Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“Let me know if you change your mind, but it needs to be relatively soon,” he says gently, holding out a card. Dash takes it. “My cell is on the back. Let me know if there’s anything I can do. Again, I’m very sorry for your loss.”
Another shoulder pat, then he’s gone.
“Asher…” Dash says, letting my name hang between us. The words sound foreign from his mouth. He doesn’t call me Asher. He calls me Kelley. I don’t think he’s called me by my first name once in the six years we’ve been friends. And for some reason, it enrages me. It makes everything more real. He wouldn’t be calling me that if shit weren’t fucked up.
I knew this was coming. It’s the whole reason I came back. So, why does it seem like the rug has been pulled out from beneath me?
Dash’s phone buzzes, and he reads the message on his screen.
“The nurse said Briar’s okay. She just has a mild concussion, and we can see her in a few minutes.”
I’m relieved, so fucking relieved, but I feel heavy. Like a dark cloud is over my head, tainting everything and everyone I come in contact with.
Dash walks toward the door and pauses, looking back at me when he realizes I’m not making a move to leave. “You coming?”
“I just need a minute.”
He dips his chin in acknowledgment and pats the doorframe. He hesitates—searching for the right words—but there aren’t any, so he walks out, leaving me to the maelstrom of emotions going through me.
My mom died because of me. My dad essentially died because he couldn’t handle life without her, which again, comes back on me. He died alone. That one’s my fault, too. And Briar. If I hadn’t insisted on going upstairs. If I had walked away from Jackson, instead of letting my rage control me, she wouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t have come back. And if I stick around much longer, I’m sure it will be too late for her, too.
Dash and Natalia are waiting on me. Briar’s fucking waiting on me. My father is waiting on me. I don’t want to face any of them, and stronger than anything I’ve ever experienced is the urge to bolt. I can’t fucking be here. I feel like I can’t breathe. My pulse hammers in my ears, and the room spins around me. Bending over and bracing my hands on my knees, I squeeze my eyes shut and try to suck in air, to no avail. I can’t get enough into my lungs.
I need out. Out of this room. Out of this hospital. Out of this town. Then, maybe I’ll be able to breathe again.
Chapter 14
Briar
My head is pounding. That was my first thought when I woke up in an ambulance, followed closely by how did I get here? Dash explained what happened, and slowly, the events of the last hour started coming back in pieces. Fighting. Lots of fighting. Lots of revelations. More fighting. Whitley pulling me backward by my hair. Then, darkness.
Once we got into the room, the nurse took my vitals and helped me change into a hospital gown before the doctor came in to examine me. Now, besides having a splitting headache, I feel fine. I want to get out of here so I can talk to Asher—privately—about everything that went down. I can’t wrap my mind around everything that came out tonight.
The door slowly creaks open, allowing a sliver of light into the room, followed by a light knock.
“Bry?” my brother asks.
“Come in.”
Dash and Nat step in with uncharacteristically long faces.
“Whoa, who died?” I joke, trying to lighten the mood, but they don’t laugh. They share a look that sends my heart free-falling to my feet.
“Are you okay?” Nat asks, changing the subject. She comes to sit on the bottom of the bed next to me and brushes my hair out of my face to assess the damage.
“I’m good,” I say, looking between them. “Did something happen?” Natalia looks up to Dash for permission, and that right there tells me that it’s bad. Since when does she defer to him? Or anyone, for that matter? Dash shakes his head.
“Tell me,” I demand. “Is it Asher? Is he okay?”
Dash’s nostrils flare, and I don’t even care to have the good sense to be sensitive to the fact that he just found out that his little sister and his best friend have been sneaking around behind his back.
“He’s fine, but his dad died tonight.”
My hand flies to my mouth, and I feel my eyes welling with tears. I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, needing to find him.
“Where is he?” I ask, hopping down. “I need to be with him.”
“Hell no, sis,” Nat says, pushing me back toward the bed. “I get it. I do. But you need to make sure you’re okay before you go saving someone else.”