Spinning around, I would have decked Jeff also, but he was on my side. “Okay? How can you say that when your brother is out there, barely breathing?”
“The paramedics are taking him to the hospital now. Let’s get you there, and then I’ll explain everything to you.”
“Everything about what?” I asked in confusion.
“Just get dressed.”
The determined look on his face masked a layer of guilt I saw hiding underneath. Something was going on, and I needed to know before I went insane.
Cheyenne grabbed my hand and tugged me to the bedroom, tossing clothes at me to help me get dressed.
But I moved mechanically as I tried to sort out the pieces of the puzzle in the other room.
“Why is Archer here?”
“Huh?” she asked, grabbing some clothes of her own to pull on.
“Archer. Why is he here?”
Cheyenne shrugged as she pulled on her jeans. “Do you really care? He was here when Austin broke in. That’s good enough for me.”
“But it doesn’t make sense. He just appeared out of nowhere and he’s been everywhere we are. I’m sure you’ve seen him following us around.”
“Yeah, but I assumed that was because he had a crush on you.”
“Which he clearly doesn’t,” I retorted. “He made it pretty damn clear that he never intended to sleep with me.”
Cheyenne rushed over, tugging my shirt over my head. “Bailes, I get that you think some big conspiracy is going on, but right now, I think we need to head to the hospital and find out what the hell is going on with Liam.”
She was right. I needed answers, but I also needed to know that Liam was okay.
No matter what he had done to me, he didn’t deserve to be nearly burned alive in his house. Some things were going to have to wait.
Following her out the door and down the stairs, it was like a circus outside our building. Police cars, an ambulance, and the fire truck were parked in our lot, blocking one of the exits.
Mrs. Abernathy sat on her front porch, gently moving in her rocking chair as she watched the commotion. I’d have to remember to talk to her later and find out what she knew. She was always watching everything.
“Bailes!” Cheyenne called out, holding out her hand as he got into Jeff’s truck.
I rushed over and hopped inside, slamming the door behind me. We followed the ambulance out of the lot, but no one spoke on the way to the hospital. Too many questions were floating through my head, but Jeff wasn’t really the one I wanted answers from.
No, I needed to talk to Liam, and I realized that may not be possible for a while yet, but somehow, it felt like everything I needed to know, only he could really tell me.
So, I bit my tongue and waited the excruciating fifteen-minute drive to the hospital.
Once inside, it was a waiting game. Liam’s whole family showed up only a few minutes after us, just as loud as they always were.
“I want to know what happened to my son!” Clara shouted at the nurse. “All I heard was he was in a fire and was on his way to the hospital. Someone better tell me what’s going on right now!”
I ducked my head, hoping to stay as hidden as possible, but I wasn’t fast enough. His father caught my eye and he knew I was involved somehow.
Marching over, he stood next to me, towering in that way he did, waiting for me to say something.
“I…I don’t know what happened, Mr. Parker. He came to my apartment, but he was already like that. You should ask Jeff or Michael.”
“Michael?” he snapped, his eyes darting around the room. “He’s here? What the hell does Michael have to do with this?”
My jaw dropped as I tried to think of something to say. It didn’t occur to me that his family wouldn’t know Michael was home.
