Absolutely Unforgivable(53)
Mindy and Bree were holding each other’s hands and now both looking at the ground. Then Bree looked back up at the officers and asked, “Wait ... did we do something wrong? Is that why ....”
“No, you didn’t. Not at all. It’s just, well look at yourselves. You are all very pretty ladies. And it’s not your fault that you are beautiful, but that combined with the fact that you are in the spotlight, tends to attract some crazies. We just want you to girls to stay safe and part of that means paying attention to what is going on around you.”
After, the officers talked to Billy and Jeromy across the room, where they tried to speak quietly so that Mindy, Bree, and I couldn’t hear what they were saying. “While we realize you were just defending Miss Keller and the other girls, it’s important to remember that there is a fine line between defense and assault. You need to be more careful in the future or next time you may find yourself sitting behind bars as well.”
After the police officers left, Billy and Jeromy came back to sit with me, Jeromy on one side, Billy on the other, with Mindy and Bree at the foot of the bed. Billy didn’t say much. Jeromy tried asking me some questions, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk. Bree and Mindy answered most of his inquiries.
Not much later the doctor came in to give me a final once-over. He said my ex-rays came back clean and I don’t seem to have done any permanent damage. He agreed to release me but with strict instructions to get plenty of rest at home and not to try and overdo it. He also wrote me a prescription for some sedatives that he said would help me get some sleep which would speed my recovery.
I don’t recall the ride home or anything after that; really, just random memories of waking up and looking over to see Billy sitting by my side or off in the corner, reading a book and writing in his lyric journal.
When I finally came to, I didn’t recognize where I was. The room was dark but off to the side I could see a faint light where Billy was sitting in a chair reading a book. Am I in Billy’s room? I must have made a noise because he looked over at me and saw I was waking up.
“Hey. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come to.” He walked over to the bed and placed his hand on the top of my hand and with his other, gently stroked the side of my head. Billy helped me sit up and I looked around the room, still trying to figure out where I was. “Where am I? Am I in your room? Where is Jeromy?”
“Jeromy and I have been taking turns taking care of you but we didn’t want to keep moving you back up and down the stairs so we decided to keep you downstairs where others can help look after you too. Mindy, Bree, Kita, and I watch after you during the day, and he takes care of you when he gets home from work.”
I looked around the room, not sure what I was trying to find, and then back to his clearly distressed face. “Where have you been sleeping, Billy?” He didn’t say anything. He just looked over to his chair in his reading room.
“No! Billy! Please ...”
“Sssh!” He said as he put a finger over my lips. “Don’t get too worked up. The doctor told you to take it easy, remember?”
I playfully bit at his finger and as he moved it away from my lips; for the first time in a while I seen the corner of his lip curl up as a smile formed on his face.
“You hungry?”
“Yeah. I kinda am.” I put my hand on my now growling stomach. “I would love something to eat.”
He bent over and picked me up, not even letting me walk to the kitchen on my own. He sat me down at the bar, and the made me the most delicious eggs. I devoured them; I was so hungry. But soon after I finished drinking my third glass of water, I looked up at him, and could feel my eyes start to glaze over.
“Billy. I’m not feeling so well. Do you think you could ....” Before I could finish he swept me up in his arms and took me back to bed. I don’t know how long I was out or even what time it was the last time I woke up. Everything was just a blur and the hours and days all ran together.
As I opened my eyes the next time I heard Mindy and Bree talking to each other. “Poor Billy. He’s so torn up about this.”
“I know, right? Bran said he’s never seen Billy this bad before. The guilt is killing him.”
I sat up, leaning against my fluffy stack of pillows. “Mindy, is that you?”
“Ya! She’s awake,” Bree cheered as she bounced over to me along with Mindy. Mindy flipped on the lamp that was next to the bed. “Let’s see how you look.”