The Lucky Ones(86)

The woman with the chart turned to her.

“You okay?” the nurse asked.

“Fine,” Allison said. She had never been less fine in her life.

“We gave him another sedative. He’s going to be out like a light soon.”

“Do I have to go?” Allison asked, still sitting on the cold floor.

The nurse shrugged. “Visiting hours are till six. You can stay if you want. He’ll be asleep, though.”

“That’s fine,” Allison said. Her voice sounded different to her, like it had detached from her throat and it was speaking outside of her body.

“Take it easy, Tony,” the male nurse said, patting Antonio’s arm. He looked at her and furrowed his brow. “You a relative?”

“I’m his sister,” Allison said.

“You never been here before?”

“I never knew he was here.”

“Ah,” he said. “That happens. Sorry.”

They both left and Allison forced herself up to her feet. She returned to Antonio’s bed, where he was on his side in the fetal position, a blanket over him, the shackles still on. His face was red and his lips looked swollen.

“Antonio?” she said softly. “Tony?”

“You still here?” he said.

“I am. They said you’re going to sleep.”

He nodded.

“Do you want me to stay?”

“Please.”

“I’ll stay.” She fetched a washcloth from his bathroom and put cold water on it. When she pressed it to his face, he exhaled with obvious pleasure.

“I love you,” he said.

“Can I get into bed with you?” she asked.

“God, yes.”

She carefully climbed into his hospital bed with him, spooning up behind him and resting her arm as gently as she could over his side.

“You smell like the ocean,” he said. “You smell like heaven.”

She smiled. “What does heaven smell like?”

“It smells like...” He yawned hugely, which made her yawn hugely. “It smells like a girl when she kisses you.”

Allison took the hint. She leaned up and over him and kissed him on the temple before lying down again a little closer.

“Allison?” He sounded half asleep already.

“Yes, Antonio?” she said.

“If I weren’t drugged up I’d have a boner.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said.

“Tits could be bigger, though.”

“It’s true,” she said. “They could be bigger.”

“You’ll come see me again?” he asked.

“Yes, I will,” she said, and it was a promise she fully intended to keep. “You were right, by the way.”

“About what?” Antonio asked. He sounded so tired she wondered if he knew what he was saying.

“Dr. Capello did do something to me in that house.”

“Ah,” Antonio said. “Told you so.”





Chapter 24

Allison stayed with Antonio until she was certain he was sleeping comfortably. She left her phone number with Michael, who seemed to be Antonio’s closest, likely only, friend at Fairwood, in case of an emergency. She also put ten thousand dollars on Antonio’s commissary account so he could make his room more of a home. It felt inadequate, but what would be? After, she got into her car and left to return to The Dragon. Why was she going back after all she learned? She could take her money and run. She could leave without saying goodbye. But she couldn’t leave without looking Dr. Capello in the eyes and asking him one question.

As she drove she remembered it all again, remembered it fully, every minute, every moment. The second she’d seen the mouth guard being forced between Antonio’s lips, seen his back rise off the bed like an electric shock had ripped through him...everything came back, came back like water filling an empty fountain. Everything she’d forgotten, everything she’d repressed, everything she hadn’t remembered and hadn’t wanted to remember, and everything stolen from her by someone who was supposed to be her savior... It bubbled up from the bottom, crept across the floor and rose and rose to the very edge where it threatened to spill over.

It had all started that day on the beach, the day she and Roland had kissed. She’d been wrong to tell him that the kiss and her leaving the house had nothing to do with each other. They had everything to do with each other.

Everything.

She’d skipped breakfast for the third morning in a row. That’s the excuse Thora had used to come to her room, to check on her, to get inside when she’d refused entrance to everyone else in the house.

Allison wasn’t even hungry. That’s not why she let Thora inside her room. She didn’t want the food on the plate. She just had to tell someone what had happened.

Thora thought it was something else. Thora, barely fifteen and as pretty as a Seventeen magazine model in her short khaki skirt and white knit top, sat on the side of Allison’s bed and asked her if she’d finally started having her period.

Allison whispered a denial. She wished it were something like that.

“Then what is it?” Thora asked. “Please, tell me. I won’t tell anybody. I can keep secrets.”