Everything stops.
I'm on my back, staring at the sky. Gray clouds. Taste of blood in my mouth. Voices somewhere, distant and muffled. Someone shouts.
I try to move. Pain explodes through my left leg, sharp and bright. Ribs scream when I breathe.
A face appears above me. A stranger. His mouth is moving, but the words don't reach me.
I think of Emma. Her face. Her laugh. The way she looked at me this morning when I dropped her off.
I didn't tell her.
The thought dissolves as the gray sky fades to black.
CHAPTER 28
THE THINGS UNSAID
EMMA
The bass thrumsthrough the studio floor as I work through the combination Marie taught us last week. My body is finally starting to remember the steps, muscle memory kicking in where my brain keeps wandering.
My phone sits on top of my bag against the wall. I used to leave it in my locker, but not anymore. Not since James showed up at my door.
It buzzes. I ignore it. Probably Zoe asking about weekend plans.
It buzzes again. And again.
Marie catches my eye, nods toward the bag. “Go ahead.”
I jog over, fish my phone out. Unknown number. I almost decline, but something makes me pause. The number looks familiar. I've seen it recently.
Logan's phone. The night Kai borrowed it to call me.
I answer. “Hello?”
“Emma.” Logan's voice is tight. Controlled in a way that makes my stomach drop. “There's been an accident. Kaiden's hurt.”
The studio disappears. The music fades to a distant hum. “What? How bad?”
“I don't know yet. They're still checking him over.” A pause. “He's at St. Catherine's Private Hospital. Can you get here?”
“I'm on my way.”
I hang up. Hands shaking so badly I almost drop the phone. Marie is beside me, concern creasing her face.
“Emma? What's wrong?”
“I have to go.” The words come out thin, barely there. “Someone I—there's been an accident.”
I grab my bag, not bothering to change. I'm still in my leggings and tank top, hair plastered to my neck with sweat. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters except getting there.
The night air slaps me when I push through the doors. I flag down a cab, throw myself into the backseat before it fully stops.
“St. Catherine's Private Hospital. Please. Fast as you can.”
The driver nods and pulls into traffic. I press my hands flat against my thighs, trying to stop the trembling. It doesn't work.
Kai. Hurt. Accident.
