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Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jax
Raised voices sound from the hallway outside the family room we’ve been escorted to. We’ve been here a while now but haven’t seen Phoenix yet. They’re being assholes about how many people can see her and allegedly we’re not family. It’s bullshit. Baxter went to join Raven after Thorn popped his head in briefly to say she’s okay, before disappearing to get himself checked over. Idiot. I’ll kill him if anything serious has happened to Phoenix. I’m almost out of my mind with worry already, so I can’t even begin to imagine what Raven’s feeling as her mum.
It’s astonishing how fast they’ve both gotten under my skin. I swore I wouldn’t go there, that Raven’s betrayal was too much to forgive, but it hasn’t mattered at all to me since Phoenix was taken away. And right now? I truly couldn’t care less. I just need Phoenix to be okay. I need to hold Raven and make sure she’s okay too. I want to be the one in there with her, comforting her. Not Baxter.
The voices get louder and I recognise Baxter’s dangerous rage. I can’t believe he would shout at Raven with everything she’s going through right now. Crossing the room, I peek through the slatted blinds to see what’s happening, ready to go out and defend her while telling him what I think of his behaviour.
But Baxter isn’t shouting at Raven. He’s yelling at a nurse who has her back to me. The anger and confusion on Baxter’s face is what prompts me to step out into the corridor to join them.
“What’s going on, Baxter?” I ask calmly.
“Nothing,” he snaps.
“Is Phoenix okay?”
“She’s fine. Go wait inside.”
“I’ll stay, thanks.” I raise my brow in challenge. There’s no way I’m going to let him boss me around. I’m intrigued now. Why the hell is he yelling at the nurse? Did she do something wrong? Has she slipped up somehow in Phoenix’s care? Anger begins to build in my slowly heating blood.
“Please, you’ve got it wrong,” the nurse begs. She sounds close to tears. I frown. What the hell is going on here? “My name’s not Lizzie.”
The name makes my head snap towards her. I step past her and turn so that I can see her face more clearly.
Fuck.
My eyes widen.
It’s not fucking possible.
No.
I shake my head.
No way.
Pale skin, an angelic white halo of hair, huge bright green doe eyes, currently glistening with tears. She’s older, sure, but there’s no mistaking who I’m staring at.
“Lizzie?” I blink in disbelief, staring at the ghost girl in front of me.
“No!” She whirls on me with a desperate kind of exasperation. “My name’s Beth! I’ve already told him this. Please, just let me go. I have a job to do. I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”
She takes a step backwards and without thinking my hand snaps out to grab hers. I turn her palm up to my gaze and look at the jagged scar that runs along her life line.
“This scar.” I shake my head. It’s her. It’s really her.
“A climbing accident,” she replies, tugging her hand free.
“Yeah. When you were thirteen.”
“No. It’s recent.” She frowns, running her finger across the silvery scar.
“No. You went climbing with your sister and your father,” I say, recalling the story Raven had once told me. It was their birthday treat and both girls had been looking forward to it. Only, Lizzie had slipped on a wet rock and had cut her left palm, needing stitches. I tell her all of this but the whole time I’m speaking she’s denying it.
“No. I’m sorry. I don’t have a sister. I don’t have any family at all.” The nurse shakes her head and steps backwards once more.
“Wait! What did you say your name was?” I cry desperately.
