As If

By, Just Get Over It

Chapter 8: Oh the Irony

I stared, with eyes wide as saucers, at the bloody pulp that was once my date for the evening who stood unsteadily on my doorstep. I guess whatever excuse he had for standing me up on our first date tonight would suffice, if it had anything to do with why he was drenched in blood right now anyways.

"Oh, my god, Collin?!" I cried, quickly moving forward to toss his arm over my shoulder and help lead him into my apartment. I forced my eyes closed, using my instincts to lead us over to the couch. I had a bit of a phobia when it came to blood, and when that blood was staining my freshly vacuumed carpet was a whole different obstacle that I wasn't ready confront yet either.

Ever so gently, I struggled to support Collin's weight - his muscles really added more weight than I expected - down into the sofa cushions. As soon as he was on the sofa he head lolled back on to the back of the sofa. Again, ignoring the fact that my cream-colored satin sofa was now being ruined with Collin's blood, I rushed over into the kitchen to scurry through the pantries for the first-aid kit that I kept in case of... well... just because I'm me. I had to stretch up onto the tips of my toes as I had to let Amazon woman Scarlett store it away for me in the highest pantry in the kitchen when I first moved in. The bitch. She probably did it on purpose.

"Okay... um... I don't think I have enough band-aids in here," I said worriedly as I jogged back over to Collin's side. I don't know why I was surprised when, even when he was more battered and bruised than someone who just got out of a death match with Rocky, he chuckled at me. This was not a humorous situation.

"I think you're going to need a little more than band-aids, Sam," he spoke, mostly through his teeth as I figured that it probably hurt even just to talk. See how idiotic he is? He wastes his energy on cracking jokes. Moron.

"Oh shut up," I groused before I gently lied the first-aid kit down beside him and dashed back into the kitchen to grab a washcloth. I placed it underneath the faucet to run some warm water over it then I re-entered the living room so take up the empty space beside Collin on the sofa. "Take off your shirt."

Collin glanced at me and arched an eyebrow. "Well... I was thinking that you'd wanna have dinner first - but I'm good with just skipping to desert."

I forced myself not to laugh - or slap him - and decided to just do it myself. Carefully, I lifted up his shirt to find his incredibly toned stomach was covered in dark purple bruises that looked incredibly painful. What the hell happened to him? Did he get hit by a freaking' freight train or something?

"Oh, my god," I murmured breathlessly. "Collin what the hell happened to you?" I demanded as I began gently patting over his face with the damp clothing, hoping to finally be able to see his face without the crimson mask. Thankfully, neither of his eyes looked black or swollen, but his had a nasty cut in, as did both sides of his cheeks that were begging to swell. They'd definitely need some antiseptic to keep from getting infected.

"Marshall and I had a little... disagreement," Collin replied, wincing at the sting of the cloth when I dabbed them over his cuts.

Marshall? Marshall? The image of that thin, devious-looking little man who had been introducing Collin to the people in the crowd the first night I saw him in the ring flashed into my mind. He did this?! No way, that was, like, impossible.

"Marshall did this to you?" I asked incredulously. "Collin you're, like, twice his size."

"No," Collin said with a pained chuckle. "Marshall doesn't do his own dirty work. One of his boys scheduled to fight tonight had to drop out at the last minute due to medical reasons - car crash or something like that. Marshall wanted me to take his place in the fight tonight but I told him no since I had already made other plans. Lets just say Marshall isn't the type of guy that like to hear the word 'no'."

Ugh. If I didn't like that man before, I sure as hell despised him now. What kind of creep does something like this?

"So he got his goons to jump you?" I scoffed in disgust. "Collin we have to go to the police, you could tell them--"

Collin sat up in the sofa so fast that I nearly fell over onto the floor. His face was mere inches from mine, and, in his eyes, I saw something that I'd never seen in Collin before: fear. Was it possible for a guy who did what Collin did daily to even feel fear?

"No cops." The way he said it meant that there wasn't even the slightest chance that I could try to persuade him otherwise, his voice, yet with a gentle undertone, was very firm and commanding. "If anyone tries to bust Marshall, we're all going down for being involved with his business. What we do is illegal, Sam. I can't go to jail. For anybody. I won't. I've got too much to worry about here if I go inside and I don't want to think about what'll happen if I get locked up."

I didn't really understand all that much, but I nodded regardless. Collin had apparently already been through enough hell tonight and I didn't want to make it worse by pestering him into doing something that it was obviously so reluctant against.

"Okay," I said with a heavy sigh as I moved dropped the washcloth that was once white into the bowl of water that was now a weird pink-ish color from draining the bloody water from the rag in it. "All done."

Collin's face was thankfully completely clear of all the blood and I'd managed to put a little antiseptic on all cuts and bandaged up his stomach. It was amazing the kind of things that you could do with the contents of a first-aid kit and being an avid fan of Grey's Anatomy.

"How do you feel?" I inquired.

He sat up, still wincing but a lot easier than it had before. His eyes locked in on mine and I expected him to say 'okay' or 'better' or anything verbal. Instead, he leaned in and captured my lips with his own. My mind was screaming at me to say or do something at that moment, but instead, I found myself simply falling into the kiss as every logical part of my brain seemed to transform into mush with the help of Collin's lip. Oh, my god nobody should be able to kiss this good. How many people has he kissed to be so experienced? Is it safe for me to be kissing such an experienced kisser? Ugh... who cares?

When Collin suddenly abruptly pulled away leaving me hanging there with my lips puckered - not doubt looking like a complete moron - I fought the urge to grab him by his shoulders and just ravage him right here on the couch, but, even though he'd argue tooth and nail that it didn't matter, he was still injured badly and I didn't want to strain him. Plus, I'm not a whore. Still, with the sensation of his lips against mine suddenly gone, I couldn't resist the urge to pout a little.

"Thank you," he spoke softly, causing my eyes to flutter open. His face was serious and earnest. "I probably would have bled to death had it not been for you and your handy-dandy nursing kit."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I like to be prepared for anything."

Collin gave a low rumble of a chuckle as he eased himself back into the sofa cushions. "Even a situation like this?"

Okay, so maybe this particular scenario never crossed my mind when I was in the drug store admiring the first-aid kit.

"Well," I began. "I was thinking of scenarios more along the lines of paper cuts, or chopping board accidents. You should probably still go to a real doctor and get those wounds checked out," I advised, but I made sure not to keep my voice as demanding as I had when I suggested involving the authorities earlier.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that."

The way he said it assured me that he was planning on doing anything but.

Collin's eyes then roamed over to the clock hanging on my wall which showed that it was nearing one a.m. Crap. I have to work tomorrow - well today technically. "Shit. Is that the time? Sam I'm really sorry about screwing up our date tonight."

"Um... I kind of think that being beaten within an inch of your life counts as a good excuse for a rain-check," I assured him.

It was usually then that I would have politely asked him to leave but I realized: this guy was hurt, like, really bad. There was no way that it would be responsible for me to let him get back in his car and drive away from my house in this condition. So I had two choices: be irresponsible for the first time in my life and send him packing? Or invite him to stay over? Both options terrified the daylight out of me.

"Um... Collin," I spoke slowly. Trying to decide which phrase to throw out there first. Finally, I decided to just blurt my decision out: "You'restayingheretonight." I'd said it so fast that even I barely understood what came out of my own mouth.

"I didn't catch that," he replied, giving me a puzzled look.

Taking a deep breath - more slowly this time - I repeated: "You're staying here tonight."

I ignored the playfully smirk that now graced his features. "Really?" he inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"You look like hell, and you are in no condition to be operating any kind of vehicle. If I let you out of this house and back into your car right now I might as well be signing your death warrant. You're staying here till morning and then we'll see how you're feeling. Understand?"

I didn't wait for him to reply before I got up and left him sitting there on the couch. I went over to my hallway pantry and retrieved a heating comforter that I kept for the colder winters, along with a pillow and walked back into the living room.

"This sofa does pull out into a bed but I don't want you to have to move so much, plus I wouldn't be able to support you and pull the bed out as well so will this be okay?"

"Yeah, this is fine. Thank you, I really don't want to impose."

"I invited you so you're not imposing... but if I catch you somehow make a miraculous recovery and you wind up in my bed tomorrow morning then don't expect this offer again." We both laughed, but there was a hint of seriousness in my tone; that had happened to me once before, with the fireman. The only thing on fire that morning was his family jewels.

"Deal." He yawned quickly after that and I figured that I'd pulled out the you-can-stay-over option at just the right time as he looked like he was about ready to drop anyways.

"Stretch out," I commanded gently.

"No, I'm fine, just a little..."

"Tired."

"Sam really. We could at least order Pay-per-view or something close to a movie."

"Maybe tomorrow night when you won't fall asleep on me and I don't have work in"- I glanced at the clock-"six hours. Now go on."

Collin gave me a reluctant look put slide over before he stretched himself out on the sofa. He was a little longer than I'd expected and his feet dangled off the arm of the sofa but I wasn't about to upgrade his offer to a nice little cool, empty spot on my bed either.

As soon as I draped the comforter over his body Collin snuggled into the sofa and wished me goodnight. I smiled before I turned the lights off in the kitchen and living room then made my way towards my bedroom. Before I could even get past the television I heard the sound of Collin snoring softly, usually I found snoring incredibly annoying - I dated an investment banker who did it... total mood-killer - but his was actually kind of... cute.

I leaned down so that we were eye-level before I softly ran my fingers through the sleeping beauty's hair and grinned. Slowly and carefully I leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Goodnight, Collin."

Quietly moving back to my feet I exited the room and headed into my bedroom, closing the door till it was only a tiny crack left before I went into the bathroom and prepared myself for bed - you know, brushing the teeth, flossing, etc. etc. - and ten minutes later I was out like a light myself.

The next morning I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing like an hour before my alarm even went off. I groaned at the unwelcome intrusion on my dreams but reached my hand out from underneath my bedspread and snatched my cordless phone off the receiver on my end table and dragged it back underneath the covers.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Sam, I'm sorry did I wake you?"

I sighed. Of course he'd be the only one too big-headed to think that I actually had other things to do before I was on billable hours - like sleeping.

"Um, no, not really," I lied. Badly. "Can I help you with anything, Jeremy?"

"Actually that's why I'm calling. James and I have decided to take the day off today for other engagement"-a.k.a. golfing-"so I just wanted to call and inform you that you don't have to come in to work today."

Oh, okay I won't kill him.

"OK, thank you."

"However there is something things that I need to discuss with you relating to your job performance so it is imperative that you meet me tonight, say around eight o'clock, the Corner Side Bistro?"

Dammit. I knew there had to be some catch.

With a heavy sigh I replied, "Sure. Did I do something wrong?"

"Right now I have to go, we'll discuss everything tonight. I'll see you tonight, Sam."

"Goodbye, Mr. Bickford."

I hung up with him before he could insist that I call him Jeremy and ripped the covers away from me. Slowly, and reluctantly, I shimmied out of bed and into my bathroom to shower and brush my teeth as I knew there was no chance of my going back to sleep.

After I had that all taken care of I exited my room and went down the hall hoping to find Collin still fast asleep on the couch - I'd been looking forward to it since I got off the phone with Jeremy - but to my surprise he was nowhere to be found. The comforter I'd given him was folded neatly on one of the sofa cushions and the pillow placed atop it. I took in a deep whiff and realized that I also smelled fresh bacon and eggs causing me to glance into the kitchen and find just that, yet, no Collin anywhere. I've never had a guy stand me up after staying the night and still cook me breakfast.

Well, this day just keeps getting better and better doesn't it?

Thanks to: XMutherfknxPrincesx, GhettoBread, Zedler, ricemidget, Poptart Guava Kid, It's Just That, Esquirella, hexyz, VandySKYBridge, daydrmr, Serolina, pfannkucken, midnightwrighter, Mary Lynn :D, EyeLuvEminem, timi, Faylarean, and Sassygrl for reviewing you guys are more cool than the other side of the pillow... hehee... I like that one :)