Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 42549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 213(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 213(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
I nodded, unfastening my seat belt. The sliding ER doors gaped obscenely as we walked in together, holding hands.
Half the high school waited in the lobby.
I saw Bryce and Erin huddled together along the wall. Both were crying. Clumps of young people I’d grown up with surrounded them, wiping their eyes.
“Bitch,” someone hissed as I walked past. Shanda spun around, glaring, but everyone looked away.
“Jesus Christ, shut the fuck up,” Colby said, striding toward me. Wow. Hadn’t seen that coming. He caught me up in a tight hug, and I felt myself start to tremble. Finally I pulled free, and swallowed.
I had to know.
“Tell me,” I said. “Are they . . .?”
Colby swallowed, his eyes red and puffy.
“Allie is gone.”
The words cut through me. No. It couldn’t be true.
“But she was screaming,” I said, shaking my head. “She was awake. We all heard her. How can she be . . . dead?”
My throat choked as I whispered the word. This was too awful, too real. How had a stupid party turned into Allie dying? Suddenly I didn’t care that I’d hated her, or that she’d slept with my boyfriend—we’d known each other since kindergarten, and now I’d never see her again. Not even a bitch like Allie deserved that.
And if she was dead, what about him?
“She lost consciousness in the ambulance,” Colby continued. “She was bleeding inside her head. They did emergency surgery but her heart stopped on the table. They couldn’t save her.”
“Oh my God,’’ I whispered. More guilt slammed through me—I’d wished her dead and now she was. I felt like I was going to throw up. Swallowing, I forced myself to ask the hardest question of all. “What about Farell?”
“He’s in surgery right now,’’ Colby said. “Nobody knows what’s going on. His parents are waiting in the chapel.”
He nodded toward a small door against the far wall.
“His mom’s been asking for you,” he added, his voice cracking.
Now I really needed to throw up. Renee Evans had been so incredibly good to me. When I’d first met her I expected her to hate me—after all, her golden boy had dragged home a girl from the trailer park. By valley standards I wasn’t even close to good enough for him. But Renee never cared about any of that. She’d welcomed me with open arms, and eventually I spent more time at their house than my own. I hadn’t let myself think about that until now—breaking up with Farell meant giving her up, too.
Pulling away from Colby, I walked over to the bathroom as fast I could without drawing even more attention. Thankfully it was clearly labeled and easy to find, because I barely made it inside before I started puking.
Everything tasted like beer and bile and betrayal.
“Darcy, is that you?’’ a familiar voice asked outside the stall. I stilled, clutching the toilet for support. Renee.
“I’m in here,’’ I managed to say.
“Thank God,” she said. “Are you all right?”
Better than Allie, I thought, feeling a touch hysterical.
“I don’t think any of us are all right.”
“Come out,’’ Renee replied softly. “I need to see you, sweetheart.”
She didn’t know, I realized. She still thought me and Farell were together, that I had a right to be here. What would she say when she found out? I flushed the toilet and stood, bracing myself. Then I stepped out of the stall.
Renee looked like hell.
Her hair hadn’t been combed and her clothes didn’t match. Way out of character, but I guess when your son’s been in an accident you don’t take the time to coordinate your outfit. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she gave me a small, brave smile as she held out her arms.
I couldn’t do it.
“Renee, I need to tell you something.”
“I already know—or at least I know enough,” she said softly. “Bryce told me about your fight. Farell had another girl with him. But I know you care about him and right now I could really use your support.”
Falling into her arms, I hugged her tight and sobbed. Everything was still awful and I was confused and scared, but just being close to her I felt better than I had all night.
“How is he?’’ I finally managed to ask.
“He’s in surgery right now,” she said, rubbing my back. “They told me his spine was crushed. We’re not sure exactly what that will mean in the long run, but it can’t be good. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, Darcy. I just don’t know. I’d like you to come wait with us, though. I think Farell would want that.”
I shook my head—she was wrong. Farell wouldn’t want that at all.
“You know, Marcus and I have been married for twenty years now,’’ she said softly. “That’s a long time—you learn after a while that you can’t judge a relationship by any one thing. People make mistakes. You have to look at all of it when you judge a man. Please come with me, Darcy. Maybe you don’t want to do it for Farell right now, so do it for me. You’ve been like my own daughter this past year. Help me get through this. Please.”