Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 105506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
“I’ll just get their number from your phone,” he shrugged, making to get up.
“You can’t call my parents,” I shrieked, trying to get off the bed but unfortunately not having enough energy to do so. Even my voice was thin and weak.
Nonetheless, Colby paused. “Sariah,” he said gently, and fuck, did I hate the gentleness. “You almost died, baby. Your parents need to know. They need to see you.”
“They do not need to know, and they especially don’t need to see me,” I argued, my already withered heart shriveling some more.
I held up my hand when Colby opened his mouth, presumably to argue.
“If you call them, they will come. Tired already, it took effort to speak, my voice scratchy, tired already. “Because their only child is in the hospital, and they will want to be by her side because that’s the godly thing to do.” I kept my eyes on Colby, though I ached to look away. “Then they’ll walk into this hospital to see a bunch of outlaw bikers, and the guards you probably have at my door even though the threat is over.”
Colby didn’t say anything to this, I assumed because he knew I was right.
“This would just disturb them,” I continued. “They’d avert their eyes and try their best to ignore them, but then they’d come in here... And you’ll be here.”
Again, Colby didn’t argue this because, again, I was right.
“And then they won’t be able to ignore you, but they’ll try,” I sighed. “Because they’ll be presented with this.” I weakly waved my hand down my body. “And it will definitely shock and upset them because despite all of their flaws, they do love me.” Inexplicably, tears stung the backs of my eyes. That made me angry. I’d told myself that I’d shed enough tears over them.
“But, eventually, the shock and concern will recede, and they’ll find a way to subtly let me know that this wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t abandoned them and God,” I plucked at the sheet beneath me, forcing my voice to stay even.
Colby stared at me for a long time. I guessed that everything about my past had been dug up when I was taken. I hadn’t dwelled too much on that, since there was a whole lot more for me to dwell on. I’d have to face up to it all eventually, though.
This was the first time I’d spoken about my parents to anyone. Even Violet.
I expected Colby to push it on my parents. Doing so was part of his nature, after all. He’d been intent on knowing me before all of this happened. Now he had a captive audience.
But he just nodded succinctly. “Okay, poppet.”
Then I let out a long breath.
One battle won. About a million more to come.
Colby had put my phone and some other belongings at my bedside, my toiletries in the bathroom. I was wearing my own pajamas. I’d put them on only because it was sweet of him to go to the effort, but the reality was that the silk against my skin felt like razor blades. I was no longer the person who bought pajamas like these. It felt wrong. Sickening. Pretty things against my ruined body reminded me of every cut, every incision, every plea I’d made.
But I was white knuckling my way through it. I had a feeling a lot more of that was ahead of me. A lot of white knuckling.
Colby was out in the hall, talking to the doctor. He did that a lot. I guessed he was trying to figure out when they were going to discharge me. That didn’t interest me. Actually, the thought of leaving terrified me. Discharge meant reality.
But I couldn’t stay in the hospital forever. Violet had already been blowing up my phone, asking where I was, if I was okay, when she could come over.
I’d managed to hold her back by telling her I was fine and just wanted to recover a little more before seeing the baby.
I knew she wasn’t convinced because she was continually calling me. And I continually ignored the calls, texting her saying that I was ‘sleeping’ or whatever the fuck.
The Old Ladies were all blowing up my phone too. It obviously was not a secret, what happened to me. But it seemed so far, the bikers were keeping their mouths shut about my stay in the hospital. Which surprised me since Violet said they gossiped like schoolgirls. Maybe they were that afraid of me. Or of my fragile mental state.
I had managed to fend off all of the women’s texts and calls thus far, but Ollie was not one to give up.
If you don’t answer the fucking phone right now, I’m flying down there.
My fingers went numb. Ollie was not one for empty threats. Ollie was also petrified of flying.