From one blink to the next, he was gone.
She searched the crowd with her gaze, but it was like he’d never even been there.
Cody cupped her cheek. “Brooke, baby, are you okay?”
She grabbed Cody’s shirt and shook him. “Did you see him?”
“Who?” He pulled her hand from him and stared at it. “You’re bleeding. What else hurts?”
Nothing hurt. She couldn’t feel anything but the cold, paralyzing fear. “Did you see him? Did you see Adam?”
Cody’s gaze followed hers to the crowd, then they stared at each other. “Baby, he’s locked up. You were in a car accident. You fell in front of a car and nearly got killed. I saw it from the window of the pizzeria.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t fall. I was pushed from behind.”
“What?” Cody’s eyes filled with fury. “Who the fuck would do something like that?”
She grabbed his shirt again, smearing more blood on it. “Adam.”
Cody shook his head. “It can’t be him.”
She pleaded with her eyes. “I saw him.”
He shook his head and brushed her hair behind her ear. “It was just your imagination. You’re scared. I get it.”
“I saw him.”
Cody scooted closer and put his leg under her head. “Okay. I hear you. Be still, baby. Did you hit your head? What hurts?”
“My hand. Maybe my knees and hip.” With the adrenaline still running along with her fear, it was hard to tell.
A police car pulled up and two officers took over the scene, ordering bystanders to be on their way after they got their statements. The driver was distraught but consistent with her story that it appeared Brooke had stepped into the road.
Cody held her hand as a paramedic checked her out. The worst she’d suffered was scrapes on her palm, ripped pants, bruised and scraped knees, and maybe a few bumps and bruises on her hip and thigh from when she landed and skidded.
After Cody gave his statement to the cop, it was her turn, and it was obvious Cody had told the cop what she’d said about Adam and that Adam was locked up because the cop’s first question to her was, “At the time of the accident, did you have any thoughts of harming yourself?”
Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked up at Cody. “You don’t believe me?”
He squatted down next to her as she sat on the curb. “Sweetheart, I love you. I will always have your back. No matter what. But what you say you saw can’t be true. And if you were having some sort of waking nightmare or something, I could understand that.”
“Someone pushed me.” The cop and Cody both stared at her with pity in their eyes. “Why would I want to harm myself now? I’m about to open my stores. You know I’ve been excited about it for days.” She held up her left hand, showing off her ring. “I’m going to marry you. Do you think there is anything I want more than that? Because there isn’t. I’m not suicidal. I’m as happy as I can be. I’m looking forward to my life withyou. I don’t want to end things. I’m anxious for our dreams to start right now.”
Cody brushed his hand over her hair and kissed her on the forehead. “You scared me half to death. I thought I lost you therefor a second and my heart stopped. My mind is just…stuck on that.”
She couldn’t blame him for that. “I would never do that to you, Cody. Ever. I swear it.”
“Promise me you’ll call your therapist immediately and talk to him about this. I need to know that you’re okay.”
“I will. I’ll call him once this is cleared up.”
“Promise.
“I promise, Cody, but I need you to listen to me.” She hooked her hand at the back of his neck and looked him dead in the eye. “He. Was. Here.”
Cody stared at her for one long moment, then turned to the cop. “Can you pull any video from this corner to see what happened? If someone pushed her, that’s…a crime.” It was like Cody couldn’t bring himself to admit that someone tried to kill her. Again.
“It’ll take some time, but yes, we’ll check out her story.” The cop went off to talk to his partner.
