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And it looked like I’d landed right in their crosshairs. I’d go to my dad and tell him everything. He’d know what to do. It was the only solution. He’d fix it. He always did.
I didn’t push Selena to talk too much. She wouldn’t entertain the thought of the cops, thanks to Trent’s threats.
Instead, I tried to distract her. We watched trashy movies and ate too much junk food. Gradually, Selena’s eyes dried, and the haunted look left her face. Not all the way, but it was a start. All the while, a growing apprehension came over me. Something bad was going to happen. I could feel it.
I went outside to answer the phone when Asher called. I hadn’t even thought about how to tell him about his dad, I just knew it couldn’t be today. Why did Alan have to be so efficient?
“Missing me already?” I teased him when I answered. In a day when my brain was threatening to pop from too much information, I wanted to hear Asher’s voice.
“Winter, it’s Eve.”
I jerked the phone from my ear and checked the display. Nerves ripped through me like wildfire.
“What’s wrong?” I asked immediately. Why would Eve be calling me from her brother’s phone? Trent had threatened Asher just yesterday and I’d called his bluff and refused to believe he had any kind of real power over us. I felt sick as I waited for Eve to explain.
“He didn’t want me to call you, but Asher came off his bike this morning. He’s at the hospital getting checked out.”
“What!” A pure shot of adrenaline hit me. “I’m on my way.”
I got to the hospital and could barely remember the journey. It seemed wrong that Asher could be injured. He was too capable. Too in control of his body and surroundings.
A nurse pointed me in the right direction, and and I marched through the ward until I found his room number, snapping open the curtain in a panic. Asher was sitting back against the headboard, his boots and jacket folded neatly by the bedside chair.
“Why didn’t you call me?” I accused hotly, hurt by the very idea that Asher wouldn’t want me to know he’d been injured.
“And miss seeing your face when you ran over here to scold me? I might be scraped up, but I’m not dumb.” He gave me a lazy grin.
“What happened?” I wondered.
His face was scuffed along his chin, his arm had a few bandages on it, and his T-shirt was scattered with drops of blood, but other than that, he seemed intact.
“Some fucker sideswiped me. It’s never happened in years of riding, so I figure I was due. I’m fine, if you’re worried.”
I scoffed, my face heating up. “Who said I was worried?”
“You look worried,” Asher stated calmly and smirked. “It’s cute.”
“It is not cute, and I’m just worried about how you’ll fulfill your end of our deal if you get hurt. That’s all,” I was rambling, so relieved to see him intact that I couldn’t think straight.
Asher nodded. “Well rest assured, I’m fine. All in all, I think I got off lightly.”
“You’re just saying that because you can’t see yourself.” I grimaced at the sight of the dark-red road rash along his arm and the bruising on his jaw. “It’s not pretty.”
“I see you come from the tough love school of nursing, and I’d expect nothing less.”
I opened my mouth to retort just as my phone rang. I pulled it out, and my relieved mood instantly vanished. An unknown number flashed across the display.
“I’ve got to take this,” I muttered, pushing past the curtain and striding out of the ER, toward the front entrance. I had a suspicion who it was, and I didn’t want anyone overhearing a conversation with Trent. Just the thought was gross, somehow, like talking to him on the phone meant that I was okay with him and guys like him, which I certainly wasn’t.
Outside was quiet. There were a few people smoking, and some dude in the shadows sitting astride a vintage Harley.
I took a deep breath, tried to relax my tight throat, and answered the phone.
“What is it? I thought I was clear. You have no reason to call me,” I snapped.
Trent chuckled, a sound that never failed to make my skin crawl. “Now, is that any way to talk to someone who’s just worried about your boyfriend? I wanted to check on Asher.”
I froze. “How do you know he had an accident? It just happened.”
