SCARRED - Part 4 (The SCARRED Series - Book 4) by Kylie Walker Page A

definitely hadn’t said it out loud.
    “I’m sorry,” Samantha said. She must have seen the look of panic in Chloe’s eyes. “I thought you knew.”
    Chloe laughed, but it was much more nervous than amusement. Does he love me? If so, what does that mean? “He hasn’t said anything,” she told her mother.
    Sam gave her an indulgent smile and said, “He doesn’t need to. His actions and the look in his eye when he looks at you or talks about you, says it all.”
    Chloe took a deep breath and Samantha put her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “Does that frighten you, Chloe?”
    She nodded; surprised that she was admitting it.
    “You know, when Trevor and I first brought Sarah home from the hospital I tried not to love her.”
    “You tried not to love her?” Chloe repeated that. It didn’t make sense. Samantha was one of the most loving, maternal people that she’d ever met.
    She nodded sadly and said, “I was so afraid that if anything ever happened to her that the pain I felt at losing you would be intensified with every hour I spent loving her. But not loving her was an impossible task, just as not loving you would be.”
    “It must have been so hard for you, losing her the way you did.”
    “It was,” Samantha said. “It still is. Some mornings it’s almost like it’s happening all over again because I wake up and forget. Once I’m fully awake I have to remind myself that she’s gone. But you know something?”
    “What?”
    “As much as it hurt to lose her I have to keep reminding myself how lucky we were to have had her, if only for a short while. I’m a different person for knowing her and loving her...just as I am for knowing and loving you. I suppose that’s where the saying “Live like you’re dying” comes from. When I die, I don’t want anything left unsaid. I don’t want anyone that I love to have to guess or wonder.” Samantha touched her face again and said, “I love you, Chloe.”
    Chloe had tears in her eyes again. She hugged her mother tightly. She already felt a deep, emotional bond with her. It was too soon for her to say, “I love you,” but she felt it somewhere in her core. They were interrupted by the ringing of Chloe’s cell phone. When she went to pick it up, she noticed the time. The men had been gone for over two hours.
    She looked at the caller ID. It said: Kevin Stark. Derek had put the number in her phone in case she’d ever needed anything and couldn’t get ahold of him. Her throat suddenly began to swell and her lungs were being constricted. As she pressed accept and put the phone to her ear she thought, Please God, don’t let this be bad news.
    “Hello?”
    “Chloe, this is Kevin Stark, Derek’s father.” His voice sounded strangled...rushed.
    “Yes Mr. Stark.”
    “Chloe I just got a call from the hospital up in Albany. Derek and Trevor were in an accident.”
    Her hand was shaking so hard that she could hardly grip onto the phone.
    “Oh my God! Are they okay?”
    “All they would tell me about Trevor was that he was stable...”
    “Oh thank God!”
    “But Chloe, they said we needed to come right away if we want to see Derek. They don’t think he’s going to make it...”
    Chloe almost felt like she was watching herself in slow motion. She screamed and the phone slid from her hand as she dropped to her knees.
    Samantha rushed to her, “Chloe, what is it? What’s wrong?”
    Chloe’s heart felt like someone was holding it tightly in their fist, trying to rip it out of her chest. “They were in an accident...” she sobbed, losing herself again for a few seconds.
    “Who?” Samantha said. “Oh God no! Trevor and Derek?” Samantha picked up the cell phone and said, “We’re leaving now.”
    Chloe nodded numbly. “We have to go, now. Kevin said Trevor was stable but they need us to come right away. They-don’t-think-that-Derek’s-going-to-make-it.”  She had to force each word out. She felt like she was in a fog suddenly. There