I was without a phone, once again. So inconvenient. I needed to find a ride home and call Tammy to arrange for Dominic to be brought to me.
There was a knock at the door. Before I could call out that I needed a minute, it opened. Trainer stepped inside, his eyes widening when he saw me shirtless. His gaze roamed over my bare skin on display, making a shiver run down my spine.
“What are you doing?” he asked gruffly. “Why are you getting dressed?”
“I’m getting released.”
“Already? Are they sure you’re okay?”
I shrugged. “I’msure. I told the doctor I wanted to leave, so she’s getting the discharge paperwork ready.” I glanced at the clock. She’d left my room an hour ago. How long did it take to sign some papers releasing me?
Trainer crossed the room and picked up my t-shirt that was on the bed. There was a little blood on the front of it, I assumed from my busted lip, but I figured it would be okay until I got home. Then, I was going to throw all of these clothes away. I didn’t need them around as a reminder of what happened.
“I can do it,” I said, reaching for the shirt. I didn’t want Trainer to help me. I didn’t want myself to fall even for him even more right now. Not if I was leaving soon.
But he shook his head firmly. There was no longer lust in his eyes. Instead, he was looking at my black and blue ribcage. He reached out a hand, as if to touch it, but stopped just short of his fingertips making contact.
“Can you call someone to give me a ride home?” I asked. “My phone’s out of commission again.”
“I’ve got the truck today,” he said. “But I need to talk to you. If you want a ride from someone else after, I’ll call Swole.”
“Talk about what?” I asked as he helped me into my shirt. I had to admit that it was much easier not needing to lift my arms above my head, which made me feel like I was being stabbed in the lung.
“Take a seat,” he insisted.
I got back onto the bed, sitting with my legs dangling over the side. “What’s going on?”
Was this going to be when he told me that he was out? That this incident with Jeff was a deal-breaker?
Trainer took a deep breath, and I was shocked to realize that he was nervous. He also looked so tired, with big, dark circles under his eyes.
“Jeff’s dead,” he said.
Two words, that was it, but they changed my entire world. I felt like the universe was realigning, as I dared to hope that my struggle was finally over.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen. At least, it wasn’t why I went over there…”
“Youdid it?” I asked, almost not believing it. He didn’t seem capable of that to me.
“I had to. He had a gun. I went over there to talk to him,” I could tell that was a lie based on his shifty eyes. I suspected that the “talking” had been pretty physical. "The second my back was turned, he took a shot at me.”
I gasped. “Are you okay?”
He looked confused by my question, “Yeah. I was just grazed…”
I didn’t like the idea of him being hurt at all, but I was glad to hear that he wasn’t seriously injured. It could have been so much worse.
Jeffhad a gun?
My stomach twisted, and I was glad that I had skipped breakfast. The man that beat the crap out of me had a weapon like that? I shuddered as I thought about what could have happened if he’d had it with him when he visited me yesterday.
“I’m so sorry.” Trainer said earnestly.
“Are you going to go to jail?”
“No.” He didn’t offer any further explanation, but I could make an educated guess.
