Page 51 of Baked

The more time thatpassed, the sicker Rachel felt. Hunter had been out of surgery for more than an hour now, and she still hadn’t been allowed in to see him. Which meant she was alone with her thoughts. And that wasn’t a good thing.

This was her fault. The man she loved was lying in a hospital bed because of her. She was stupid to think she could escape her past. No matter what she did, her life would always be just one drama after another. And now poor Hunter was paying the price.

No wonder her mom left when she did. Rachel and Leo were trash. Always had been, always would be. There was no escaping it.

Please let Hunter be okay.

If anything happened to him, she would never forgive herself.

Hello? Something did happen, dumbass!

Right. Hence the guilt churning in her stomach. Zach and Benny were hovering around her again. Every few minutes one of them would ask her if she needed anything. Apparently, it was that time again.

Surprisingly, it was Luke giving her the most comfort. He hadn’t left her side once, his strong, silent presence probably the only reason she’d not completely broken down.

“You want another coffee, Rach?” Benny asked, his big sympathetic eyes boring into her.

She shook her head. What she wanted was to see Hunter. Why the hell had she not been allowed in yet? A question she was about to ask the nurse again when she spotted an older couple entering the waiting room. She recognized them immediately.

Oh my God, the universe really is against me.

Hunter’s parents.

Every one of her muscles tensed, her breath no longer steady as she watched Zach jump out of his seat and stride toward them. Talk about the worst way to meet your boyfriend’s parents for the first time. Life was really just having a laugh at her expense now.

“Hey.” Luke’s hand went to her thigh. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

She begged to differ. She was not okay. The teardrops breaking free from her tear ducts again confirmed that.

“I-I can’t face them,” she stuttered. “Not after what I did to their son. It’s my fault. Everything’s my fault.”

Next thing she knew, both of Luke’s hands were on her shoulders, turning her to face him. “Hey, stop. None of this is your fault, sweetheart. Do you hear me?”

“It is.” Her head was shaking again. “I’m bad news. Trash. He deserves so much better than me, Luke. If it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t be lying in that bed, and you know it. Those guys wanted me, not him.”

“So you’re to blame for your dad’s shitty decisions?” He didn’t let her answer. “That’s bullshit and you know it. He’s the one at fault, not you. What kind of man puts his own daughter in danger?”

Leo.

The sound of footsteps approaching had Luke’s grip on her loosening. It was time to face the music.

Rachel’s head twisted to find Hunter’s mom towering over them. She was tall and willowy, her chestnut hair cropped into a sensible bob. But it was her chocolate eyes that held her captive. They reminded Rachel so much of Hunter’s, it hurt her heart.

“You must be Hunter’s girlfriend.” The older woman certainly got to the point. Just like her son.

Shit. Here goes nothing.

“Uh, yes, ma’am. Um, I’m Rachel.” After swiping her wet cheeks, she pushed to her feet and held out her hand, expecting a handshake. She definitely wasn’t expecting to be swooped into a hug, which was exactly what happened next.

“It’s nice to meet you, Rachel, even if it is under these awful circumstances,” the woman gushed, emotion thickening her voice. “Hunter called me just last week and told me all about you. I’m so glad he found you.”

He did? You are?

It didn’t matter though. Rachel was pretty certain his mother wouldn’t feel that way for very long. Especially after finding out that she was the one responsible for her only son being shot.

“Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Campbell.”

Finally releasing her, the woman’s face softened as she took the sight of Rachel in. “Heather. You can call me Heather.”