He Bought Me

40.

Franky

"...all I can say is that you make me...you make me into someone I couldn't even imagine. You make me happy, even when you're awful. I would rather be with you-even the you that you seem to think is diminished-than with anyone else in the world..."

It's Boris speaking, no, reading. I sit up, Boris is sitting by my feet, book in his hand. Me Before You. "I thought you finished that" my stained voice startles him.

"Jesus..." he whispers. "I didn't hear you"

"Sorry" I chuckle weakly. The book in his hands has a different cover from the one he showed me before. There are colorful sticky notes poking out of it. "New book?"

"Um, no...I buy two copies of every book I want. One just for reading and one I add some notes" he wiggles the book in the air. "Notes"

I stand on my knee then move behind him. I rub his bare shoulders. Boris shirtless is the best. "How long was I sleeping?"

"Ten hours I think, those pills really work" his soft tone puts a smile across my face. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you"

He looks over his shoulder to meet my gaze. "You scared me...again. Your depression and then you took those fucking pills. Five hours they're supposed to knock you out, not ten"

"Maybe you gave me too much"

"I gave you the right amount" he snaps. "I can't keep fucking doing this, you leave then come back with claw marks on you. You were drunk, talking about some guy at a bar, what fucking bar? Where were you?"

I frown. "I know, Boris-"

"No, you don't. Baby, flip the damn table. If I left, and come back the same way you did, how would you feel? Now, you're depressed and...and I-I-I" he begins to stutter in frustration.

"Ok, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey" I sit at his side (almost falling off the bed) and cup his face. "No fighting, more talking, and more trust. Boris, I was safe, actually, the bar I was at, I got a job there"

He narrows his eyes. "What? I told you...shit, I hear it now" his face softens. "What bar? Patrick's?"

"Yeah, you know it" I state, not ask.

"Franky, that's an hour maybe more walk, you walked from there? Drunk?" he struggles to keep a calm voice.

"I didn't even notice. I was only thinking about you" I sit up and swing my leg over to straddle him. Instead of grabbing my waist or my ass, like he usually does, he throws his books to the side and leans back on his palms.

He looks at me hard for a few moments then (shocking the hell out of me) smiles. "Did you lose any toes?"

"Frostbite?" I chuckle. "No, sadly, I'm guessing"

"Why don't you ever have your phone? Do you even know my number?"

"Do I need to know it? You're always with me"

"You make a point" he pushes off his hands and pulls me closer, gripping my ass this time. "Do you work tonight?"

"I...I don't know. It's weird how I got the job, it's like they knew me"

"Let's check it out, let's go now"

"Sure, but..." I play with his beard, "You need a shave, like, badly. Can I do it again?"

"I want thinking of growing it out"

"What? No. Please" I pout. "If you grow it out, I won't let you go down on me anymore, even after you cut it"