went blank suddenly—number, I needed a number to give them.
“Natalie...” I muttered, feeling the cut up insides of my cheeks throb. “Her number...”
I couldn’t remember if I told them the number or not. My eyes closed involuntarily, and I embraced the darkness once more.
* * * *
The red had finally faded from my vision, replaced with the refreshing sight of Natalie’s purple hair. Her voice was the first thing I heard. “But he’ll be okay?”
Another voice replied. “He’s got a concussion. He was hit pretty hard. Some sort of blunt weapon. He’s lucky to be alive.”
Blunt weapon. Jake wasn’t man enough to use his fists. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling my head whirl again as the conversation continued. My ears roared, only allowing me to catch parts of the dialogue.
“Oh my God...”
“Twenty stitches...”
“Who...”
“Mr. Asher.”
I opened my eyes again. A uniformed state cop stood towering over me, and I had to squint against the fluorescent lights, barely able to make out the cop’s face. My mind felt like mush. I wiggled my arm. The IV was still there.
“Mr. Asher, my name is Officer O’Ryan. Any idea what happened to you tonight, sir? Any idea of who may have done this to you or what they wanted? Both your car and wallet were untouched, so we don’t believe this was a robbery.”
I opened my mouth, and then closed it. Did I really know for sure Jake had done this? I wanted to believe I did, but in truth everything felt a little fuzzy. I tried to think back, but all I could remember was the blackness, the comforting blackness after what had been a really shitty day. I wanted to blame Jake, but I wondered if that had simply been my mind telling me that so I could think more about Harper.
Harper. I wanted her to be here. I wanted to hold her in my arms again. But I’d never get that chance. I glanced back up at O’Ryan. “Sorry, Officer. I’m really fuzzy on what happened. All I know is that I was hit in the head and it hurt like hell.”
The cop’s mouth screwed up into a tight, sympathetic smile. “Well, that’s understandable. If you remember anything, though, I want you to call the station right away. Sound good?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
O’Ryan hesitated before leaving, looking at me curiously. “You don’t have any enemies around these parts, do you, sir?”
I thought to myself as I pictured Jake in his hoodie, hiding behind a car, waiting for me. But as far as I knew, Jake had gone away for good. And Harper, I guess, Harper was an enemy now, too, of a different sort entirely. I shook my head, instantly regretting the movement as my vision swam. “Not as far as I know.”
“We get these type of cases quite often with people from your neighborhood—are you sure there’s—”
“It’s time to go home,” Natalie interrupted, moving toward me.
“Home.” I sighed.
O’Ryan took in Natalie’s determined face, and nodded to me. “Remember, Mr. Asher. Anything, any memory that pops up, you let us know. Here’s my card.” He handed Natalie a small business card. She pocketed it with a tight smile, her eyes not leaving me.
A nurse wheeled me out to Natalie’s car. I settled into the comfortable leather seats, resting my sore head up against the back. Now that the heavier pain meds were beginning to wear off, my entire head had begun to throb.
“I’m really glad we got you this car,” I told Natalie as she climbed in, starting the engine.
She looked over at me and bit her lip.
“Nat, don’t.”
She dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her coat. “Asher, I don’t think you realize what a scare you gave me.”
“Well, I didn’t mean to get clunked on the head by some...” I told you this wasn’t over . I blinked.
“Asher?”
I blinked again. The hot breath on my neck. That voice. I told you this wasn’t over . It kept replaying in my head.
“It was Jake,” I mumbled.
“What?” Natalie stopped at a stoplight and turned toward me.
“Natalie...” I muttered, feeling the cut up insides of my cheeks throb. “Her number...”
I couldn’t remember if I told them the number or not. My eyes closed involuntarily, and I embraced the darkness once more.
* * * *
The red had finally faded from my vision, replaced with the refreshing sight of Natalie’s purple hair. Her voice was the first thing I heard. “But he’ll be okay?”
Another voice replied. “He’s got a concussion. He was hit pretty hard. Some sort of blunt weapon. He’s lucky to be alive.”
Blunt weapon. Jake wasn’t man enough to use his fists. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling my head whirl again as the conversation continued. My ears roared, only allowing me to catch parts of the dialogue.
“Oh my God...”
“Twenty stitches...”
“Who...”
“Mr. Asher.”
I opened my eyes again. A uniformed state cop stood towering over me, and I had to squint against the fluorescent lights, barely able to make out the cop’s face. My mind felt like mush. I wiggled my arm. The IV was still there.
“Mr. Asher, my name is Officer O’Ryan. Any idea what happened to you tonight, sir? Any idea of who may have done this to you or what they wanted? Both your car and wallet were untouched, so we don’t believe this was a robbery.”
I opened my mouth, and then closed it. Did I really know for sure Jake had done this? I wanted to believe I did, but in truth everything felt a little fuzzy. I tried to think back, but all I could remember was the blackness, the comforting blackness after what had been a really shitty day. I wanted to blame Jake, but I wondered if that had simply been my mind telling me that so I could think more about Harper.
Harper. I wanted her to be here. I wanted to hold her in my arms again. But I’d never get that chance. I glanced back up at O’Ryan. “Sorry, Officer. I’m really fuzzy on what happened. All I know is that I was hit in the head and it hurt like hell.”
The cop’s mouth screwed up into a tight, sympathetic smile. “Well, that’s understandable. If you remember anything, though, I want you to call the station right away. Sound good?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
O’Ryan hesitated before leaving, looking at me curiously. “You don’t have any enemies around these parts, do you, sir?”
I thought to myself as I pictured Jake in his hoodie, hiding behind a car, waiting for me. But as far as I knew, Jake had gone away for good. And Harper, I guess, Harper was an enemy now, too, of a different sort entirely. I shook my head, instantly regretting the movement as my vision swam. “Not as far as I know.”
“We get these type of cases quite often with people from your neighborhood—are you sure there’s—”
“It’s time to go home,” Natalie interrupted, moving toward me.
“Home.” I sighed.
O’Ryan took in Natalie’s determined face, and nodded to me. “Remember, Mr. Asher. Anything, any memory that pops up, you let us know. Here’s my card.” He handed Natalie a small business card. She pocketed it with a tight smile, her eyes not leaving me.
A nurse wheeled me out to Natalie’s car. I settled into the comfortable leather seats, resting my sore head up against the back. Now that the heavier pain meds were beginning to wear off, my entire head had begun to throb.
“I’m really glad we got you this car,” I told Natalie as she climbed in, starting the engine.
She looked over at me and bit her lip.
“Nat, don’t.”
She dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her coat. “Asher, I don’t think you realize what a scare you gave me.”
“Well, I didn’t mean to get clunked on the head by some...” I told you this wasn’t over . I blinked.
“Asher?”
I blinked again. The hot breath on my neck. That voice. I told you this wasn’t over . It kept replaying in my head.
“It was Jake,” I mumbled.
“What?” Natalie stopped at a stoplight and turned toward me.
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