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“Good. Then we’ll wait here until our lawyers arrive and give our statements then.”
I’m talking out my ass, but if I learned one thing during serving my time, it’s to keep my mouth shut around the cops. Innocent or not.
“Alright. I’ll be just down the hall whenever you’re ready.”
Once the officer is gone, Summer blinks up at me.
“Why do I need a lawyer?”
“Because you stabbed a man.”
“In self-defense!”
“And they know that based off your word and mine. This isn’t cut and dry, Summer. He attacked you when there wasn’t anyone around to testify to what he did.”
“That’s ridiculous. I have bruises on my neck and arms in the shape of his fingers!” She holds up said arms, and I have to stifle the fury that burns through me at the sight.
“I know. It’s not fair. But people have been screwed over by the law before. Everything will turn out better if you have legal counsel.”
When we got here, the nurses asked each of us about emergency contacts. So Summer’s mom and my dad received some kind of call, but I need to get this blood off my hands so I can do something useful, like find us legal representation.
“Summer!” The gasp comes from a curvy woman in a well-tailored suit who is jogging toward us, her heels clicking on the tiles. The brunette, who shares the same brown eyes as her daughter, rakes her gaze up and down the woman beside me, likely looking for any fatal injury. “Your hands,” she whimpers, spotting the rusty, crusted blood on Summer’s palms.
“It’s not mine,” she clarifies. “I’m alright Mom. Just a little shook up.
“What happened?”
“Don’t freak out, but, for a little while now, I’ve had a…stalker.” My librarian hesitates on the last word.
“A stalker?” Ms. Pierce’s eyes widen then flick to me. Summer scoffs.
“No, Mom. Not him. I’m not currently sitting next to the guy who’s been tormenting me for years.” Her voice loses the biting edge as she goes on. “Sorry. I’m stressed. What I mean to say is, I found out it was Daniel. The security guard at the library. And he attacked me tonight.”
The next few minutes involve a detailed replay of the events leading up to the assault, then the assault itself.
The whole time Summer speaks, her hands wring and flick and gesture wildly. If there was a stack of books around, I’m sure she’d be grabbing for it. Or maybe not, worried about leaving bloody fingerprints on the pages.
“And he was just lying there. Bleeding. And I was panicking. But then Cole showed up.” Her soft gaze locks on me, and I don’t feel deserving of the worship directed my way. “He kept a calm head. Took over putting pressure on the wound. Told me to call 9-1-1. I’m not sure I would’ve calmed down in time.”
“I just wish I’d gotten there sooner.” Fucking shitty drivers. A fender bender at a stoplight is the reason Summer’s arms are covered in bruises and she has a man’s blood literally on her hands.
“You were there when I needed you.” She pokes the back of my hand, the dried gore on our fingers lending a weird cast to the gesture. But I appreciate it all the same. Summer tilts her head toward her mother, a confident smile curling her lips.
“Mom. This is Cole. We’ve been dating, and I love him.”
Ms. Pierce’s sharp gaze connects with mine.
The polite thing to do would be to formally greet the woman. But I can’t move past what Summer just announced to the room.
She loves me.
“I love you, too.” I rasp the words out, being a rude bastard by ignoring her mother and focusing solely on Summer.
“Oh good. That would’ve been awkward if you didn’t.”
A chuckle bursts from my chest, and I want to draw Summer into my arms. Affectionate gestures will have to wait until we’re not covered in Daniel. Still, I lean down to kiss her cheek, then rest my forehead against hers.
“You scared the shit out of me,” I whisper.
