Page 46 of Sudden Summer

“Hey, hey…Chickadee.” My voice wobbled as I waited for the panic to drop out of her eyes. “What happened? What the hell happened?”

“Someone—” She coughed violently, her hands releasing from around her throat, and I saw red. Her beautiful skin was mottled with the impression of a hand that was far too big to be hers.

“Hey, you’re okay,” I cooed, knowing for a fucking fact that was the farthest thing from the truth.

“Beau, he just…out back.” Her voice was barely there.

“It’s okay. I’m going to call for help. I’ve got you now. You’re safe.”

She shook her head, wincing at the movement.

I sank against the wall, scooping her up and holding her close to me. Her left hand came up, resting against my chest. The fabric of my shirt pulled across my shoulders as her fingers gripped it for dear life.

“Birdie, you’re…you’re hurt. Who the hell did this to you?”

She closed her eyes, and I died a little watching one lonely tear spill down her face.

“Please, let me get you help. Are you in pain?”

She nodded again, letting her head rest against my shoulder.

“Where?”

“M-my head. He…”

“The wall by your front door,” I whispered, my blood boiling. I’d known it had happened, and still hearing the words come out of her mouth filled me with a rage I’d never felt before. There was no way I wanted her to feel that, so I softened my muscles and relaxed my jaw. She shifted, her head coming off the crook of my arm and resting on my shoulder.

“He pulled me by my hair. And I think I broke my wrist. I shouldn’t be here. I-I was supposed to watch our berry girl for you…”

Our. Berry. Girl. My fucking heart shattered.

“Can you help me to the bathroom?” she whispered.

“I’ll carry you there quickly, but then I need to get you to the hospital. Are you feeling nauseous? Dizzy? I’m worried you might have a concussion.”

“I feel o-okay. I don’t think it’s a concussion. I just…I want to get clean. His hand was over my mouth. On my body. His fingers were in my hair.” A shiver rolled through her body.

“I don’t think that’s a smart idea.”

Her wide eyes looked up at me, confusion swirling through them. She was traumatized, not thinking clearly. Wouldn’t there be DNA that could be collected?

“You can’t wash up. We have to…Birdie, we have to get you to the hospital. You were assaulted. The police report…they’ll want to collect all the evidence. What if there’s physical evidence?”

“No,” she groaned. “I tried to scratch him, but he was covered up. I couldn’t…there wasn’t anything.”

“Please let me call for an ambulance,” I begged, the tears I’d been holding back flooding my eyes. God, she was the strongest woman I knew. And still it killed me that I wasn’t here to keep her safe.

“Will you drive me there? Not to St. Clare’s. Mercy Gen in Mecham County.”

“That’s more than an hour away.” There was no way I was letting her suffer for that long.

“Beau. Please. They’re my colleagues. I can’t…” She swallowed, her voice painfully raspy. “They can’t see me like this.”

“You’re going to be in pain.” The thought of how true that statement was made me want to throw up. “All the way there.”

Her left hand tightened more with the hold she had on my shirt. “I’ll be okay. Please. I’m not weak. I’m fine.”

“You are not fine. Fuck. I’m going to carry you to my truck, okay? We’ll take it one minute at a time. If you’re in too much pain once we start driving, or your head starts hurting more, I’m calling the fucking ambulance. Deal?”