Insufferable Proximity 2 by Z. Stefani Read Free Book Online

she was in too deep to turn back.
     
    One of the bullets had grazed the side of his head, causing a superficial wound. The other one had lodged itself in his right forearm. He was thankful that his wife had closed her eyes before aiming; he was also thankful that she was such a bad shot. She hadn’t seen where the bullets went, so she had no idea that he wasn’t dead. He had played dead until she left the room, but the second she was gone, he ran for it.
     
    Now, he sped down the road, heading straight for the hospital. He dialed the police and let them know that his wife had shot him.
     
    ***
     
    Julia was drunk and resisted arrest with as much dignity as she could. She tried not to look at the shocked faces of her neighbors as the officers led her to the car in handcuffs. She bowed her head in humiliation, wishing she could hide away from the growing crowd.
     
    “I should have kept my eyes opened when I aimed,” she hissed to herself on the way to the county jail.
     
    It was her only regret.
     
    ***
     
    The sun’s bright morning light blinded Heaven as she opened her eyes. She moaned as the pain in her head greeted her good morning. She was not expecting that. The nurse and the doctor had warned her that she would feel worse come morning, but she hadn’t fully believed them. She had a headache after it happened, but it didn’t hurt enough to prepare her for this.
     
    “Careful baby, no quick movements. How do you feel?” Julian asked as he began to rub her back.
     
    “My head, my eye…the light,” she cried, unable to finish her words. Her voice was barely above a whisper. She tried to sit up, but Julian stopped her.
     
    “Wait; just lay still for a minute,” he instructed as he jumped up. He quickly closed the drapes and clouded the room with early-morning shadows.
     
    He snatched the bottle of pain medication off her dresser, grabbed a bottle of water and opened it before he headed back to her. He sat next to her and gently helped her sit up.
     
    “Open up,” he instructed as he held the pill between his fingers. She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. He laid the pill on her tongue, and she promptly swallowed. He then held the bottle of water to her lips as she drank.
     
    “Thank you.”
     
    “How do you feel now?” he asked again, hoping the dim light helped.
     
    “My head is pounding, and my cheek feels as if it’s cracked; even my eye hurts.” She leaned against him.
     
    He wrapped his arms around her, and kissed the top of her forehead. “I want you to lay back down and rest until your soup gets here.”
     
    “I’m not hungry.”
     
    “You need to eat.” He eased her down on the bed and gently covered her with the blanket. He smoothed the hair back from her face as she closed her eyes. “I’m going to check on the food—“
     
    “Don’t leave!” she sat up abruptly, causing a sharp pain to dart through her head. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
     
    “Don’t jump up like that again,” he stalked over to her. “I told you—no abrupt movements. You need to lie back down; I’m not going anywhere,” He held her hands between his and kissed them. “I’m not leaving you under any circumstances.”
     
    He helped her lie back down before grabbing his cell phone and calling Sybille.
     
    “She’s up. All right.”
     
    After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door. He opened it and let Sybille and her sister Coco in.
     
    “How is she?” Sybille asked.
     
    “Her head is hurting.”
     
    “Oh, my poor child.” Sybille was on the verge of tears. She ran over to the bed and looked down at Heaven. “How are you feeling today, dearest?”
     
    “Terrible,” Heaven replied in a low whisper.
     
    “My poor baby,” Sybille cried as Coco walked towards them.
     
    “Even my cheek hurts now; I didn’t even feel it last night,” Heaven said in a raspy tone.
     
    “You do have a slight bruise there, Toots,” Coco said as she looked at