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“What’s going on?” I hear Marley whisper from her hospital bed.
I turn around, walking over to the chair next to her bed, sitting down and grabbing her hand. I want to lie and tell her nothing, but I know what’s not the right thing to do.
“It’s retaliation, from Riley’s dad, but you’re safe. I’m here,” I try to reassure her.
Her body tenses and she sits up in bed.
“What do they want?”
I go back and forth with whether or not to tell her everything, ultimately deciding that it’s time for me to start being honest with people.
“They want to finish the job. They know you didn’t die in the accident,” I tell her.
“Can’t we call the police?” she asks, scared, and for good reason.
“That’s tricky, because Riley’s dad owns a lot of the police. He has blackmail on everyone. He collects blackmail like trading cards. He’s powerful.” I sigh, squeezing her hand.
“I’m scared, Clark,” she whispers.
Her quiet, nervous voice makes me enraged.
“Listen to me,” I tell her, leaning over towards the bed. “No one is going to hurt you. I would fucking burn the entire world down before I let that happen to you.”
She puts her hand up to my cheek, stroking my skin with her thumb, tears filling her eyes.
I want to tell her I love her, because fuck, I do, but I’m scared.
There’s a knock on the door that pulls the two of us from the spell we’re under.
“Mr. James?” the nurse asks, peeking her head inside.
“Yes?”
“He’s gone. He’s furious, but he left. I don't think that’s the last we’ll see of him,” she says.
“Thanks.”
When she leaves, Marley takes a deep breath.
“What’s the plan?” she asks.
“What do you mean?”
“What are you going to do to take care of this?”
“First, I need to go see my mom. I love her and I ‘d do anything for her, but I can’t do this anymore.”
“I want to come with you. I’d like to meet her.”
“Beauty—” I start to say, but she cuts me off.
“No, don’t. Let me come.”
“Okay,” I tell her, because there's nothing I’d love more than for her to meet my mother, even if my mom won’t be meeting her back.
“Look, I know this thing between us, whatever it is, it’s weird and new and we’re kind of stumbling around, but I’m fine with that. Let’s take it slow and see what happens,” she says.
“Are you sure? I’ve got baggage.”
