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“I will. Eventually.”
She sighed. “I love you both equally, you know.”
“Mom, this isn’t about your love, okay? Greer needs to learn her place in my life.”
She sighed again. “Call her, Zelda.”
“I will! I will!”
“Good. Bye-bye, honey. I’m happy for you and your boyfriends.”
“Thanks, Mom. Bye.”
My phone buzzed a little while later as I was cleaning the kitchen counters.
Hey, it’s Tobias. Bad news. Aith is in the hsptl. Candy & I are heading there. U want to come w/ us?
“What the fuck?” I washed my hands and replied:
OMG! Yes, I want to see him. Is he OK? What happened?
Long story. I’m in your driveway.
OK. I’ll be right down.
I met them in the driveway and climbed into the back of Tobias’s silver Outback. “What happened?”
Candace turned in her seat. “He got jumped leaving Blue Water last night. He’s got a fractured skull, punctured lung, and a bunch of broken and cracked ribs.”
“What the hell?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
Tobias accelerated. “The gym’s cleaning crew found him out cold at the back of the building last night. The assholes who mugged him took his SUV, his keys, wallet, and phone.”
My stomach felt hard, like I’d swallowed a boulder. “Holy shit. Is he really gonna be okay?”
Candace nodded. “That’s what he said.”
“I didn’t actually talk to him.” Tobias stopped at a red light, his turn signal clicking. “His sister Paulina called me. She’s flying in from Dallas tonight but asked if I could get over to see him ASAP and send her an update that’s not tainted by Aithan’s optimism and painkillers.”
I nodded. “Will the staff even let us visit him? We’re not family.”
“Paulina told them we were coming and that the family wants us to see him.”
Part of me felt like an intruder. I’d only known Aithan a few weeks. Yeah, we’d fucked like rabbits during that time, but that didn’t make me almost-family like Tobias and Candace were.
“There’s something else, Zel,” Candace said. “The police came to interview Tristan about the attack. They said it seemed premeditated. Like whoever did this was laying in wait for Aithan. Tristan is their primary suspect.”
I went cold. “Oh, shit. Because of me.”
“Because he mouthed off about the two of you at the gym and was given a week of mental health days to get his shit together,” Tobias said. “They also know you requested a protection order.”
“Fuuuck.” I slowly shook my head. That belly boulder gained weight as I recalled Tristan’s split knuckles. “What time did this happen last night?”
“Eleven thirty-ish.” He pulled into the hospital’s underground parking garage.
Relief washed through me. My ex wasn’t a monster.
“Tristan says you can vouch for him.” Candace shook her head in disbelief. “He says he was with you last night.”
