15
"Say, darlin," Jerry said from where he was stretched out on the couch. "What've we got to drink?"
Oh, no, Dawn thought, giving him a disapproving look. No way.
"You are so not going to mix beer and Vicodin—not while I'm around."
He smiled. "Yes, dear."
She couldn't believe what a totally different person he'd become since he got the crap kicked out of him. Almost like he'd had the mean beat out of him too. She'd been a little scared of him before—a lot scared after he'd threatened her—but when she'd seen him go down some fierce protective instinct had surged to life. If that guy had stayed around he'd have found Dawn clinging to his back, clawing at his eyes.
Yeah, Jerry had threatened to kill her, but that was just talk. Hyperbole. He'd never hurt her. He'd said he'd die for her and she believed him. He'd just been shocked she'd been thinking of aborting his baby. That was all—the shock talking, not Jerry.
"Darlin, how about a glass of that diet junk you drink?"
Her Pepsi? Was he kidding?
"But you hate that."
"Hey, I'm desperate and I'm not in the mood for water. Let me try some of that. If I can't finish it, you can."
"Okay."
She went to the kitchen and poured him a glass from the big three-liter bottle in the fridge. Poured herself a short one and gulped it down.
God, she totally loved this stuff. She checked the level: Getting low.
Okay, face it, girl: You're addicted. You've got a major Pepsi jones. Another thing she could blame on Mom. Better remember to pick up more tomorrow. Running out would be like tragic.
When she brought the glass back to Jerry she found him closing up her cell phone.
"Calling the cops again?"
He smiled. "Forgot to check my voice mail earlier."
She handed him the glass and watched as he took a sip. He grimaced.
"Maybe it'd be better if it had some ice in it. Could you get me a couple of cubes?"
She sighed and reached for the glass. "Sure."
He held it back. "Just the cubes. I'll keep this here, okay?"
"Yeah. Okay."
Kinda weird, but…
She got him the cubes. When she returned she lound him swirling the glass. Didn't he know that would make it go flat? She dropped the cubes in and he swirled them around before taking a baby sip.
He shook his head. "Nope. Can't do it. Tastes like medicine." He held out the glass to her. "You finish it."
Some people…
She took it back and chugged half of it.
"Best stuff in the world."
He smiled. "I knew you wouldn't let it go to waste."
"Better believe it."
She felt his eyes on her as she finished it off.
Then he yawned. "I'm beat." He laughed. "In more ways than one. I think I'll turn in. Want to come snuggle with me?"
"Are you sure you're up to—?"
Another laugh. "Not tonight, darlin. When I said 'snuggle,' I meant snuggle."'
She wasn't tired, but there wouldn't be much else to do with Jerry conked out. Why not?
"Okay. Let's snuggle."