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The moment of my realization is cataclysmic.
Riley is more than just my pawn and maybe she always has been.
I don’t want to use her or to hurt her. In fact, I don’t like the thought of her hurting at all. She is important to me…and I’m finally seeing it now.
I didn’t deceive Riley.
I deceived myself.
CHAPTER FORTY
Riley — 19 years old.
When my eyes flutter open, I feel somewhat disoriented. Hazy even.
Confused, I blink at Lila, who’s looking down at me, her face etched with concern. “What happened?” I croak through dry lips. God, I have the nastiest headache. My head feels like someone’s trying to hammer my skull open and for some reason, all my muscles are sore.
“There was a gas leak in our apartment.” Lila grimaces. Her fingers gently move across my cheeks, brushing the loose strands of my hair away from my face. “You passed out from carbon monoxide poisoning.”
My eyes widen, a harsh exhale rattling from my chest. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas; I could have died. How did this even happen? I had been feeling dizzy, but I thought it was just exhaustion. I was reading on the couch, I remember standing up and then—
The rest of my memories are a dark void of space, completely empty. I don’t remember anything else. How I fell unconscious orhow I got here. I can hear the beeping of machines around me. The sterile white walls and the unpleasant scent of death that surround us. I’m in a hospital, that I know with certainty. Was it Lila who found me?
“Colton found you,” Lila tells me, as if she can read my mind. Her voice softens. “He saved your life. I can’t imagine what would have happened if he didn’t get to you in time.”
Lila shifts to the side, and my eyes land on Colton’s tall frame. He’s standing at the end of my bed, his body very still. I’m not sure he’s even breathing.
Our eyes meet and it’s like seeing a cold sculpture come to life. I see the first twitch in his body. The muscle in his jaw ticks and his chest rattles with a sharp inhale—as if he can finally breathe again. The relief in his body is almost immediate.
Colton…saved me?
I am grateful, yet I can’t seem to get rid of the resentment that simmers in my veins. Looking at his face, seeing him here after hearing what he said last night—it aggravates me.
I clear my throat and keep my voice cool. Detached. “Thank you for saving my life,” I tell him, nudging my chin up. “I’m grateful you got to me on time.”
From the corner of my eyes, I see the confusion on Lila’s face. She has been so glad that Colton and me were finally getting along these last few weeks. But she doesn’t know what happened last night. I don’t plan on telling her either. She gets along fine with Colton. They are friends and they respect each other. I don’t want to be the reason their friendship is ruined.
Because I know, if Lila has to ever pick a side, she will always choose me.
His throat bobs with a hard swallow, but he doesn’t respond. Well, I have nothing else to say to him. I turn my face toward Lila. “Do you know when I can go home?”
“The doctor will have to check on you before you get discharged.” Lila takes my hand in hers, squeezing. “They said if everything looks good, you can go home tonight. We can’t stay at our place though. We have to wait for any remnants of the carbon monoxide in the air to completely clear out, just to be on the safe side. We will stay with Maddox and Colton, just for tonight.”
Hmm. I nod in understanding. I guess that makes sense.
“Why don’t you and Maddox go back first?” The deep timbre of his familiar voice fills the room. Colton is looking at me, but he’s speaking to Lila. “I will bring Riley home once she’s discharged.”
“No,” I deadpan. “I’m not going anywhere with Colton.”
Colton rakes his fingers through his hair. “I’m only taking you back home. You’re not going anywhere else with me. Lila has been by your side all this time; she needs to go back and get some rest.”
My jaw clenches, hating that his words make sense. “I wasn’t speaking to you.”
Colton swears under his breath and squeezes his eyes shut. He inhales deeply, and then opens his eyes again. “Look, I know I’m the last person you want to see right now—”
“You are,” I agree sharply. “Since you’ve already acknowledged that, then maybe you can leave now.”
Lila’s eyes bounce back and forth between Colton and me. “Am I missing something?” she asks cautiously.
