I stare out the window of Wade’s car and blink back tears.
“I’m sorry, Sorrow.”
I swallow and turn to look at the man who has had my back since the second he walked through the police station door. I look down at my cell phone, handed back to me before he took me to the hospital. I type into my cell and listen as it reads my words out to Wade.
“You don’t need to be sorry. You were great. I’m not sure I’d have made it through the day without you.”
“That was all a bunch of bullshit, and you know it.” He hits the steering wheel in frustration, and I don’t know if it’s because of how I was treated at the station or the treatment I received at the hospital.
“I know. It’s fine. I expected it.”
“Fuck that. Whatever that was back there shouldn’t have happened.”
“People are still angry at me. A boy died. The rest doesn’t matter. Nothing any of us can say or do will change that.”
“How the fuck can you be so nice when everyone treats you like shit?” I flinch at his words, making him curse. “I’m sorry, that was a crappy thing to say.”
“It’s true, though. I can’t change how people treat me, Wade. All I can do is fix my mom’s place up and hope I sell it. The sooner I can put Tempest in my rearview mirror, the better.”
“I’ve never felt ashamed of this place until today.”
I bite my lip, a couple of tears slipping free at the defeated tone in his voice. I know what he’s feeling. For all the trouble I had growing up with a messed-up mom and the stigma surrounding that, I always felt proud to be a part of Tempest. Until the day everyone turned their backs on me. The community I was once so happy to be a part of became something I couldn’t wait to run from. The look on Wade’s face is one I’m all too familiar with. It’s as if someone has torn the veil from his eyes, and he’s seeing the dark parts that usually stay hidden in dusty corners and people’s closets.
“When this town loves, it loves hard. They hate me because they loved Alec so damn much. It might not be rational, but I understand it.”
“What about you? Didn’t they love you too?”
“No. They didn’t.”
I turn to look out the window once more, shutting down the conversation. Sometimes the truth is ugly, and nothing Wade can say now will gloss over that fact.
When we pull up to my van, he turns off the engine as I reach for the door.
“Sorrow?”
I turn to look at him.
“The hospital staff should have been impartial. You know that, right?”
I roll my eyes. Of course, I know that. Shame they forgot. I’m sure if Wade hadn’t accompanied me, I’d still be sitting in the waiting room with torn-up wrists.
He huffs out a strained laugh. “Of course, you know.” He runs his fingers through his hair before he continues. “I know you spoke to your lawyer at the hospital, but you need to fill them in on the rest. Send them the photos I’ve forwarded you and take photos of the rest now you’ve had stitches. Get them to lodge a formal complaint.”
I shake my head. I just want to leave, not stick around and deal with all this.
“Please? One, it stops them from pulling something like this again. But if you don’t do it for yourself, do it for the next person who finds themselves in a situation like yours. If it can happen once, it will happen again.”
And I hate that he’s realized Tempest isn’t quite the safe haven he grew up thinking it was.
I sigh but nod. He had my back, so now I’ll have his. The chief could make his life difficult if he wanted to, and lodging a complaint will at least acknowledge that Wade was right to act and step in today.
I open the door and jump out, surprised when Wade walks around to join me. He hands me the keys to the van, and I have no idea how he got them for a second until I remember having to empty my pockets at the station. He walks me to the driver’s side door and waits for me to open it. I unlock it and open the door, actively avoiding looking in the back, knowing it’s been trashed by the rookie. Wade looks in, and I see his jaw tighten.
“I’ll get someone to come over and fix your taillight for you.”
I shake my head because it’s not his responsibility, but he folds his arms across his chest in a no-nonsense kind of way until I sigh and give in. Besides, it will save me from having to deal with going to a garage and dealing with more rude people.
“Good. I’ve gotta get going. I’ve put my number in your cell. If you have any issues, call me. I know the police are the last people you’d want to call, but I will come if you need me.”
