CHAPTER 32
The next two days were hell. As my body began to heal, the pain seemed to increase. I pushed myself hard, wanting to be released so I could go home. I practiced on the crutches, with my broken ankle in a cast, longer than recommended. At the end of the day, I was exhausted and fell asleep immediately in the uncomfortable hospital bed, wishing every night I was in bed with Kill.
He was right, though. I needed to accept that what we had between us was worth fighting for. Before I went to him, I had to make myself whole. He deserved to have all of me, not the broken shell I’d been living as.
The day I was released, I begged my dad to take me to the police station so I could get my purse. I also wanted to give my official statement so I could put that awful night with Trent behind me. Trent's parents requested to speak with me, but I refused them. I understood they’d just lost their son, but I wasn't ready to face them just yet, or ever.
At home, Martha and my dad fussed over me, driving me crazy. They meant well, but I couldn't think with them hovering. I finally told them I was going to go to my room and take a nap. I was tired, but really I just needed to escape their constant coddling.
Martha had plugged my phone in and left it charging on my nightstand. There were text messages and voicemails from the boys, Amy, and Ryan, telling me they loved me.
Van groveled out an apology over voicemail for the song they sang right before I’d escaped from the concert. He hadn’t wanted to play it, but D loved it, putting it on the set list as soon as it had been perfected.
I texted all of them back, telling them how much I loved them too and promising to call them all later. I sent Van another message letting him know I loved the lyrics to the song and telling him he had nothing to feel bad about.
Soon, I drifted into a fitful sleep, only to be awakened by a knock on my door. I couldn’t hear what was being said or who was saying it, but when I heard Martha gasp softly, my curiosity got the best of me. When I was finally able to maneuver myself out of bed and onto my crutches, the hallway was empty.
No one was in the living room, but the front door was open, hinting that outside was where everyone had disappeared to. I hobbled over and spotted Kill’s shiny sex on wheels parked in the driveway. My dad circled it with pure male appreciation, as tears tracked down Martha's face.
When I reached her, she pulled me in for an awkward hug before handing me an envelope. I glanced around, looking for Kill. When I didn’t see him, I opened the envelope-which was extremely hard to do on crutches.
I realized you didn’t have a car to get back to me when you figure out how perfect we are together. I know I promised to give it to you after we got signed, but the way D's working, I don’t see that taking much longer. I hope you decide we're worth it, but if not, a promise is a promise.
Love,
Your Kill
“How did it get here?” I asked Martha, staring at the car in the driveway in wonder.
“Magic,” she answered cryptically.
I hobbled back into the house, and went back into my room, needing some time to process the fact that Kill’s car, the one he loved, was now in my possession.
My phone rang and I launched toward it, causing pain to shoot through me from the fast movement.
“Hello.”
“Faith, honey, are you okay? I saw what happened to you on the news.”
All the air was sucked out of my body when Jason's voice drilled into my ear. "What the fuck? You can't call me," I said, swallowing the bile rushing up my esophagus.
"Honey..."
I pressed end before he could finish his sentence. Plugging the area code into Google, I saw he’d called from New Hampshire. Trent must have been telling the truth when he said Jason's dad sent him across state.
Blinding rage rushed through me when I thought about what Trent had done to me. I’d been free from Jason for a while, but Trent’s stupid stunts to get me into a relationship had kept me in a state of perpetual fear. The terror I felt every time I saw a new note on my windshield, could have been prevented, if he would have just taken no for an answer.
Just my luck. I’d finally shaken free of Trent, only to have the world unleash Jason back into my life. The bile that had risen when I’d heard Jason's voice came rushing back, and I had just enough time to lean over and retch into the wastebasket.
Martha must have heard, because she rushed in and rubbed my back as I emptied my stomach. Once I’d finished dry heaving, I took a drink of water from the bottle she handed me and lay back down on my bed.
Jason was going to be a problem. Hell, Jason had always been a problem. I just hoped he would wait until I was fully healed before I had to deal with him. I took some solace in the fact he was still across the state.
As much as I wanted to plan my next move regarding Jason and Kill, my body refused to let me plot. It had other plans, dragging me down into a sleep I couldn't resist.
When I finally woke up, I went into the living room where my dad and Martha were cuddling on the couch watching TV. The sight of their happiness stole my breath away. My mind scolded me, telling me I could have exactly what they had if I hadn’t been so stubborn.
Martha jumped up to make me breakfast. After I finished eating, I went into my room and continued Hope and Skull's story. As I wrote about my early relationship with Kill, I wondered what the hell I was doing here when I could be with him, but I just couldn't convince myself I deserved him.
