Wyatt drills his gaze back at Rory, and they stay there in a silent stand-off for a few seconds, before I blurt out, ‘He was just helping me. It’s not his fault.’
With a furrowed brow, Wyatt scoffs, returning his attention back to me. ‘Helping you with what, though, Cherry? That’s what I don’t get. Why are you guys spending time together suddenly? You never have before.’
I rub a shaky hand over my forehead, the throbbing intensifying again. ‘With a bucket list Montana made me. It’s just a silly thing I was doing for the summer to make me feel stronger and—’
‘Not the one that was in your jacket,’ Wyatt practically begs, eyes splaying open to emphasise his plea.
My mouth dries out. ‘What do you mean?’
Wyatt clutches at his head as all the hardness in his expression washes away. The moving storm cloudsoutside the window cast him in further shadows as he mumbles, ‘The doctors gave us your belongings … Your phone was smashed but there was a list in your pocket with it …’
‘Wyatt,’ Rory tries again, angling her head this time as she bulges her eyes at him.
Groaning, Wyatt pinches the bridge of his nose and turns away, several sharp exhales coming from him. My eyes flick to Rory’s, and she tries to push a soft, reassuring smile through her freckled cheeks, but it does little to quell the trembling in my chest.
Finally, Wyatt faces me again. An eerie kind of calm appears to have washed over him, his face devoid of expression. It only makes him seem angrier. ‘Pleasetell me Duke hasn’t been helping you withthatlist.’
‘Wyatt,’ I beg. ‘Don’t make this a big deal.’
‘Don’t make this a big deal?’ He barks out a laugh of disbelief. ‘You’re mylittle sister, Cherry, and he’s my best friend. I –Fuck. So what? All the helping me protect my little sister was just so he could take her for himself?’ He wipes a hand down his face, voice pitching higher as it cracks. ‘Jesus Christ, the stuff on that list. I can’t believe he’d do this.’
My heart lurches into my throat, at how his words undermine the pureness of Duke’s soul. Of every intention he’s ever had with me. ‘It wasn’t like that. You know he wouldn’t do that. And you’re making it sound like I had no say in this.’
Wyatt scoffs, throwing his hands in the air. ‘You’resixyears younger than him, Cherry. He’s known you since you were a kid.’
‘But I’m not a kid anymore.’ My voice is croaky as I raise it, determined not to cower today, no matter how exhausted I feel. Sitting up in bed again, I imbue my backbone with determination and harden my voice. ‘I’m twenty-one. I’m graduating college next year. I can make my own decisions.I’mthe one who started it all, anyway, not him.’
‘She’s right, Wyatt,’ Rory adds on, rounding the bed to be by his side. She runs her hand up his arm, his attention instantly falling to her face, expression and dark eyes slowly softening. ‘This isDukewe’re talking about. You know how much he cares about you. He wouldn’t do anything to try and hurt youorCherry.’
Wyatt pokes the inside of his cheek with his tongue, volleying glances between me and Rory. ‘So youbothkept this from me.’ Then he whispers to himself, ‘I can’t believehekept this from me.’
‘That’s because I don’t have to run everything by you, Wyatt. I know you’re looking out for me, I know it’s because you love me, but I …’ My throat tightens, eyes stinging. I tilt my head back for a brief moment, a shaky breath filtering from my lips. ‘Sometimes it makes me feel like everyone just sees me as this weak little girl that can’t handle things for herself. Whether you like it or not, I’ve liked Duke for years, and he’s really been there for me this summer. He helps me feel strong.Alive. Like I shouldn’t have to hide away from what I want, from who I am, no matter what others think. He lets me be unapologetically myself and worships me for it.’
‘Jesus.’ Wyatt sighs. He takes several steps back to lean against the wall. ‘I mean … I could tell you had a bit of acrush on him when you were younger, but I thought that was just a phase.’
‘Wyatt, I don’t have acrushon Duke. I love him.’ There’s not even a hint of hesitance as I admit such. Because if there’s one constant in this world, it’s my love for Duke Bennett.
That makes Wyatt blanch. ‘Youlovehim?’
Unconditionally. Irrevocably. There’s no going back now.
Softly, I nod. Rory beams at me, bright eyes twinkling. Yet Wyatt’s face only hardens into something stone-cold. Those storm clouds creep into his dark eyes again, swirling with thunderous emotion. He takes a long blink, pressing his lips together, before he says, ‘I need a minute.’
And with that, Wyatt disappears out the room, door swinging closed behind him with a thump.
38
Duke
Every smack of rain against the waiting room windows makes my muscles flinch. I pick at the blood crusted around the holes in my jeans from the road burn, my other leg bobbing, while trying to ignore the agonising throb in my shoulder.
It’s been an hour since Wyatt and Rory turned up. Since he blatantly ignored me. Maybe that was my sign to leave, but I couldn’t, not without knowing Cherry was awake and okay—
‘Bennett,’ Wyatt’s voice rings out across the waiting room, forcing my head to shoot up. He stands in the corridor opposite me, cold, hard eyes locked on where I sit. The ferocity of his glare is enough to make me cower in my seat, but I force myself to stand even as my weary body protests. To meet him and whatever he’s planning to throw at me. And if he’s here, then Cherry must be awake, and that thought gives me the strength to rise to him.
I just hope she knows I’m out here, waiting. That I wasn’t a coward this time.
He marches over, jaw dropping to no doubt volley all his anger at me, but the nurse behind the desk gets there before him, demanding with hands on her hips, ‘If you two are planning on having some alpha male stand-off in my hospital, you better think twice and take your asses outside.’
