Page 63 of The Fractured

About an hour later, with the TV on as background noise, I remained on the same couch but this time with my head back while Lily stood behind me. Phone flashlight shining into my mouth, she checked for a broken tooth. All I had done was complain about a dull ache in my mouth from biting my tongue, but she insisted on being diligent.

It was hard not to smile up at her as her brow furrowed.

“Will he survive, Doc?” Seb asked sarcastically.

Lily laughed quietly and flicked the flashlight off. “Definitely just a bitten tongue.”

“Told you,” I said, still looking up at her.

She leaned down closer, combing her fingers through the back of my hair. “Just making sure,” she said as she lightly flicked the tip of my nose.

“I still think they should invest in some mouth guards,” Kira added, crossing her legs while she sat on the adjacent couch.

I lifted my head, and Lily slid her arms around my shoulders, hugging me from behind.

“A gold tooth would look pretty cool though,” Seb said, tapping his front tooth. “Or imagine a gold-plated grill?”

“Gold teeth come out just as easy as a regular tooth,” I noted.

“True… Remember the guy with the dentures?” Seb laughed as he brought up the memory.

Kira and Lily were already laughing as we reminisced.

“You knocked them clean out of his head,” I chuckled. “He wasn’t even that old.”

“Scared the shit out of me when it happened. They flew out looking like those wind-up teeth thingies,” Seb added, re-enacting the moment with his hands.

We laughed harder. It hurt to do with a body littered with bruises, but every ounce of the pain was worth it.

Seb was staying the night, invited by Kira, since I was staying too. He originally planned to crash on the couch, but Kira said in more of a passing comment, one that wasn’t up for debate, that her bed was fine. She had walked into her bedroom before Seb could refuse.

Lily and I went to bed not long after them.

Showered of any lingering grime from the night, I got ready for bed, tying the drawstring of my sweatpants while Lily dressed in a matching set of pajamas.

I had one thing on my mind: passing out. But those thoughts vanished when I noticed the faint worry etched on Lily’s face as she let her hair down.

“When are you getting the gun?” She crawled under the covers, trying to mask the question as something more casual.

“Soon. Antonio didn’t really give me a specific date.” I climbed in beside her, watching her for any signs of anxiety about the whole thing. There was still a faint frown between her eyebrows.

She nodded in consideration, pausing to think. I was about to ask how she felt, but her mood lightened. Like she simply flipped a switch with a sigh.

“So, Jane has a soccer game tomorrow morning. She wants me to go watch.” It was more of a statement than anything.

“Yeah?” I tucked my arm under my head.

“Mom will be there. Keeping up appearances for the PTA stuff.” She settled down into the space under my arm, resting her head on my chest.

“You want me to come?” Looking down, I could just make out the way her cheek raised as she smiled at the question.

She traced her fingers lightly across my chest. “Only if you want to.”

“I’ll be there. I haven’t been to a soccer game since I left Sicily.”

Chapter 23

Lily