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“How long have I been here?”
“Four days now,” he says.
Four days.
“Is there anyone I can call?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No, I’m fine.”
He nods and leaves.
I’m flipping through the TV channels while picking at my lunch when my door opens. If ever there was a time to call for a nurse, it’s now. Standing at the foot of my bed is Adam Nelson.
“What the fuck do you want?”
He smiles like the psychopath he is. “I’m here with an offer.”
“Whatever it is, I don’t want to hear it.”
“I think you do,” he says. He paces in front of my bed with his hands in his pockets. “You’re facing a hefty hospital bill with this,” he pauses and points to me. “I want you to stay away from Thea, and in exchange, I’ll cover this hospital bill and give you twenty thousand in cash.”
“Fuck you.”
He chuckles. “Do you want to think about it? It’s a nice offer. You won’t have debt collectors calling you or coming to take your junky car. You won’t have anyone garnishing your wages, assuming you make it back to work. And all you have to do is stay away from a girl you barely know.”
“And your family stays away from Lacey?” I add.
Adam seems surprised. “Sure, why not.” He shrugs and extends his hand to me. We shake, and he pulls out a wad of cash and sets it on my tray. “You can count it if you want. I’ll settle up in billing on my way out.”
He leaves, and the regret seeps in.
twenty-seven
Thea
“Cookie, you have to eat.” Nolan places a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich in front of me and immediately the smell turns my stomach.
It’s been days since I last saw Kyler. Even longer since I spoke to him. He didn’t give me the time of day when I showed up after the game a few nights ago; instead, he got in his car and drove off at speed. I get it. He’s pissed. A bomb was dropped at Lacey’s birthday party and the after effects of its detonation are still being felt now. That’s the thing, though. It doesn’t just affect him, it’s affects all of us, only he didn’t stick around long enough to realize it.
“I’m not hungry,” I say as I push the bowl away. “And why are you calling me ‘cookie’?”
Nolan pushes the bowl back to me. “I figured if I had a term of endearment for you, it’d make you feel a little better. And you’re the cook of the house, ergo, ‘cookie’.”
“Well, this is me officially vetoing it.”
“Fine, but you gotta eat. This is non-negotiable. Don’t make me feed you, Thea. I’m not above going into full on care mode.”
“He’s got a point, Thea,” Millie adds as she walks through the kitchen from the laundry room, carrying a basket of clean clothes. I’m not sure at what point she arrived, but my best friend has taken on the role as mother hen of the house; a role I normally slip into with ease.
With a sigh of exasperation, I take the spoon laid out before me and dip it in the soup, stirring it idly before taking a sip. The tomato flavor barely registers on my taste-buds, but my stomach tells me it’s been longing for sustenance regardless of whether I feel like eating or not.
“Have you heard anything yet?” I ask, dipping the sandwich into the soup and watching as it slowly seeps up the red liquid.
“Not yet. Don’t worry, Thea, he’ll be home soon.”
Jude got a call early this morning from Coach. Kyler’s car was found by an old warehouse on the outskirts of town and whoever found it recognized the NU hockey jersey Ky had in the back seat. Jude and Devon took the spare keys and went to retrieve it. All we know so far is Ky’s hockey gear was in the back, and nothing appears to have been stolen or damaged, which means Kyler drove it there himself. Why? We don’t know yet, but I can’t stop the nagging feeling I have that the warehouse was the venue of the illegal fights he regularly goes to. And if I’m right, I can’t help but think the worst has happened—why else would Kyler abandon his car? I’m hoping the boys can find out more information when they drop by their coach’s house on the way back.
“It just doesn’t make sense. Why not go to his mom’s place? Why not come back here? Why hasn’t he been at college? I just . . . I’m worried about him.”
