Inferno - Chelle Bliss by Chelle Bliss

Opal smiles, the tears streaming again. I get a little choked up myself, knowing Opal used to have no one, but now she has us. “Thanks, Lil.”

“See you Wednesday,” Tamara tells her.

“Call if you need anything,” Gigi says.

The three girls peel away from the bed and head toward the door as my mother pushes it open farther and steps into the room. “Thanks, girls.”

They nod in unison as they pass by her and disappear into the hallway.

“Opal,” Ma says as she walks up to the bed, getting her first good look at Opal. “How are you feeling, hun?”

“Like someone smacked me in the face with a baseball bat.”

Ma laughs, brushing back her long brown hair. “Looks like you were too.”

“Ma,” I warn, shaking my head. “Come on now.”

Ma waves me off, ignoring me like she often does. “Honey, she’s going to see her face in a mirror, but thankfully, everything will heal. You got lucky.”

Pop strolls into the room, holding a bag of garbage he grabbed from the vending machine near the waiting room. “Oh good. You’re awake.”

“Hi, Mr. G,” Opal says to my dad.

“Look at you. A couple of shiners. Been there. Done that. Shit looks worse than it feels.”

“Then mine must look god-awful because I feel like something’s boring into my skull.”

He reaches his hand into the bag, pulling out a couple chips. “It’s the cotton they shove up there. It’s the worst.”

They’re bonding over injuries. It’s cute and ridiculous at the same time.

“We’ve been worried sick about you,” Ma tells her, eyeing my father as he shoves the chips into his mouth like he hasn’t eaten in days.

“You were?” Opal asks, her voice high and light.

“Of course,” Fran adds, never leaving Opal’s side.

“Kid, you’re one of us now. When you disappeared—” Ma shakes her head and frowns “—I was scared I’d never see you again.”

“She cried,” Pop adds with a tip of his head toward Ma.

Ma raises her chin, glaring at my father. “Don’t act like you were calm, Michael.”

I snort. She’s not too happy when she uses his full name. “We were all scared.”

“I’m okay,” Opal tells them.

Dad raises an eyebrow. “You sure?”

Opal nods and winces. “My neck hurts a little, and, of course, my face does too.”

“You’ll be sore for a bit. I could give you some exercises you can do to heal that neck faster.”

Opal’s grimace is unmissable. “I’m good.”

The door opens again, and Uncle Thomas and Uncle James walk in, followed by a uniformed officer.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Opal. The guy needs a statement,” Uncle Thomas says, pitching his thumb over his shoulder to the guy who looks like he wouldn’t know a smile if it hit him square in the face.

Opal lifts herself, shifting her body upright a little more. “It’s okay.”

“Ma’am,” the officer says as he pulls a pen and a small pad from his black vest. “I’m sorry to bother you while you’re recovering, but it’s important that we get a statement from you as soon as possible.”

Uncle Thomas looks at me and ticks his head to the side of the room with a window showing a view of the attached building’s roof, where he and Uncle James are standing.

“I understand,” Opal tells the officer.

I snarl, not wanting to leave Opal’s side but knowing I have to give her some space to talk to the officer.

Opal gives my hand a squeeze. “It’s okay, Stone.”

I smile down at her before bending over, giving her head a light kiss. “I’ll stay in the room.”

“Thank you,” she whispers, staring up at me in a way that makes my chest tighten.

I stalk away from her and move to where Thomas and James are standing, and my parents join too. “What’s up?” I ask them.

“She okay?” Uncle James asks, studying Opal as she talks to the officer.

I nod. “Banged-up, but otherwise, she’s okay.”

“And mentally?”

“She feels guilty,” I tell him.

Uncle James tips his head and grimaces. “She shouldn’t feel that way, but it’s understandable. That feeling will wane once the gravity of what happened hits her. She did what she needed to do to survive, but she hasn’t come to terms with that entirely. Watch her. Once she realizes how close to death she was, she may break down a little.”

“Expect that to happen sooner rather than later,” Uncle Thomas adds, moving his gaze to Opal. “She’ll need you then.”

“I don’t plan on leaving her side,” I assure them.

Ma grabs my arm, looping her elbow with mine. “I’m proud of you, baby.”

I furrow my eyebrows, confused. “For what?”

Ma smiles at me like she did when I hit a game-winning home run in little league. “You’re all grown up.”

“Well, yeah.”

“Mentally, baby, mentally. You must really love her.”

“I do, Ma,” I tell her.

“The reality of what happened is going to wash over you too, Stone. Be prepared for that. Work through it fast so you can be there for her.”