Page 31 of Run
I nod.
“Did she ever hurt you?”
I shake my head.
The officer stands, and as he does my eyes land again on the tattoo on his forearm. “Are those your dog’s paw prints?”
He looks down to where I’m pointing and runs his fingers along the ink. “Yes. Well, they were. He passed a year ago. He was my best bud. Had him for twelve years—almost half my life. Since I was a kid.” He looks back up at me. “You ever have a dog?”
I shake my head. “Axel would never let me.”
Officer Rick takes my small hand in both of his. “Ari, I’m going to try really hard to make sure Axel goes to jail and that you never get hurt again. And I’m fairly certain your friend isn’t going to get into any trouble. Hell, from what I understand, he saved your life.”
Relief fills me. I want to ask about Ethan’s hand, but know the officer probably won’t have any information about that.
“You just relax here, and the doctor and probably someone from the Department of Social Services will be back to talk to you, OK?” Officer Rick turns and slides the curtain to move past it but freezes when he sees Ethan’s mom standing there, covering her mouth to hide her sobs as tears pool on her hand. The officer walks around her and away from us.
After a moment, she composes herself. “I’m so—” she starts to break, but composes herself again. “Ari, I’m so sorry. We never,neverknew it was that bad. We didn’t know …” she runs herhands up her arms, as if warming herself. “Lena called me. She’s on her way. She just stopped to check in on Axel.”
Of course. Of course she went to check on him first.
With arms still wrapped around herself, Mrs. Walker looks at the floor and then up at me. “Ari, I need to ask you a favor.”
As she talks, I lay back, close my eyes, and pray for a peace I know will never come.
CHAPTER 10
ETHAN
Mom was quiet on the way back from the hospital after surgery. Last week after we left the ER, we were told I would need pins put in my hand to correct the broken bones but some of the swelling had to go down first. Today, they put screws in my second and third fingers and did something to my knuckle joints, then put my entire hand in a cast to immobilize it. It looks freaky because there are two pins sticking out through my exposed fingertips.
Also, whatever they gave me to knock me out—mixed with the pain meds—has me giggling at everything as I lay on the couch.
Giggling … which reminds me of my best friend, who I haven’t seen since Axel attacked her. It’s a good thing he lived. I mean, it would be great if he were dead, but I don’t want to have tolive with being a killer. The police said he stayed at the hospital for a few days so the doctors could monitor his head wound and swelling, and then he was taken into custody and charged with assault of a minor. Since Lena didn’t post bail, he will be in the county jail until his court date, which is in a few weeks.
I hope they lock the bastard up forever. That way Ari and Lena can live in peace. Not that Lena is Mother of the Year, but at least she doesn’t hurt Ari.
Lena showed up at the hospital after checking in on Axel. I wish it were unbelievable that she went to him first, but it’s not.
After being discharged, Ari went into foster care. Because of what she reported to the police, she can’t go back to the household—even though Axel isn’t there—until all the claims are investigated. Lena has gone to visit Ari several times, or so she says, and told my mom the foster family is really nice.
I never got to say goodbye. It’s been a week since I’ve last seen or communicated with Ari, and I am sad to my core. Lost. Heartbroken. It seems like such a lame way to describe how out of my mind I am since I can’t text, talk with, or see my absolute best friend in this whole world. And not knowing what she’s doing or where she is, or if she’s sad, too.
“So,” Mom’s voice pulls me from my thoughts as I look out the living room window, “the doctor said it will take a while, but you will have full use of your hand once it heals. I also talked to the athletic director at the school and he said the college isn’t going to pull its scholarship. Instead, it will defer the offer a year so you can still play college ball your sophomore, junior, and senior years.”
“You say that as if I was fully committed to going away for school. I’m still thinking about going to community college here.”
Mom clears her throat and comes to stand closer to me, arms folded across her chest. “Actually, you are committed.” My eyesshoot to hers. “I called the school and made the deposit this week.”
“What?” I straighten up on the couch. “That wasn’t your decision to make.”
“Ethan—”
“No, Mom! What if I don’t want to go? What if I want to stay here?”
“You can’t stay here.”
“Of course I can! I can go to night classes and work during the day.”
