Page 99 of Guarding Bristol
Cassie turned on the TV and found a streaming service.“Ocean’s Twelveokay?”
“Sure.”She really didn’t care.This had been the worst day of her life, right up there with the day Eric had died.She kept veering between hopeful, nauseated, and sad.
Her time on the Coast Guard ship had been a whirlwind of medical attention, answering questions, and giving a formal statement.As soon as she’d arrived home, she’d jumped in the shower.Cried the whole time she washed the salt from her skin and hair.Dressed in her soft, thick robe, she’d come downstairs to find Cassie’s phone blowing up.
She’d talked to her dad first, to reassure him she was okay.It was a miracle he’d been satisfied with a phone conversation instead of a face-to-face one.She’d thought for sure he would be over there in thirty minutes, tops, banging on the door like a madman.Only Cassie being with her, and the argument that she needed rest had held him off.
That was Cassie’s doing.Bristol was grateful, because she didn’t have the emotional strength to cope with that right now.
After that, there had been calls with the cops, DEA, and CPS, all asking her the same questions.No one had been able to give her answers about TJ.
It infuriated her.Was he dead?If he was dead, why wouldn’t they just tell her?
She leaned her head back against the top of the couch cushion, took her spare pair of glasses off and put a hand over her stinging eyes.“God, why aren’t they telling us anything?”
Cassie shifted on the other end of the couch, tucking her feet under her.“I don’t know.”She was frustrated too.They both wanted answers.“Babe, you’re exhausted.You really should go to bed and at least try to get some sleep.”
Bristol gave her an incredulous look.“Are you kidding me?I can’t sleep right now.”Her arm flopped down to her side, glasses dangling from her fingers.The only way she would sleep tonight was because of drugs, or staying up until she just couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.
She hadn’t told Cassie about her and TJ, but she was pretty sure Cass knew something was up.This level of distress was due to far more than being worried about a former teammate of her brother’s.Or because she had tried so hard to help him before she’d known the truth.
Cassie watched her for a long moment, as if considering her words carefully.“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.But did you guys get together last night?”
What was the point in lying?Cassie already suspected.“Yes.”
Cassie sighed.“I was afraid of that.”
“It was more than just sex, okay?”
“Okay.”Cassie didn’t look convinced.
Bristol wrapped her arms around herself.“It was.”
“I said okay.”
She was saved from saying something defensive by a knock at the door.
“I got it.”Cassie jumped up and went over to check through the peephole.“It’s your neighbor.”
“Which one?”
“The one that looks like a fairy.”She opened the door.
Bristol sat up as Everleigh walked in, her silvery-blond hair wet from the short walk over.“Hey, I just heard you were rescued at sea by the guys.”She toed off her shoes and came over to sit next to her, concern in her pretty blue eyes.“Are you okay?”
“Not really.”The words came out rough, almost a whisper.
“Oh, honey...”Everleigh pulled her into a hug.“I know how scared you must have been.”
Yes, she really would.Everleigh had had her own near-death experience during an outdoor concert at The Gorge last summer.“You talked to Grady?”
“Yeah, he called me right before I came over.They’ve been flying sorties all day, pulling people off boats up and down the coast.”
Bristol pulled back to look at her.“Did he say anything about TJ?I heard he and Groz pulled him from the water, but I don’t know if he was alive or not.”
Empathy filled her eyes.“He didn’t say anything about that, sorry.He can’t tell me details about any of the missions he goes on.”
She tried to hide her disappointment.Probably failed miserably.“Right.”Of course he couldn’t.Military and legal protocols and all that.
