Chapter Twenty
When I woke up,I was in a hospital bed. An IV was stuck to my hand and my entire body felt sore. Mostly my stomach, but the rest of me didn’t feel great either.
The lights were off except the small one on the side table. It was night outside. I blinked, adjusting my vision. It was then that I realized Tate was lying on the couch a few feet away from me. They had given him a hospital blanket and pillow. How long had I been here? And why?
I looked for the alert button and found it in my covers. I pushed it and a nurse came in. I asked him what happened and as I was speaking memories began flashing through my mind. That crazy guy stabbed me.He fucking stabbed me.
“Where is he? The dude who did this?” I shot at the nurse rather than let him answer the first set of questions. He shrugged.
“I’m not sure. He didn’t come in an ambulance. Just you. Maybe your husband will know something? Is there anything I can get for you? Ice?”
My mouth was suddenly very dry. I nodded and he left to go grab a cup.
I looked over at Tate again. He was asleep. He looked exhausted. When the nurse came back, I asked him how long I’d been here. He smiled kindly.
“Only a day. You had to have surgery to remove your appendix.”
“My appendix? Not because of the…” I trailed off, now unsure if I was remembering things properly. “He stabbed me, the guy. He followed us through a parking lot and he stabbed me.”
The nurse nodded, allowing relief to wash over me in an odd, unsettling way. I wasn’t losing my mind, but I had been stabbed.
“He did. He got your appendix. Odd place for him to hit but you’re lucky. They removed it and stitched you back up. I can get you a popsicle and turn your TV on if you want. The doctor will be here in the morning to check up on you and answer any questions.
I nodded and politely declined. I told him I wanted to sleep. He offered me something to help and I agreed. It only took a moment for him to change my IV drip, and even shorter amount of time for me to drift right back to sleep.
“Wait,” I groaned as he started to step away. He turned back to me and lifted his eyebrows in attention. “Why am I wearing a giant pad?” The medicine was working fast and I struggled to reopen my eyes when they closed. I could feel his presence, but he didn’t answer my question. I was too tired to argue.
When I finally woke up that next day, Tate was waiting for me. Cara was on his lap, both of them were silent as they watched me groan and attempt to sit up. It was as if she knew, in all her baby wisdom, that I was hurting.
“Hey you. How are you feeling? The nurse said you woke up last night.”
I nodded and looked around for the ice I’d been given last night. I found a fresh cup of water in its place. I reached for it and Tate stood up quickly to help me. He snatched it and brought it to my face. I grimaced away from it and took it. I was sore, but I could handle drinking through a straw.
Cara reached her arms out for me to take her, but Tate pulled her back. I frowned. He shook his head.
“You just had surgery on your stomach. She can’t be on you like that. I’m going to go get the nurse to see about your breakfast.”
He left and returned a moment later with a new nurse. She waved brightly and told me she’d be back in a bit. I wasn’t really hungry. She came in with oatmeal and bland toast.
“You’ve got quite a cheerleading team waiting for you to wake up,” she commented. “There’s a slew of people in the family waiting room.”
“There is?” I looked up at her as I grabbed for the toast. She nodded.
“I’d like the doctor to see you and talk to you about everything. He can determine if you’re ready for your friends and family. I already sent for him so it shouldn’t be long.”
I thanked her and she handed me the alert button, reminding me to use it whenever I needed to. She closed the door softly on her way out, leaving just the three of us. I shifted awkwardly.
“So, he got my appendix, huh?” I gave a half smile. Tate nodded but didn’t smile back. His gorgeous eyes flashed with pain but only for a moment. “What about him? Is he in jail?”
“He is. I was able to get the knife out of his reach. I had to bash his head against the concrete for him to stop thrashing around and trying to get to you. The police said he had a lot of drugs in his system.”
“Who is he? He looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t place it.” I squinted my eyes, trying to remember where I had seen him from. Tate grimaced.
“His name is Weston Bragg, he’s one of Tierney’s party buddies. I don’t really know too much else. There’s been some social media blogs talking about it, but she hasn’t come out and said how close they are or anything.”
My lower lip jutted out, remembering how he stalked us. The words he was saying.
“Do you think she put him up to it?”
