Page 126 of Chasing Headlines
“I'm not. I don't?—”
“Got time for lunch tomorrow?”
I opened my mouth to tell him—Oh God, what did I need to tell him?
Chapter Thirty-Four
Breslin POV
My head split open. A crack started at a point in the middle of my brain, and moved to a point behind my eyes. I groaned. My hand found a lump on my forehead. Maybe it was where the brain split reached the surface of my skin. My body ached, desperate to move. What was left of my head shot back that moving would spill brain matter we couldn't afford to lose.
Other bodily needs made their objections known. And still the world throbbed.
“You're alive,” an unpleasant voice rung out in the dimness.
“Yeah. Guess so.”
“Thought you were trying to die.”
Jimenez.I grumbled. “I think death hurts less. What the fuck did I drink?”
“Oh no, pendejo. You got drunk to be sure, but then you decided to get in a fight with a mechanical bull. You've been a full-time job ever since.”
The ceiling blurred. I tried to push myself upright. “Where the hell am I?”
“Reporter Chica's bedroom.”
I fell back against the pillow.How did this happen? Why can't I remember? Wait, is she naked?I lifted the covers and glanced around the room.
“Probably not how youwantedto get here.”
“Sheshould be here, not your ugly ass.” I seethed as my brain throbbed that much harder.
A low chuckle. “I knew there was a human in there. You hide it well.”
“Rumors like that'll ruin my Storm Cooper image.” I touched the heated knot on my forehead.
Jimenez threw his head back and laughed.
“Get me outta here before Milline comes back.” I managed to make it upright, but my head screamed in protest. “I don't need to be one of her headlines. Dammit. Why her? Why here?”
“You weren't so unhappy about it earlier today. I got a picture for you to remember the occasion.”
“What?” I held my head in my hands. This wasn't right. Something was wrong with me. I shouldn't hurt this bad, should I?
He held up his phone with a picture of a parallel universe—in which I was on my knees, holding Milline's hand. Staring up at her like she was my whole world. “I was drunk out of my mind.”
“Will it be a long engagement?”
“I'm going to feed you your phone. Delete that shit.”
“She looked a little ruffled, too. I know as little boys, we tormented the girls we liked, but we're supposed to be men, now.”
“Delete it.” I groaned. “She's a pain in my ass.”
“Give me a break, man. Or let me know when you're going to grow a pair and start being a man. This tortured victim shit doesn't work for being a guy I want to call 'teammate'.”
I pressed my eyes closed as he continued.