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Dope and Kip agreed as well. I glanced over at Cami, who was standing by the chairs, her hands clasped together.
I gave her a thumbs-up, and her shoulders slumped.
“I’ll text you,” I mouthed.
Following the doctor, Kip, Dope, and I disappeared behind the locked doors. The overwhelming stench of antiseptic and death greeted me, and I recoiled inward. I thought I would be used to it after all the hospital visits with Dad, but I had the same reaction every time.
We walked to the end of the hall in silence before Doctor Roggins slowed at room 502. He pushed the door open and motioned for us to go in.
“The nurse will be here shortly to check on him. Grab yourself a seat and let him sleep.”
“Okay,” I whispered. “Thank you for taking care of him.”
“Of course,” Doctor Roggins said before he left.
I hung back in the doorway, staring at Sebastian’s sleeping form. Brown and black bruises dotted the right side of his swollen face. The soft beep of the machine monitoring his heart rate filled the area. An IV pole with two bags suspended from hooks stood beside his bed, administering pain meds and keeping him hydrated.
A blinding rage rooted itself inside me. If my suspicions about Death were true, he would pay for this. My attention landed on Dope and Kip as they pulled up chairs next to their best friend. I scoured every inch of both of them, searching for clues as panic clutched my chest. I forced myself to breathe as I approached Sebastian.
Gently, I brushed a lock of hair off his forehead and kissed his cheek.
“I’m here, baby,” I whispered. Dope brought me a chair, and I settled in on the opposite side of the guys.
I took Sebastian’s hand in mine and traced small circles on the back of it with my fingertips. His skin was warm to the touch, and I wondered if he realized I was there. We were all there for him, hoping and praying that he would wake up without any permanent brain injuries.
Dope, Kip, and I kept the conversation positive and in hushed tones. It took everything inside me not to try to wake Sebastian, but he’d just been through surgery, and his body needed rest.
Over the next few hours, I updated Cami and Mom and learned that Dad was doing well at the beginning of the trial. My heart soared with the news, and then I reminded myself how many times we thought he was going to recover before it all went to hell again.
I leaned back in the uncomfortable hospital chair, my ass screaming at me for sitting so long. There was no way I would leave Sebastian, though. Pretending to close my eyes and sleep, I racked my brain for hints of what my subconsciousness was trying to tell me.
“You almost got caught,” Dope snapped.
His deep voice was distinguishable enough to differentiate who spoke even as they whispered.
“Don’t pin this on me,” Kip said, his tone clipped and irritated.
“I’m fucking pissed that this happened. It could have been avoided if we’d …” Dope blew out a big breath. “It’s gotta stop.”
“I’ve tried, but it’s no use. I need help managing it.”
Play it cool, Ella, and let them talk. I mentally urged the guys to continue.
“And what about Ella?” Kip asked. “I’m surprised she hasn’t figured it out.”
“Me too, but shit’s gonna hit the fan soon. I warned you both this would happen, but nobody fucking listened to me.”
Silence enveloped the room, leaving me hanging on their every word. Anxiety boiled in my veins as icy suspicion of what they meant by me not finding out pierced my chest. A flurry of possibilities raced through my mind, and a single revelation congealed in my gut like poison.
Chapter 39
Sebastian
Istruggled to peel my eyelids open, but they felt as if they’d been glued shut. Once I won the battle, I was met with sharp shards of blinding white light. I attempted to pull my arms up to shield my sight, but it was as if they were glued in place.
“Sebastian. Can you hear me? It’s Ella.” Her sweet voice floated in the air around me, and I finally managed to make out her gorgeous features through the haze of pain that pierced through my skull.
“Do you want an ice chip?”
