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And it was compounded by the fluffy, warm bed that she found herself lying in. Nicola threw the nipple clamps onto the nightstand and sat upright. What the hell was she supposed to do with herself? Abagail was paying her to fuck, but then she’d refused to let Nicola even do her job. Which was a conundrum that Nicola hadn’t anticipated.

She listened to the sounds of the house, finally taking the time to immerse herself in them. But she couldn’t really hear anything. Not people milling around, not Abagail moving through the halls or in her bedroom, which was only a couple doors down from Nicola. Sighing, Nicola turned on her side and closed her eyes.

She wasn’t going to be able to stand it here, was she?

It was too damn quiet.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. Frowning, Nicola dragged her upper body over so that she could snag it. Immediately she tensed. It was the rehabilitation facility whereAlanna lived. Were they calling to demand the rest of the payment that she most definitely didn’t have?

“H-hello?” Nicola stuttered.

“This is Thrive Wellness. I’m calling because there was a medical event with your sister, Alanna Bolsinger, and you’re listed as her emergency contact.”

“Yes?” Nicola’s heart was instantly in her throat, her entire body closing in on itself as the tension took over her. “What happened?”

If this person didn’t start speaking faster, then Nicola was going to start screaming. She needed answers right now. Immediately. No, she needed them yesterday.

“She had a seizure.”

Well that wasn’t entirely odd. Alanna had had seizures since the car accident, and while Nicola was informed of all of them, they usually weren’t calling at eight in the evening to tell her about them either. She was still tense, her stomach still doing that funny thing when she didn’t know what she was supposed to be doing or how she was supposed to be acting yet.

“We’ve transported her to the hospital.”

“The hospital?” Nicola frowned, already standing up and staring around the room. She didn’t have any of her things. She’d managed to buy three outfits that day, but she couldn’t see any of them to put on in her panic induced blindness.

“We couldn’t stop the seizures like we normally could. The ambulance just left the facility two minutes ago and she will be treated at the hospital until she can return here.”

“Fuck. All right. Which hospital?” Nicola memorized the information, her hands trembling as she hung up the phone and quickly dressed in the clothes she could now miraculously find. She hated this panic. But ever since the car accident that had killed their parents and injured Alanna so badly, these callsalways put that pit into her stomach, and it’d take ages for it to recede and vanish again.

If it ever really did.

Nicola stepped out of the bedroom before the world came slamming down on her again.

She didn’t have a car.

And it wasn’t like she had money to even call for a rideshare or something. She wrung her hands together, turning toward Abagail’s bedroom, dragging her feet heavily.

Nicola lifted her hand and knocked on the closed door, praying that Abagail would actually answer for her. They’d left off from that conversation so awkwardly, and she had no idea where Abagail stood on everything.

“Come,” Abagail said, her voice firm and confident.

When Nicola stepped inside the bedroom, she had to squint to make out Abagail’s form on the bed. She was propped up against the pillows and the headboard, a low light next to her and a book pressed against her legs, reading glasses on her nose.

“What is it?”

“I uh… do you have a car I can borrow? Since mine’s not here.” Nicola put her hands behind her back and clasped her fingers together. She didn’t want to come off as nervous.

“Where do you need to go?” Abagail pulled her reading glasses off, setting them next to her thigh, and she narrowed her gaze at Nicola.

“The store, to get some… feminine hygiene things.” Nicola rolled her eyes and gave a chuckle. “Who knew my horniness last night was a direct result of my period coming on?”

Abagail hummed, and the sound moved straight through Nicola’s body in between her legs. She managed to not press her thighs together, but she really wanted to. In fact, if she had time and brain power, she’d just climb into that bed with Abagail and try to forget the world of chaos and pain and tragedy outside.

“Cal can take you, but his shift ends in an hour, so don’t take too long.”

“Right. Thanks.” Nicola bit the inside of her cheek. She should probably be doing something, right? Something that would pay Abagail back for this? With a deep breath, Nicola flounced her way toward the bed and bent down, pressing their mouths together.

She deepened the kiss, parting her lips and sliding her tongue along Abagail’s. She gripped the back of Abagail’s head and held her there tightly. She scraped her teeth along Abagail’s lower lip. Moving the book to the side roughly, Nicola palmed Abagail’s breast and gave her a squeeze hard enough to elicit a squeak and a grunt from Abagail. Nicola pulled back sharply and raised her eyebrows in quick succession.