Page 61 of His Good Girl

Dropping our drinks, I vaguely register the sound of glass shattering as people shout, liquid sloshing on them. My eyes are glued to the horror unfolding across the room. A small rail divides the bar area and the dance floor that is set down into the floor. Leaping over the rail, I shove my way through the crowd, earning more than a few shouts as I toss people aside.

My only thought is getting to her.

People are pulling at the guy I now recognize as Jax from the file I had made, but he is feral. His hands close around her throat and I see red. The scream that rips out of me is more animalistic than man, and I'm beyond rational thought.

Fear floods my veins—he is going to kill her.

The sickening crack of her head on the floor reaches me a second before I plow into Jax. My fist connects with his face, once, twice, three times. Blood spurts from his mouth as I wind up for another hit. Hands are now pulling at me and I finally stop fighting, Jax lying limp on the ground.

Spinning to Alexis, my heart stops. She's lying still, eyes closed, with a halo of blood around her head turning her blonde hair red. Crawling to her, I lightly cup her face. “Lex, baby. Lex? Can you hear me? Please, baby, you have to be okay.”

It’s pure chaos around me, but I don’t see any of it. All I can think of is her. Fear spreads through my like wildfire, consuming my every thought.

The rhythmic beeping of the monitors is the only sound in the cold sterile room. Alexis and I came by ambulance, and I’ve had to fight tooth and nail to stay by her side. We aren’t related, and I’m not her emergency contact so they aren’t giving me much, but at least I'm here with her.

She looks pale and so small in the bed. I hold one of her hands in mine, alternating between staring at the monitors and watching her chest rise and fall, needing something, anything, to assure me that she's still here. Fear like I have never known grips my chest like a vice and I can’t breathe.

A gasp sounds behind me and I turn, finding Marcee in the door with one hand over her mouth as silent tears stream down her face.

“What happened? Is she okay? Oh my God, Lexie.”

I stand, going to my daughter and pulling her in close. Her emotions finally giving me something to do, something real, besides sitting and replaying every torturous second of the attack. The attack she faced alone, that I couldn't get to her fast enough to stop.

“We were at a bar for New Year’s and when I went to get drinks, Jax attacked her. I got to her as fast as I could, but he was brutal in his attack. I…I…” The adrenaline of the night is finally wearing off and I feel myself spiral. Turning, I vomit into the trash can, purging the contents of my stomach.

Marcee stands sentry, rubbing my back through it. With shaking hands, I wipe my face and straighten. “I know our relationship has been hard on you, honey, but I can’t. I can’t breathe. I need her to be okay.” My voice cracks and the dam that had been holding my tears back finally breaks. Dropping my face into my hands, I cry. Marcee continues rubbing my back, just being there for me.

Once I pull myself together, we sit beside the bed together. I pull Alexis's hand to my lips for a quick kiss, before letting our hands rest on the bed.

“You really love her, don’t you?”

“I do, so much it hurts. I can’t lose her, Marcee. It would destroy me. I just…” Whipping my head to my daughter. “Wait, how did you know she was here?”

“I’m her emergency contact, so they called when she was admitted.”

“Marcee, please, they won’t tell me anything, only immediate family and her emergency contact.”

Suddenly flustered, Marcee stands. “Okay, okay. Yeah. I'll go to the nurses’ station and see what I can find out. You stay with her, I’ll be back.” I nod, not taking my eyes from Alexis as Marcee leaves.

55

ALEXIS

An incessant beeping noise rouses me. It’s so annoying. I try to raise my hand to swat at whatever it is to make it stop, but my arm doesn’t want to move. Trying to open my eyes feels like a feat of strength and I'm just too tired. Scrunching my nose at the smell of cleaner sends excruciating pain through my face. I whimper, pain coursing through my body.

Fuck…what happened? Someone squeezes my hand and I work harder to open my eyes.

“Lex. Lex, baby. I’m here.” Finn’s voice instantly calms my nerves. Finally, I flutter one eye open. The other isn’t cooperating. His face is inches from mine. I smile then cry out in pain at the movement.

“What.” My mouth is so dry and it hurts to move, even to speak. Swallowing, noting extreme pain with that too. “What happened?” I rasp.

Cradling my face so gently I could cry, he hesitates before answering. He swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing, working to control his emotions. “Jax.”

Just hearing his name brings everything back to me. “Finn.” I clutch his hand, panic setting in. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you? I heard your scream but couldn’t find you.” My words are spilling out in a jumble. My throat is raw, my head feels like it was split open, and pain radiates over my whole face, but pure terror grips me at the thought of him being hurt.

“Shh, shhh, baby, calm down. I’m fine. I lost it when I saw him hurting you and I'm so sorry I didn’t get to you sooner. I am so, so sorry, Lex.” The hitch in his voice destroys me.

I run my thumb over his hands and jolt when I feel the torn skin. “Finn, your hands.” I turn my head and yelp in pain but won’t be deterred. “What happened to your hands?” His knuckles are split open with dried blood on them.