course I will. I just thought maybe we could watch a movie or something.” She’d never admit how badly the man had scared her. She turned on the 6:00 news and rummaged for first aid supplies. “Here, let me look at that.”
Neither of them had mentioned the attack since it happened.
“Interested in current events all of a sudden?”
“You know better.” She took a bottle of peroxide and a tube of superglue from under the sink. Adam was almost always hurting himself at work and she’d become a practiced home surgeon. The gash was the deepest she’d ever treated, and it was red around the edge. “This is going to hurt.” She handed him a kitchen towel to bite down on. “Ready?”
“Ready.” His words were muffled by the gag.
Harmony held his hand above the sink and poured the peroxide over the wound, which instantly bubbled and fizzed. The thin scab that had started to form melted away and as the skin pulled back apart, the reaction to the peroxide got worse.
Adam grunted as she dabbed the knuckle with a paper towel and repeated the process.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the E.R.?”
Adam spat out the towel. “And tell them what? I split my knuckle assaulting—and possibly killing—a bum who was trying to rape my girlfriend?”
“Then make something up.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Yeah, I guess not. One last rinse and I’ll close it up.”
The news anchor announced the story she’d been waiting for. She set down the bottle and rushed to turn up the volume.
“Um, hello?” Adam held pressure on his hand to stop the bleeding.
“Hang on a minute. Listen.”
“In other news, a homeless man was found in an alley just off of 9 th Street in Mason earlier this morning.” A picture of the man who attacked her appeared on the screen. He was wearing a hospital gown and had a gauze bandage on his right temple, but was very much alive. Adam wrapped the paper towel around his hand and joined her in watching. “Police are investigating the attack, but the victim, identified only as John Doe, is unable to answer questions at this time. Anyone with information on either his identity or the incident should call the Mason Police Department.” A phone number appeared on the screen and the feed cut to the weather.
“Well that’s a load off.” Blood seeped through the paper towel . Adam exchanged it for a clean one.
The news was a mixed blessing. Adam wasn’t a murderer, but her attacker was still out there. No way was she taking that bus again. She twisted the top off the glue and hurried to seal Adam’s cut, holding it closed until it set.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Adam blew on the glue to dry it.
“I’m just tired and worried about how to get my mother to Bennett next week. She doesn’t care if I go to a group home or not. What does she stand to gain by going?”
“Well, we got her power turned back on, so there’s that.”
Harmony shrugged. “On/off, it doesn’t matter to her. It’s only temporary.”
“Even in winter? She’s not going to want to stay in that place if it’s freezing cold.”
“Her boyfriends will pay for hotel rooms. She’s figured the system out.”
“What about Brea’s mother?”
“What about her?”
“Bennett said she attacked her. What if you bluff? Tell her she’s reconsidering pressing charges.”
“I don’t think she can legally do that.”
“And you honestly believe your mother will know the difference?”
“ Good point. I can probably sell the story with Brea’s help.”
“Why didn’t she tell you about it in the first place?” Adam grabbed a slice of pizza with a set of tongs. Cheese had melted through rack and was sizzling on the oven floor, causing it to smoke. He set the slice on a paper plate and handed it to her before taking the other two for himself.
Harmony set the pizza on the counter, her stomach more upset than hungry, and shrugged. “ Why didn’t who tell me? Brea? I’m guessing she
Neither of them had mentioned the attack since it happened.
“Interested in current events all of a sudden?”
“You know better.” She took a bottle of peroxide and a tube of superglue from under the sink. Adam was almost always hurting himself at work and she’d become a practiced home surgeon. The gash was the deepest she’d ever treated, and it was red around the edge. “This is going to hurt.” She handed him a kitchen towel to bite down on. “Ready?”
“Ready.” His words were muffled by the gag.
Harmony held his hand above the sink and poured the peroxide over the wound, which instantly bubbled and fizzed. The thin scab that had started to form melted away and as the skin pulled back apart, the reaction to the peroxide got worse.
Adam grunted as she dabbed the knuckle with a paper towel and repeated the process.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the E.R.?”
Adam spat out the towel. “And tell them what? I split my knuckle assaulting—and possibly killing—a bum who was trying to rape my girlfriend?”
“Then make something up.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Yeah, I guess not. One last rinse and I’ll close it up.”
The news anchor announced the story she’d been waiting for. She set down the bottle and rushed to turn up the volume.
“Um, hello?” Adam held pressure on his hand to stop the bleeding.
“Hang on a minute. Listen.”
“In other news, a homeless man was found in an alley just off of 9 th Street in Mason earlier this morning.” A picture of the man who attacked her appeared on the screen. He was wearing a hospital gown and had a gauze bandage on his right temple, but was very much alive. Adam wrapped the paper towel around his hand and joined her in watching. “Police are investigating the attack, but the victim, identified only as John Doe, is unable to answer questions at this time. Anyone with information on either his identity or the incident should call the Mason Police Department.” A phone number appeared on the screen and the feed cut to the weather.
“Well that’s a load off.” Blood seeped through the paper towel . Adam exchanged it for a clean one.
The news was a mixed blessing. Adam wasn’t a murderer, but her attacker was still out there. No way was she taking that bus again. She twisted the top off the glue and hurried to seal Adam’s cut, holding it closed until it set.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Adam blew on the glue to dry it.
“I’m just tired and worried about how to get my mother to Bennett next week. She doesn’t care if I go to a group home or not. What does she stand to gain by going?”
“Well, we got her power turned back on, so there’s that.”
Harmony shrugged. “On/off, it doesn’t matter to her. It’s only temporary.”
“Even in winter? She’s not going to want to stay in that place if it’s freezing cold.”
“Her boyfriends will pay for hotel rooms. She’s figured the system out.”
“What about Brea’s mother?”
“What about her?”
“Bennett said she attacked her. What if you bluff? Tell her she’s reconsidering pressing charges.”
“I don’t think she can legally do that.”
“And you honestly believe your mother will know the difference?”
“ Good point. I can probably sell the story with Brea’s help.”
“Why didn’t she tell you about it in the first place?” Adam grabbed a slice of pizza with a set of tongs. Cheese had melted through rack and was sizzling on the oven floor, causing it to smoke. He set the slice on a paper plate and handed it to her before taking the other two for himself.
Harmony set the pizza on the counter, her stomach more upset than hungry, and shrugged. “ Why didn’t who tell me? Brea? I’m guessing she
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