Bash's lips tighten and he nods.
"Fool me once…" I let the rest of it hang there.
"It'll all be okay. I promise."
I wince when a stabbing pain goes through my arm—the same damn arm I broke in the accident, only this time it hurts so much worse.
"Let me call the nurse for some more pain meds," my mom says from next to me. I startle. I didn't even know she was still there. Looking at her, I feel like a child again—a child who needs its mother.
"Mommy," I whisper, letting my tears fall.
"Oh, my baby," she replies, leaning onto the side of the bed, holding me as gently as she can.
"I'm scared," I admit, my eyes lifting to my dad where he's standing, next to my mother.
He gets that look—the one that lets me know he's angry, frustrated, and ready to do some bodily harm.
"You're going to be okay, Olive," he tells me softly. "You're safe now."
The nurse injects the medication into my IV, smiling at me softly, with sympathy. I don’t want her to feel sorry for me.
"I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I want you to feel sorry for whoever did this," I whisper drowsily. "They're gonna need it."
I drift off to Bash's murmured, "That's my girl."
nine
I wake to angry shouts, but I'm still too tired to open my eyes.
"Where the fuck have you been?" Alexa demands.
"I was at the frat," Cam answers.
"Thefrat?What the hell, Cam? Partying it up while your girlfriend was in the hospital having surgery and in agony because someone beat the hell out of her—and I, personally, think your skank bitch friend Alison had something to do with it!" she accuses.
He lets out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know anything, Lex. What do the cops say?"
She growls. "They, of course, let us know that psycho was at the game, in the stands, at the time of the attack—which we already knew.ButI think she hired some thug to do this to Olivia and if Bash hadn't gone looking for her, who knows how bad it would have gotten."
"How bad is it?" Cam asks.
Lex's breath hitches. "It'sbad."
I can smell Cam when he gets close to the bed, his breathing uneven as he curses under his breath.
"Hi Cam," my dad greets.
"Mr. Brennan. How's she doing?" he asks, lifting my hand into his.
"She's stable," my dad answers, then tells Cam about all of my injuries.
"They fucking cracked her jaw?" Cam seethes. "Excuse my language, Mrs. Brennan."
"No, it's fine. I've said more than a few colorful words myself. Honestly, Cameron, the jaw isn't as bad as her arm and bruised ribs. They're concerned about her kidneys, but so far the tests show they're functioning just fine. She'll be okay but it'll take time," my mom informs Cam.
"What about her classes?" he asks. "They'll let her make that up, right?"
"They will," Lex answers. "I already talked to her professors and the Dean."
