Read Online Forever Checking (Checked Series Book 3) by Jennifer Jamelli - Free Book Online
Authors: Jennifer Jamelli
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holding me up.
He is holding me up. He is holding me. He—
“Callie? Callie? Are you with me?”
I’m with you. I’m with you. I’m with you.
“Callie?”
I force out some sort of affirmative noise, my mouth moving against his chest. The warmth of his—
“Okay. We are going to try to get you into your chair.” He whispers. “I’m going to lean you back, but I’ve got you. Don’t worry.”
He’s got me.
My body starts moving backwards, downwards, but my face stays on his chest. His arms keep squeezing.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Callie.”
Back. Back. Back. Ba—
I land in my seat. Gently.
His chest pulls away from my cheek. His arms stop holding me.
But he doesn’t go far. He leans down and catches my gaze before kneeling right in front of my chair. Right in front of me. On the dirt—
“I promise that I’ll switch pants and wash these ones as soon as we get out of here.” He grabs my hands and…and smiles.
And…and I know he’s in my head again. And I know that gets annoying. But still, it’s nice that he knows. Understands.
{Sam Smith gets louder and loud—}
“Honey, you relax for now.” Judy. Judy is talking from somewhere nearby.
I forgot about Judy’s presence. Her existence.
“Relax, honey. You just let me know when you are ready for me to try again.”
WHAT?
My back pushes my whole body forward, ready to leap out of the—
“Hold on.” Him. He gently squeezes my hands and starts to press me back into the chair.
I try to push him away. But I can’t get up. Out.
My mouth flies open. “No. I’m not—”
“Callie, no…no, you’re not.” He puts his hands on my cheeks, forcing me to look at him. “You aren’t trying again right now.”
His eyes. Warm. Reassuring. His hands. Same.
Okay. Okay. Okay.
My eyes fall closed in relief. In exhaustion.
They aren’t going to make me try again. Judy is not going to tie that thing around my arm again or—
OR.
OR do other things that I don’t want to think about. So—
Still holding my cheeks, he speaks again. “Judy, we will try again soon. But not now. Definitely not now. Thanks—”
He keeps saying words to her, to Judy, to the person who wants to put a needle under my—
NO. Do not think about it. Do not think about it. Do not think about it.
Think about his hands. On your cheeks.
On you.
But he just said “soon.” When is “soon”? And where is “soon”? Will Judy be coming here again or—
Well, if she’s coming here again, I’m never coming here again. Because I can’t do this. I can’t. I can’t. I—
“Callie? Callie?” His hands press into my cheeks, shaking my head slightly. “Callie?”
One. Two. Three.
Eyes open.
His eyes. Right here. Concern and relief all swirled together.
“Let’s get you home so you can take a shower before class.”
I nod. Okay. Sounds good. Okay.
His hands fall from my cheeks as he stands up in front of me.
“All right. I want you to get up slowly.” He extends his arms, his hands, so they hang in front of him. “And I want you to hold on to me.”
My hands reach for his and he—
He smiles. Big smile. “I’ll keep my dirty knees away from you.”
He pulls me up to a standing position, a standing position extremely close to his standing position. My body starts to weaken for an entirely differ—
He whispers. So quietly. “For now.”
My cheeks start to flush. I know they do. I—
“I’m ready now.” The nurse. Judy. I forgot about her. Again.
My eyes flicker away from him, over to Judy. She’s coming out of the bathroom, a bag in her hand.
I wonder if that’s where she put the nee—
“Let’s get your purse. Walk slowly.”
He lets go of my left hand and tugs my right hand toward the area behind his desk, toward my purse hook.
My feet move naturally. My knees, legs, moving better than I thought they would. I grab my purse, and we head out of his office, my hand in his. And Judy a couple of steps
He is holding me up. He is holding me. He—
“Callie? Callie? Are you with me?”
I’m with you. I’m with you. I’m with you.
“Callie?”
I force out some sort of affirmative noise, my mouth moving against his chest. The warmth of his—
“Okay. We are going to try to get you into your chair.” He whispers. “I’m going to lean you back, but I’ve got you. Don’t worry.”
He’s got me.
My body starts moving backwards, downwards, but my face stays on his chest. His arms keep squeezing.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Callie.”
Back. Back. Back. Ba—
I land in my seat. Gently.
His chest pulls away from my cheek. His arms stop holding me.
But he doesn’t go far. He leans down and catches my gaze before kneeling right in front of my chair. Right in front of me. On the dirt—
“I promise that I’ll switch pants and wash these ones as soon as we get out of here.” He grabs my hands and…and smiles.
And…and I know he’s in my head again. And I know that gets annoying. But still, it’s nice that he knows. Understands.
{Sam Smith gets louder and loud—}
“Honey, you relax for now.” Judy. Judy is talking from somewhere nearby.
I forgot about Judy’s presence. Her existence.
“Relax, honey. You just let me know when you are ready for me to try again.”
WHAT?
My back pushes my whole body forward, ready to leap out of the—
“Hold on.” Him. He gently squeezes my hands and starts to press me back into the chair.
I try to push him away. But I can’t get up. Out.
My mouth flies open. “No. I’m not—”
“Callie, no…no, you’re not.” He puts his hands on my cheeks, forcing me to look at him. “You aren’t trying again right now.”
His eyes. Warm. Reassuring. His hands. Same.
Okay. Okay. Okay.
My eyes fall closed in relief. In exhaustion.
They aren’t going to make me try again. Judy is not going to tie that thing around my arm again or—
OR.
OR do other things that I don’t want to think about. So—
Still holding my cheeks, he speaks again. “Judy, we will try again soon. But not now. Definitely not now. Thanks—”
He keeps saying words to her, to Judy, to the person who wants to put a needle under my—
NO. Do not think about it. Do not think about it. Do not think about it.
Think about his hands. On your cheeks.
On you.
But he just said “soon.” When is “soon”? And where is “soon”? Will Judy be coming here again or—
Well, if she’s coming here again, I’m never coming here again. Because I can’t do this. I can’t. I can’t. I—
“Callie? Callie?” His hands press into my cheeks, shaking my head slightly. “Callie?”
One. Two. Three.
Eyes open.
His eyes. Right here. Concern and relief all swirled together.
“Let’s get you home so you can take a shower before class.”
I nod. Okay. Sounds good. Okay.
His hands fall from my cheeks as he stands up in front of me.
“All right. I want you to get up slowly.” He extends his arms, his hands, so they hang in front of him. “And I want you to hold on to me.”
My hands reach for his and he—
He smiles. Big smile. “I’ll keep my dirty knees away from you.”
He pulls me up to a standing position, a standing position extremely close to his standing position. My body starts to weaken for an entirely differ—
He whispers. So quietly. “For now.”
My cheeks start to flush. I know they do. I—
“I’m ready now.” The nurse. Judy. I forgot about her. Again.
My eyes flicker away from him, over to Judy. She’s coming out of the bathroom, a bag in her hand.
I wonder if that’s where she put the nee—
“Let’s get your purse. Walk slowly.”
He lets go of my left hand and tugs my right hand toward the area behind his desk, toward my purse hook.
My feet move naturally. My knees, legs, moving better than I thought they would. I grab my purse, and we head out of his office, my hand in his. And Judy a couple of steps
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