Page 96 of Take The Risk

​I sank back into the couch, trying to ignore the pain in my head. It felt like a concussion. I’d had one before, so I wasn’t too worried about it. Right now, it was nothing compared to the ass-kicking my heart had just taken.

​“They were in his closet,” Cady-Jo said lamely, not an ounce of hostility to be found anywhere.

​“Okay.” What could I say to that?

​No one spoke for several minutes and the silence helped dull the ringing in my ears.

​I waited for it to come. The judgment. The condemnation. I remembered my parents’ reaction, my brothers’, even Jeremy’s, when they’d learned what I wrote. It didn’t register that there was a person sitting in this room who had known for a while and wasn’t disgusted.

​“What do we do now?” The officer holding Cady-Jo, but loosely, given she seemed carved in stone, asked the other one.

​“We’ll take Ms. Parker in. You’ll have to come and make a statement as well, Ms. Lebonaire.”

​I shook my head and then grabbed it with a sharp gasp. I wouldn’t be doing that again. “I’m not filing charges.”

​“Are you...?” I felt a face hover near me, and a hand moving my hair. “Crap. Radio EMS. She’s got a head wound.”

​“Phoebe?” Helen was at my side, and I tried to open my heavy eyelids, but I was tired. So tired.

​“What have I done?” Cady-Jo’s ragged whisper was what forced me to look at her. All six of her. That wasn’t good.

​“I’m so sorry, Cady-Jo. I never meant for this to happen.”

​“Phoebe!” Jesse’s yell was like a knife to my brain and I cried out, grabbing my head. “What’s the police—? Mom?” Jesse beelined for me on the couch. “I didn’t do it, Phoebe. I didn’t take your things. I would never.”

​“Jesse, what are you doing here?” Cady-Jo asked, and I waited for her to lose her shit again now that he was here. I’d hoped she’d believed me, but you never knew.

​“Delilah called me at school and I drove straight back.” Jesse frowned. “You’re bleeding.” He stripped off his sweater, pressing it to my head. “What the hell happened here!?”

​“It doesn’t matter.” I didn’t need him knowing his mother attacked me.

​“Folks, this is going to have to wait. We need to take Ms. Parker to the station and the ambulance just got here for you, Ms. Lebonaire.” The officer made the fact he was in charge clear.

​“Why is Mom being arrested?” Jesse ping-ponged between everyone and then burst out, “You attacked Phoebe?” Glaring at his mom, having put two and two together.

​“Don’t!” I told him. “It’s not her fault.”

​“The hell it isn’t!” Jesse fumed.

​The sound of footsteps, followed by two new voices, interrupted everyone. The EMS guys were efficient and had me up and walking in no time. I tried to get Jesse to go with Cady-Jo, as she was led to the squad car.

​Helen promised to go with her and make sure she was okay. I made it clear I didn’t want Cady-Jo charged.

​Walking felt like I was on a boat that was pitching in rough water. I hated boats.

​The rumble of a truck came and I knew…I knew. Ty was here. With my ears ringing, it was a lot harder to figure out the direction I heard the sound from. I looked around, my vision blurry, but not blurry enough.

​I saw it a second before the sound cracked through the air like a whip.

​“Gun!” I yelled, grabbing Jesse, who was walking by my side, throwing myself over him.

​A second crack of the whip split the air. Everything went black and there was nothing. Blissful nothing.

Chapter 36

​My hands were crusted with blood. My shirt was dry and hard, feeling like stiff paper on my skin.

​“I love you,” she’d whispered, her throat gurgling, blood making her teeth red. “I will always love you.”