Swearing under my breath, I realized she had a pretty sizable gash on her arm—clean cut. It was fairly dirty, but it was already clotting. Other than that, she was just covered in small nicks and scratches, none of them even remotely large enough to be the source ofsomuch blood. Which meant she was bleeding somewhere I couldn’t see. I swallowed hard.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Sara murmured, still staring at the shoe in her hands. “You should leave.”
Shit. Head wound.Had to be.I was frantic as I started pulling pins out of her soft hair.
“W-What are you doing?” She choked out in surprise.
“I’m checking to see if you smacked your pretty little head because, you know, I’d never leave you out here.” I breathed, finding only a small gash on her temple. “Sara.” I started slowly, the lump in my throat hardening as I steadied myself. “Where exactly are you bleeding?”
She stared at me blankly, looked me dead in the eye for the longest minute of my life and then, as if she finally realized that I had her, that she was safe—a broken little sound like I’d never heard before, cracked out of her and I pulled her into my arms as she began to sob.
“You’re safe now. I’ve got you.” I murmured, feeling more panicked by the second. “Everything is going to be okay. Whatever happened, you’re safe now.”
It was a surreal feeling. Not knowing what the hell was goingon. Simultaneously realizing how perfectly she fit into my arms. I’d never held her like this before.Ever.The fact that it was tonight, like this, was devastating.I was devastated.
My throat was slowly closing up, but I asked as gently as I could muster. “Sara, I’m really worried about how much blood you’ve lost, and I don’t know where exactly you’re injured. Do you know if you’re still bleeding?”
She only cried harder.
“You think we could take a look?” I asked gently, my mind swirling with a thousand terrible possibilities.
She shook her head, shoulders shaking violently.
I swallowed hard. “Can you tell me what happened? Or who you were with at least?” She couldn’t form a full word between her sobs, let alone get a full breath in. “Sara, I need you to try and take some deep breaths for me.” I gently cupped her face with both my hands, forcing her eyes to meet mine. “Can you do that for me, sweet girl? Take some deep breaths with me?”
Shoulder-shaking sobs were her only response as she crumpled against me. Oh God, I needed to get her to a hospital.Now.
“He—he and I—I—was supposed to—but I couldn’t.” She was nearly inaudible between her sobs.
My ears started to ring, fingers started to go numb. “Did Eric hurt you? Did something happen between the two of you?” I asked so,sogently, even while I battled the protective fury that was steadily unraveling inside of me.
“I wasn’t with Eric.” She sobbed as I cradled the back of her head.
“Who were you with?” I felt dizzy as each breath came faster and faster.
“N-no.” she cried, “It’s fine, I’m fine.” She chanted to herself over and over again, and I knew it was more forhersake than mine.
All around us, the tall grass rasped eerily in the wind, and as I surveyed our surroundings, realization slowly washed over me. Maybe this wasn’t her blood at all…
Oh fuck.Was I going to bury a body tonight?
I would.For her, I would.
“Whatever this is, everything’s going to be okay.” I murmured, knowing I’d move heaven and earth to protect her.
Suddenly, the car headlights clicked off, plunging us into the night, and my skin prickled, knowing that whatever had happened out here, we needed to leave. Right now. We could sort out the details at the hospital, but right now we were exposed, and literally anything or anyone could be out there.
My feet slipped as I tried to find purchase on the slippery embankment, and if it hadn’t been for my height, I wasn’t sure if I would have been able to climb out at all.
At the top, I pulled Sara up onto the road in one swift movement. “Come on.” I ushered her towards the car, taking another cautious glance over my shoulder.
Her voice pitched up. “I can’t.”
My chest was so tight, I could hardly pull in a full breath as I begged, “Please, get in the car, Sara.”
“No.” She stumbled back, and my eyes blew wide as I lunged for her, grabbing her before she fell into the ditch again.
“I’m not asking, we need to get you out of the cold, probably to a hospital.”
