Page 127 of Love at First Ride
I turn and flee toward the exit door before anyone can stop me. I walk through the sliding doors, witnessing the number of people waiting outside for news about AJ, all of them from Rapture.
I turn a corner, walking up a grass bank that overlooks the street. In the darkness, I let the tears come, my shoulders trembling as I hug my waist. There’s a sharp pain in my chest that pierces my heart, slicing it in two. I can’t breathe. And all I can think isI cannot lose you.I cannot lose you. I cannot lose you.
I’m angry at whoever did this. I’m frightened he might die. That he might be so badly injured he won’t recover from his injuries.
I reach for my phone. I don’t care what time it is. I dial my dad.
He answers immediately, which takes me by surprise.
‘Hollie?’ he says, and there’s an urgency to his tone.
‘Daddy,’ I manage to say, and I look to the skies above Canyon, my cheeks streaked with tears that drip down my chin and neck.
‘Where are you?’ he asks.
‘Golden Oaks Medical Center. There was a fire. In Rapture—’
‘The sheriff called Evelyn. She’s on the phone to him now. What’s happened?’
‘It’s AJ. He lives above Scotch & Smoke. The bar. They’re saying someone set it on fire. He was inside. He… he… oh god, Dad, he had to jump from the building.’
‘Oh my god. Is he all right?’
My voice quakes. ‘I don’t know. It was thirty-five feet. He was brought here in an ambulance. I… I’m so scared. I don’t know what to do. There’s nothing I can do. Will you come here?’
‘Of course,’ he breathes. ‘I’ll get in the car now.’
‘I’ll be inside, in the waiting area.’
‘I’ll be there soon.’
I hang up and press the handset to my chest. Then I take a breath, wipe my face one more time, and head back inside.
When I walk back through the double sliding doors, I spy Echo with a woman in his arms. I can’t see her face because it’s buried in his shoulder. She’s wearing a floral dress and a pair of leather sandals. Dark hair the same shade as AJ’s flows loose and wild down her back.
I move closer. Nicole sees me, a sad look on her face. The pain in my chest turns searing.
Wretched sobs wrack her body. ‘I can’t do it, Echo,’ she cries into his chest. ‘I c-can’t lose another. Logan is never coming back here. Noah is… oh god, Echo… I’m not strong enough. I can’t lose another boy. I can’t lose AJ too.’
I’m looking at Mercedes Callahan. I bite my lip to try and stem the tears.
Echo brushes a kiss against her temple. Keeps hold of her, soothing her.
‘I won’t let that happen. I swear, Mercy. You gotta breathe. Tell me everything they’ve said so far.’
She pulls back. I look at her face and she’s beautiful. Big tears swell then roll down her cheeks and she tries in vain to wipe them away. With Echo’s encouragement, she takes a moment to compose herself. I move closer still and Nicole comes to stand beside me. ‘Not much. They’ve taken him upstairs for an x-ray. He’s still strapped to a board.’
I swallow a lump in my throat.
‘Is he talking?’ I blurt out. ‘Do you know?’
Her eyes, ablaze, land on me. The room stills as she drinks me in. She wipes her cheeks, then looks at Echo. ‘Is this…?’
Echo looks at me too, and a smile tugs the corner of his mouth. ‘This is her. This is Hollie.’
‘I’m Hollie,’ I repeat, as though it needed confirmation, and my cheeks flush pink.
She steps forward, takes me by the hand. ‘It’s wonderful to meet you, Hollie. AJ’s told me so much about you.’
