about
Trish? He didn’t hurt her, did he?” I asked, my heart pounding.
Ryder
squeezed my hands tightly in his and my palms started sweating even more. “She
was out getting groceries when he broke in,” he replied quietly.
“Oh
thank God,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Then she’s all right.”
“Everleigh,”
he said, his tone serious. My eyes flicked to his and my relief completely
washed away when I saw his face.
“She’s
all right, isn’t she, Ryder?” I asked, my voice raising an octave.
“Listen
to me,” he said, trying his best to keep me from freaking out. All it was doing
was making me freak even more. “I have to tell you something and I need you to
stay calm.”
I
felt tears burning my eyes and I said loudly, “Please tell me she’s all right,
Ryder!”
“I
wish I could but…I can’t. She’s gone, Evie,” he admitted. I shook my head in
disbelief as an ache in my chest like I’d never felt before knocked the breath
out of me.
“Gone?
What do you mean, she’s gone?” Danni asked, wrapping her arm around me.
Ryder
lowered his head again and when his eyes found mind they were glassy. “Trish is
dead. Baby, I’m so, so sorry.”
Danni
gasped and cried audibly and I screamed, “No! No, no, no, she’s not dead!” I felt
faint and the room started to slowly spin. This wasn’t happening…
“Evie,
I’m so sorry,” he repeated, getting on his knees in front of me and pulling me
into his arms. I completely broke down and the tears started pouring from my
eyes.
“What
the hell happened?” Danni asked, her voice shaking.
“Apparently
Scott broke in while she was out and he was still there waiting when she got
back to the house. I don’t know any details yet but I guess by the time that
fucking asshole who was supposed to be watching the place knew anything was
wrong, Scott had beaten Trish and left her lying on the kitchen floor. She was
already dead by the time Kip and Nathan got back and by then Scott was long
gone,” Ryder said.
My
whole world was destroyed. I barely registered Danni and Ryder saying anything
else because all I felt was crippling fear and agonizing guilt. Trish should
have been away from my house and living with another patient right now. She
should have been safe from Scott and not been a sitting duck for when he made
his move. Everyone was so busy protecting me that no one thought about the
dangers they were all in as well.
“This
is all my fault,” I said, barely able to form the words through my cries of
despair.
Ryder
shook his head and said sternly, “Everleigh, look at me.” I shook my head, not
wanting to face anyone but he raised my chin with his finger until I was forced
to look at him. “This is not your fault. You didn’t do anything to cause
this.”
Danni
sniffed and said, “He’s right, Ev. Scott is a crazy fucker and he would have
done anything-”
“To
get to me. He murdered Trish in cold blood and left her to die alone because of
me. Stop lying to try and make me feel any less guilty because nothing either
of you say to me will change the truth,” I sobbed. “Now she’s d-dead and he’s
probably on his way here right now to find me.”
Ryder
growled and pulled me back into his arms. “He’s not going to get to you,
Everleigh. After everything he’s done that sick fuck will be dealt with once
and for all,” he threatened.
“How
can you say that? He won’t stop until he gets what he wants from me.”
“Scott
won’t lay a finger on you, Ev. You are so protected that he won’t ever get
within a mile of you,” Danni replied.
I
rolled my eyes and said, “Yeah, just like Trish was ‘so protected’. He had to
have been watching and waiting for his chance to get her. As far as actions
Scott might be stupid but he’s not a complete idiot. Hell, for all we know he
could be in New York City right now looking for me.”
Danni
was about to say something but her cell phone started ringing. She looked
Trish? He didn’t hurt her, did he?” I asked, my heart pounding.
Ryder
squeezed my hands tightly in his and my palms started sweating even more. “She
was out getting groceries when he broke in,” he replied quietly.
“Oh
thank God,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Then she’s all right.”
“Everleigh,”
he said, his tone serious. My eyes flicked to his and my relief completely
washed away when I saw his face.
“She’s
all right, isn’t she, Ryder?” I asked, my voice raising an octave.
“Listen
to me,” he said, trying his best to keep me from freaking out. All it was doing
was making me freak even more. “I have to tell you something and I need you to
stay calm.”
I
felt tears burning my eyes and I said loudly, “Please tell me she’s all right,
Ryder!”
“I
wish I could but…I can’t. She’s gone, Evie,” he admitted. I shook my head in
disbelief as an ache in my chest like I’d never felt before knocked the breath
out of me.
“Gone?
What do you mean, she’s gone?” Danni asked, wrapping her arm around me.
Ryder
lowered his head again and when his eyes found mind they were glassy. “Trish is
dead. Baby, I’m so, so sorry.”
Danni
gasped and cried audibly and I screamed, “No! No, no, no, she’s not dead!” I felt
faint and the room started to slowly spin. This wasn’t happening…
“Evie,
I’m so sorry,” he repeated, getting on his knees in front of me and pulling me
into his arms. I completely broke down and the tears started pouring from my
eyes.
“What
the hell happened?” Danni asked, her voice shaking.
“Apparently
Scott broke in while she was out and he was still there waiting when she got
back to the house. I don’t know any details yet but I guess by the time that
fucking asshole who was supposed to be watching the place knew anything was
wrong, Scott had beaten Trish and left her lying on the kitchen floor. She was
already dead by the time Kip and Nathan got back and by then Scott was long
gone,” Ryder said.
My
whole world was destroyed. I barely registered Danni and Ryder saying anything
else because all I felt was crippling fear and agonizing guilt. Trish should
have been away from my house and living with another patient right now. She
should have been safe from Scott and not been a sitting duck for when he made
his move. Everyone was so busy protecting me that no one thought about the
dangers they were all in as well.
“This
is all my fault,” I said, barely able to form the words through my cries of
despair.
Ryder
shook his head and said sternly, “Everleigh, look at me.” I shook my head, not
wanting to face anyone but he raised my chin with his finger until I was forced
to look at him. “This is not your fault. You didn’t do anything to cause
this.”
Danni
sniffed and said, “He’s right, Ev. Scott is a crazy fucker and he would have
done anything-”
“To
get to me. He murdered Trish in cold blood and left her to die alone because of
me. Stop lying to try and make me feel any less guilty because nothing either
of you say to me will change the truth,” I sobbed. “Now she’s d-dead and he’s
probably on his way here right now to find me.”
Ryder
growled and pulled me back into his arms. “He’s not going to get to you,
Everleigh. After everything he’s done that sick fuck will be dealt with once
and for all,” he threatened.
“How
can you say that? He won’t stop until he gets what he wants from me.”
“Scott
won’t lay a finger on you, Ev. You are so protected that he won’t ever get
within a mile of you,” Danni replied.
I
rolled my eyes and said, “Yeah, just like Trish was ‘so protected’. He had to
have been watching and waiting for his chance to get her. As far as actions
Scott might be stupid but he’s not a complete idiot. Hell, for all we know he
could be in New York City right now looking for me.”
Danni
was about to say something but her cell phone started ringing. She looked
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