Page 111 of Secret Love

Chapter 36

Fox

All I ever wanted to do was protect her.

In the end, I nearly killed her.

The doctors say she’ll be fine. Mrs. Clark’s skills are quite possibly the only thing about her that hasn’t aged. Her methods are a bit old-fashioned, but there’s a reason why a hot iron is a staple for cauterizing wounds.

Bennett drove us into the city, shouting as he often does. I sat in the backseat with one finger on her pulse, wondering if she was going to die in my arms. She did the same for me, after all.

I look at my hands, still stained red with her blood. No one has said a word to me since I sat down in this chair next to her bed. I think the nurses are scared of me, but that’s okay. Maybe they should be. I’m the one who put Roxie Roberts in the hospital.

I knew what I was doing. Mercer never expected me to take the shot. I doubt he considered their height differences when he dared me to do it. Dani’s shoulder lined up perfectly with his heart.

I let him bleed out in Mrs. Clark’s driveway.

Rest in peace, old friend.

“Fox?”

My mother stands above me with a vending machine cup in her hands.

“Hey, Mom,” I say, my dry throat cracking.

She offers me the cup and I take it from her. Her eyes graze my hands for a moment. It takes everything in her to keep her from flinching. She sits down in the chair next to mine and her hands fidget in her lap.

“I know this is probably a weird time to say this, but… it’s really nice to see you again, Fox,” she says.

I chuckle slightly. “I’m sorry you had to think I was gone for so long.”

“Me, too.”

“I never wanted to put you through that…” I bring the cup to my nose and breathe in the warm fumes. Hot chocolate. She always used to bring me this after a bad day. Some things should never change.

“I feel like I knew,” she says.

“What?”

“I knew my son was still alive.”

I look at her and she smiles at me. “Yeah?”

She shrugs. “You’re my little boy, Fox. Whatever you’ve done — whatever you’ve had to do — it doesn’t matter to me. I’m still going to love you.”

“Don’t be too sure about that,” I mutter.

She stands up. “Try me.”

I smile.

“If you must leave again,” she adds, “check-in every so often. Please. For my sake.”

“I will,” I say. “I promise.”

She leaves the room again. I take a slow sip from my cup before setting it down and walking over to the bed.

Dani.