Page 88 of Stolen Summer
“Come on. Let me take you home. There’s nothing else you can do. She’ll be sedated for a while, and it gives you time to clean up and eat. I can drive you back to check on her but only after you take care of yourself.”
A responsible suggestion. I waited until Frankie’s mom arrived, which prompted guilt to press harder inside me and more tears. I couldn’t apologize enough. Carrie hugged me through it all. I promised I’d be back.
Cole ushered me out of the hospital. My body was sapped completely of energy. I was surprised my legs had the strength to carry me. It helped that Cole more or less held me up. If I tripped, he would keep me from falling.
Inside the car, the gentle rumble of the engine soothed me. We sat in silence for a mile or two, Cole sensing my need for nothingness. My mind had been speed running, and now it barely crawled, but slowly I started functioning at normal levels.
I toyed with the hem of my borrowed shirt, my gaze glancing at Cole. “How did you know I was at the hospital? Don’t misunderstand. I’m grateful you were there. I’m trying to puzzle together how you knew.”
His jaw clenched as if the memory caused him pain. “You called me.”
Confusion had my brows bunching together. “I did?”
Cole’s fingers flexed over the leather-wrapped steering wheel, slowly guiding it to the left one-handed. “You didn’t say anything when I picked up the call, but I heard you were in an ambulance.”
“And you thought it was me?”
The vein in his neck ticked. “I hoped it wasn’t, but I had to be sure.”
Warmth spread inside me, chasing the cold that had permeated my veins since I saw the knife in that asshole’s hands. I didn’t want to feel moved by his concern, but fuck me, I was. “I appreciate you coming. It helped.” More than I would admit. He was there when I hadn’t wanted to be alone.
“I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but if you do…”
He was giving me an opening, and I chewed on the inside of my cheek, contemplating. “It happened so fast.”
He turned the radio down a few notches. “Did you see the guy?”
I nodded. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget his face. I wish I’d been able to stop him from running.”
“If you see him again, I want you to tell me,” he said carefully.
“Why?”
He took his eyes off the road to look at me. “Just promise you won’t do anything reckless. You call me.”
“Fine,” I agreed, uncertain if I’d be able to keep that promise. He’d nearly killed my best friend. If the attacker knew what was good for him, he’d never show his face in Fallen Oaks again.
Cole’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the road. “Did you actually attack him?”
“What was I supposed to do, let him get away?” It unsettled me to think he might.
“Yes,” Cole ground out from between clenched teeth. “He could have hurt you.” Why did he look like the idea caused genuine fear in him?
Something in my chest tightened. “Well, he wanted to, but instead, he nearly killed my best friend because of me.”
“I’m going to kill her for this,” he growled so low I almost wasn’t sure I heard him correctly. It sounded as if he knew who was responsible for putting my best friend in the hospital.
I needed a name. “Who?”
He only clamped his jaw together tighter if possible.
“Cole,” I prompted. “If you have an idea who did this, you have to tell me.”
Another long pause stretched, and he shifted in his seat, cracking his neck to the side as he weighed giving me the answer I demanded. “Gianna.”
I bristled, my fingers clutching the edge of the seat. “She did this?” I hissed, and an unbridled flame licked in my heart, flurrying like a firestorm. I’m going to kill her.
“I don’t know. It’s a hunch and one I intend to follow up on.”