."

"It's just bruised," I said, sucking in a quick breath as I wished he'd let go and stop touching it. "No biggie. I've had worse."

"Are you sure you didn't break anything?" He put my hand back on the table gently and I heaved a breath of relief. "That doesn't exactly look too healthy, even for a bruise."

"If it bothers me than I'll go check it out but for now it seems fine." I tried to flex my fingers to illustrate my point but winced as pain shot through my wrist and hand.

"Ouch! Son of a--" I cut myself off with a snarl.

Landon laughed while Katie looked at me with concern. "Landon's right, you should go see the nurse."

"Look at that! I was right," he cheered.

"For once," I said venomously, "Relish the feeling because it's probably not going to happen again."

 "You're just jealous."

"Jealous? Of you? Ha! As if," I said, "Now move your ass out of the way so I can go see the nurse."

He slid out of the booth without complaint. All three of us gaped at him.

"What?" he asked, frowning, "Why are you all staring at me like that?"

"You moved," Nate said.

"Without even protesting," I said, sounding equally awed as Nate.

"That's because I'm taking her to the nurse," he said, folding his arms over his chest.

I knew it was too good to be true. "No, you're not."

"Yes I am, it was my idea and I'm going with you," he said firmly. "Do you even know where the nurse is?"

"Um..." goddamn it. "No?"

"Good thing I'm coming along," he said, slinging an arm around my shoulders as he lead me from the cafeteria, Katie and Nate wishing me luck. Whether it was with my hand or dealing with Landon, I wasn't sure. Probably both. "I'll be your guide."

"Lovely."

"I don't get why you hate me so much."

"You dropped me in a lake and I lost my favorite flip-flops."

"Besides that," he said, waving his hand dismissively.

"You're okay, but I'm still pissed about the flip-flops and lake thing. Plus you're a bit of Casanova and get on my nerves because you don't listen."