Shotgun Pretty

Tough Guy

I fluttered my eyes open. I went to move, but a searing pain shot through my right side. I stopped, not wanting it to persist. At that moment, I realized I wasn't  in my own bed. All I had remembered was taking the four-wheeler out. Now I was laying there in the stark white room of a hospital.

I went to move again, "Uggghhh."

"Don't move." I heard a familiar voice. I looked next to me to see Brantley sitting there in an uncomfortable chair, eyes glued to me.

"What happened?" I asked, looking around. I had IV's in my arm and my left leg was propped up on a pillow.

"They said you crashed head on in to a tree. You are lucky you were wearing your helmet, otherwise you wouldn't have made it. What were you doing going fast through the woods around my house? You know those are tricky trails." Brantley replied, shifting to the front of his seat, his hands in his lap. He looked like he was angry and upset with me.

"I was out riding around. I must've taken too sharp of a turn or something. I don't really remember." I winced as I touched my hand to my head. I sure did have one hell of a headache, I knew that much. I looked over at Brantley. I could see the concern in his face. Just as I was about to speak up, Lauren walked through the door with my mother.

"Oh good Lord you are awake!" My mother came walking over to the side of the hospital bed, gently giving me a hug. "We were all so worried there, baby girl. You could have really done some damage."

"What damage did I end up doing?" I hadn't realized what was wrong with me yet, I just knew I was in pain.

"Well, you have a broken left leg, a cracked rib on the right side, and two shiners for eyes. But you are alive and still as beautiful as ever." Momma replied, rubbing my clammy hand with her soft ones.

"Nothing a little makeup can't fix there." Lauren pointed out.

I sighed. They were right, at least I was alive. Brantley sat there quiet. Momma looked over towards him and then up at Lauren. "Lauren, honey, let's go grab some coffee. We will come back in a few." Lauren looked down at Brantley and agreed as the two walked out in to the hallway and down to the cafe on the first floor.

Brantley looked at his feet and then back up at me.

"I'm sorry your date is gonna have two black eyes at the awards next week...." I began to joke.

"Jesus, Nora. You were almost killed and all you can say is sorry for your black eyes. What about sorry for scaring the hell out of me, huh? How do you think I feel getting that call from Lauren saying they were bringing you to the hospital because you had been in a bad accident. Fuck." He swore, growing increasingly irritated. I was taken aback, not knowing what to say. Hot tears started to well up in my eyes.

"Don't cry. Please. Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to jump down your throat. I just.... I don't know." He sat back in his chair, tilting his head back, rubbing his face.

I tried to wipe the tears before they started to fall, but it was too late. I couldn't stop them. They rolled down my flushed cheeks as I just stared at him. He looked back at me, visibly guilty for yelling at me. He leaned forward and wiped them away with his thumbs, looking intently in to my honey colored eyes. I bit my lip, afraid to say anything. It didn't matter though. He captured my reddened cut up lips with his soft pink ones. It was such an innocent and sweet kiss, yet I could still feel the energy from it.

"You have me so confused, Nora. It's only been a few weeks, but I feel like I have liked you forever. Hell, you have my heart beating faster every time I see you. I don't know what I would've done if something more serious had happened. Do you know how hard it is for a tough guy like me to admit that?" He let it all out, still holding on to my face. I didn't reply at first. I searched his eyes for a few seconds.

"Be with me."

He let go of my face, like I had scared him away. Shit, I thought to myself. He's gonna leave. He just meant that he felt that way towards me as a friend. That I was like family  and here I am telling him to just man up and be with me. I went to open my mouth but stopped myself when I saw him begin to smile. It was like he finally realized what my words had meant. He leaned back down and kissed me again. That was the only reply I needed.