“How do you know for sure?”
“I just do.” She pulls the car door open. “Can you drive me to the hospital? Or just drop me off at my house, and I’ll take my car.”
I’m already dropping into the driver’s seat as I inform her, “I’ll take you.”
Once we park at the hospital, she checks her phone then relays to me, “Brooke said it’s fine if we go inside and gave me the room number.” She doesn’t move though, and mutters, “I hate hospitals.”
There is no bright side, but I try. “At least this one isn’t abandoned and falling apart.”
“That one was easier to enter. This is the place they brought me to after the accident.” Her voice wavers as she whispers, “I found out my mom died while I was here.”
Gripping her hand, I bring her wrist to my mouth as I brush my lips over her skin. “I’m sorry.” She tenses but doesn’t pull away from me. “We don’t have to go in.”
“I want to. Brooke is alone. Her mom is okay, but there’s no one else here with her. I just need a minute.”
“Take your time.”
It’s about five minutes later when she opens the door and we both exit the car. She’s silent and apprehensive as we make our way to the building.
Reaching over, I grasp her hand and walk a step ahead.
As we reach the entrance, a woman is wheeled out with a baby in her arms. There’s a man a step behind holding flowers andIt’s a boy!balloons.
Ivy mutters, “It’s not all sad.”
My fingers tighten as we continue to the elevator and head to the correct floor. Nothing could’ve prepared me to see Brooke’s mom. There’s not an area on her face that isn’t discolored or wounded, and one of her eyes is swollen shut. I wouldn’t have recognized her had I not already known who she was.
Brooke sobs as soon as she sees Ivy, springing out of her chair to wrap her arms around her friend as they hug. I move near the window, waiting as they comfort each other.
Ivy whispers, “I’m so sorry.”
“She’s going to be all right,” Brooke chokes out.
“Who did this?” I ask.
Brooke releases Ivy then quickly swipes at her cheeks. “I found her on the floor when I got home last night. There was blood everywhere. I panicked. I thought she was dead.” Her hand covers her mouth.
Ivy carefully questions, “Do you know who did it?”
Brooke shakes her head.
“Where’s your dad?” Ivy isn’t questioning where he is. She’s wanting to know if he did this without pushing Brooke too hard.
Sometimes you have to push back to get answers.
74
IVY
“Did he do this to her?” Luca asks the question that’s been on my mind since I heard the news.
Brooke just stares at her mom, not responding but confirming what I thought.
“You have to tell someone, Brooke.”
“It’s never been this bad. He’s never done anything like this to her.”
“Next time he’ll kill her,” Luca states bluntly.
