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Then they fell into silence for the longest time, until Gabriel pulled his chair even closer and rested his arms on the bed rail. “How did that guy know where to find you?”
Hunter looked away from him, at the speckled tile of the hospital ceiling. “Just lucky, I guess.”
Gabriel hit him on the top of his head. Hunter swung around to glare at him.
“Try again,” Gabriel said.
Hunter was so sick of lying. He sighed. “I turned on her phone.”
“Why? Why did you do that?”
“I didn’t realize he’d get there so fast.”
Gabriel waited, but Hunter didn’t say anything else.
“That doesn’t answer the why,” Gabriel finally said.
“I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt. I was going to kill him. And if I couldn’t do it, I was going to blow up the school with him in it.”
“Jesus, I could shake the crap out of you.” Gabriel shoved him in the shoulder. “When you’re going to do awesome stuff, let me in on it.”
Hunter had to look at the speckled ceiling again. “I didn’t expect to survive it.”
Gabriel’s voice was quiet, no mockery at all now. “Why?”
Hunter was suddenly so tired. “Go away, Gabriel.”
“No. Why would you do that?”
Hunter squeezed his eyes shut. His lashes felt wet, and he pressed his fingertips against his eyes. “Because Kate sacrificed herself for me. She was the only person who’s ever trusted me.”
“Dude. Hunter. No. She wasn’t. She was just the only person you’ve ever trusted back.”
Hunter opened his eyes. Gabriel was right. He should have trusted the Merricks long before this.
He had a lot to make up for.
“I’m sorry I was a shitty friend,” he said.
“I’m not sure ‘shitty’ covers it.”
“I can’t believe I almost killed you two weeks ago.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “I can. You’re kind of a moron.”
A dark-haired nurse knocked at the door and didn’t wait for a response before entering. She had a tray of food. “I’m glad to see you’re awake,” she said brightly. Her voice carried a touch of an accent. “Feeling hungry?”
“Not really.”
“Leave it,” said Gabriel. “I’m always hungry.”
She set the tray on the table and plugged a stethoscope into her ears. “May I get your vital signs?”
Hunter held out his arm for the blood pressure cuff.
She tightened the Velcro, then traced a finger lightly over the tattoo above his elbow. “Ah,” she said. “My favorite proverb.”
“It was my dad’s, too,” Hunter said.
