“Let’s go, ladies.” I nod to the door.

“No,” Madison whines, sticking out her bottom lip and the whole thing.

“Queenie, get your ass—”

She stands up. “I have to pee first.”

“Right there.” I point to the private bathroom.

“Right there,” she mocks, then stomps and whines all the way there.

“Meet me out front?”

“Yeah, man. You get the chicks. I’ll grab the dicks,” Finn says as he walks out.

As soon as he’s out of earshot, Tally jumps up. “Your shirt is on backwards.”

I look down. “So?”

“So, they’ll notice.”

“I’m pretty sure they’re gonna notice what’s going on between us. I have no intention of hiding it.”

“I don’t want Madison to think less of me, Memphis.”

“Less of you for wanting me?” I point to myself ‘cause I’m pretty sure she just insulted me.

“The way she talks about your groupies … I don’t want her thinking I’m like—”

“You’re nothing like any of them, Tales. Come on, she would never—”

“She would, because I do,” she says quickly then covers her mouth, surprised by what she said. She clears her throat. “Your shirt, please.”

“If you want it fixed, come and fix it. I couldn’t give a fuck less what anyone thinks about me.”

She groans before walking over and pulling my shirt up. “Happy?”

“No, not fucking really.”

I pull my arms out, and she turns the shirt over.

“All better.” She steps back, and I grab her hand.

“Let me ask you something, Tales?”

Her eyes dart to the door and back to me. She is panicking a little.

“How do you think I feel about this situation? Do you think I consider you to be like the women I’ve fucked?”

She pulls her hand back. “You haven’t fucked me.”

I swear to God my jaw hits the ground when she says fuck. At the same time, my dick is instantly hard.

“Tales.” I can’t even hide the growl. I am amped up and ready to rock. “You’re right, but you’ve fucked me, so let me ask you something: do you see me the same way they do, like a conquest, like something you can check off your bucket list?”

“Screw you, Memphis!”

“What did he do now?” Madison asks as she walks out of the bathroom.

“Nothing,” Tally says as she hurries away.

“I stubbed my fucking toe,” I say, opening the door. “Ladies.” I pause, hoping that stings her a little, exactly like she just stung me. “Let’s go.”

We are at the top of the stairs when I see Billy swing and connect with some preppy fuck’s nose.

“Get the fuck out of here!” I yell at Madison and Tally as I skip about twenty stairs to get to the bottom.

It’s a fucking brawl. Finn is lifting some fucker up by the collar, and River is ducking, weaving, jabbing, and laughing his ass off. Billy sees me out of the corner of his eye.

“Look out!” I yell as the bastard he hit nails him in the nose.

I dive into the crowd, swinging. Motherfuckers don’t fuck with my friends.

I feel someone grab my arm, and I swing and make contact with the face of the same fucker that was giving me hell about Tales. I feel something sharp hit the back of my head, and then liquid heat.

I turn and swing, and before I can stop myself, I see the broken bottle.

“Fuck!” I scream when I connect with the broken bottle. “Motherfucker!”

I swing with my other hand, knocking the fucker out with a right uppercut. I then feel someone pulling me by the back of my shirt.

“Get him the fuck out of here.”

I grab my left hand and pull it tightly to my chest where blood is pouring out. I am getting dizzy.

“Where are the girls? Mads, Tales! Where the fuck are they?”

“Memphis!” I hear Madison screaming. “Oh, God!”

Blackness overtakes me.

I grab Madison and pull her to the door, feeling sick to my stomach as I open the door to the awaiting car.

“Get in, Mads.”

“But, but—”

“Get in the fucking car!” I scream, not even covering my mouth after the expletive.

“What the hell did I do to you?” I hear Memphis behind me. “Swearing and—”

“Get in.” I have to hold back the tears when I see he’s awake now.

“Sweet cheeks, only if you don’t mind my head on your lap.” He sounds drunk.

I smile and nod. “Of course.”

In the car, I am seated on the black leather bench that backs against the driver’s seat while Memphis lies with his head on my lap, just like he warned. I rap on the partition, calling out “Hospital!” when the driver opens it.

“Tell him fucking fast. Not feeling all that good,” Memphis moans out.

“Fast!”

“No, say ‘fucking fast’.” He smirks, and then his eyes squint in pain.

“Fucking fast,” I yell, knowing it will make him open his eyes.

“You’re making me hard, sweet cheeks,” he mumbles.

I push his hair out of his eyes and lean down. “Aren’t you always?”

He smirks. “Lately, yeah.”  After a minute, he says, “Your father.” He shakes his head.

“What?”

“He made me this way.” His eyes get droopy.

“Give me your shirt.” I hold my hand out to the guys. “One of you, give me your shirt,” I snap. “He’s bleeding more.”

“You can have mine.” Memphis’s full lips curl up in one corner. “Oh, hell, take my boxers, too, Tales.”

“Very funny.”

“If I die, you’ll be so pissed you missed that experience.”

He’s bleeding everywhere. There’s blood on him, on me, on the seats and he’s still being… Memphis.

“Then don’t you dare.” I feel tears in my eyes.

Finn leans over and wraps his shirt around Memphis’s arm.

“Easy, motherfucker.” Memphis cringes. “I really don’t wanna cry like a little bitch in front of Tales,” he pauses and looks at Madison, who is hysterically crying into Billy’s shirt, “or Mads, man.”

I smile as he grins up at me, tears falling freely down my face.

“Aw, man. Don’t cry, sweet cheeks,” he groans while Finn tightens the shirt on his wound.

“How far?” I half yell, half cry to the driver.

“Five minutes,” he snaps back and hits the accelerator.

“How’s our girl?” Memphis asks me, and I know he’s talking about Madison.

“A mess, Memphis.” I push his hair back, then lean down and kiss him. “If you don’t get better, I’m going to die.” He looks at me like I’m nuts, and I don’t even care. I smile through my tears and whisper. “I want you that badly.”

I am shocked that I said that to him, especially now of all times, but you can’t take even a moment for granted and I needed him to know. I needed to give him ...something to look forward to? God, what was I thinking? Well it’s too late now.

His eyes open wide, and then his dark brow creeps up. “What do you want from me?”

I lean down, kiss his nose, and then whisper the truth, “I want you to get better fast, and then I want you to rock me your way.”

“I’m gonna rock you every way. Move back down here.”

I lean back down, and he inhales deeply.

“I’m not the guy you think I am, Tales, and you’re nobody’s groupie.”

I dig deep for courage. “I wanna be your groupie.”

“Fuck, you better not just be saying that ’cause I’m bleeding out, Tales.”

“Memphis, I’ve been your groupie since I was, like, seven.” Even if I become merely one of many, I will not regret admitting that to him, not ever. Not after the way it makes him smile.

“We’re here.”  I tell him.

I feel the car speed into the emergency room’s drop off zone.

“We’ll find you a hot nurse, man,” River says jokingly, and Memphis smirks.

I already feel stupid. So, so stupid.

“River, you’re gonna be my bitch, change my bed pan, give me sponge baths,” he groans as he sits up, then slips back. I catch him. “Nice save, sweet cheeks.”

“Anytime,” I say sadly and hang back.

He looks back. “Where you going?”