Where’s Blaise?
Blaise was there. He found us. So he must’ve received the message I sent. Did he call the cops and make sure he had help? Dad is trained in combat, and in how to use a firearm. Blaise, as much as he’s a hard-ass, would be nothing on my dad.
I hold my breath when a shot of pain runs up my side. The nurse tells me my throat will still be scratchy from the breathing tube. I still needed it for a few hours after surgery because I was declining, but they put me on their strongest antibiotics.
“Calm down, Cole,” Allie says, and I want to tell her to fuck off. She has no reason to be here. But then my mom leans over me and cups my cheek, her bruised face filled with worry. “Breathe, sweetheart. We’re safe now. Blaise saved us.”
Blaise.
Why aren’t you here?
There’s not a chance in hell I’ve lost him.
My heart drops at the thought, stopping altogether. I look around the room, and I don’t see any of his things. His bag, his phone charger, his keys. Blaise wouldn’t leave my side if he was here. And he wouldn’t be sitting around and allowing Allie to be here. He’d tell her to get the fuck out.
My breaths are shaky as my eyes land on my mom again. “Is Blaise… Is he…?” I gulp painfully, not wanting to hear the words that will shatter my world forever.
“He was brought in shortly after you. Blaise was in a bad way. If the emergency services got there even a few minutes later…”Her words trail off. “His ribs were broken, and one of them punctured his lung. He was shot in the arm too. And he has quite a lot of internal bruising, but he’s okay. They worked quickly on him.”
I sit up, or try to, and wince at the pain in my side. Sweat layers my skin, and I feel sick, but I don’t care. I need to find him.
“No. You need to stay in bed and heal, Cole.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s on this ward. Please, just rest. We’ll take you to him soon.”
Allie sits down beside the bed and tries to take my hand. I pull it away before she can. “Why the fuck are you here?”
“I was worried about you. It was all over the news. I came straight here and found your mom.”
“I’m fine.” I groan as I try to sit up once more. “You can leave now.”
Tears brim her eyes. “Don’t push me away.”
I stare at her, blinking. “I don’t want you here. You have no reason to be here.”
Standing, she hesitates. “I’m sorry. About everything. Jackson will leave you both alone, I promise. Will you ever forgive me for how I was in our relationship?”
“I’ll forgive you if you leave. I’m fine.” I sigh at the sadness in her expression. “Thank you for checking on me.”
She nods, smiling at my mom. “I’m glad you’re both okay. Thanks for always being there for me.”
“Of course, dear.”
Allie gives me one last look before she leaves. The door shuts behind her, and my head turns to the side to look at Mom. “Why’d you let her in here?”
“She was screaming down at the reception looking for you. I thought it would be better for everyone to let her in. She was a big part of your life for years, Cole.”
“Was,” I repeat, pointing out the important word in that sentence. “And she cheated on me constantly and treated me like shit. I wasn’t ever happy with her.”
Her eyes round, but she softens them. “You never told me that.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
She flattens her lips when I try to sit up again. “Where are you going?”
“Blaise is on the ward. I’m not just fucking lying here.”
