on her fist to stop herself from breaking down completely, knowing that wouldn't be helpful right then. She scrambled off the bed, rummaging through the pile of clothes on the floor until she found some jeans and yanked them on.
She didn't need to be Matt to work out the meaning of an owl. Owls were wise, and if one wanted to tell her that Rob was hurt, well, who was she to argue? Jess pulled on a pair of socks and dragged a brush through her hair. She didn't care if she was crazy; she had to see Rob. Her gaze darted to the bedside clock as she pulled the bedroom door open—six a.m. She hoped he'd be tucked up in bed, alone, but she wouldn't calm down until she knew he was okay. Until she had seen him with her own eyes.
***
Stopping the car outside Rob's house, she noticed the gate was open. Pulling her sweater up around her neck, she stepped out into the cold, the slam of the car door shutting behind her the only noise in the quiet morning.
As she rounded the car, she saw that the gate was propped open with a shoe. When she got closer, she realised the shoe was still attached to a foot, and she lurched forward. When she saw him on the ground, she wished she hadn't. Her hand rose and covered her mouth, eyes watering as she took a shaky breath.
"Rob," she whispered before she dropped to her knees. Hesitantly, she reached towards him, and a sense of déjà vu hit her. It felt like finding James in the vault all over again. Except James had been okay, so Rob was going to be okay too. He would be all right, she kept telling herself, over and over.
Jess glanced around, but they were alone, and his front door was closed. She patted his pockets until she found his house keys. But as she looked down, she knew there was no way she could move him on her own, even if it was only a few metres to inside his house.
With a groan, she pulled out her mobile. Should she call Matt? But how would she explain being there? Or James? But then James wouldn't be that impressed that she was alone outside Rob's house at this time of the morning. Matt would find out at some point, she thought, pressing the phone icon next to his number. As she waited for him to answer, she started to bounce up and down on her toes. Come on, come on, answer. When it went to voicemail, she swore and dialed again, until he answered.
"Jess? What's wrong?"
"It's Rob."
"What happened?"
"I ... I don't know. I found him outside his house, and he's unconscious. I think he's been attacked, but I can't move him by myself, and I can't leave him here."
"Why are you ...? Never mind. I'm on my way. I'll see you soon."
Jess hung up and slid her phone back into her pocket then sat next to Rob, brushing her hand over his hair.
***
"Jess?"
At the sound of Matt's voice, she looked up from beside Rob, where she had become lost in her own morbid thoughts. Matt helped her up and pulled her into a brief hug.
"You doing okay?"
She nodded, because if she said anything, it would all just pour out, and he would know she was anything but okay.
"Come on. I'll get his shoulders. You take his feet."
She helped Matt roll Rob over onto his back then lifted his feet, and between them, they carried him inside to the sofa. Hunting through his closet, she found a blanket to cover him and took a seat on the footstool next to him. Matt knelt down next to her.
"Do you want me to take you home?"
Dragging her gaze from Rob, she looked at her brother through narrowed eyes. "We can't just leave him here, alone."
"I know. If you can drive yourself home, I'll stay with him."
Grabbing the end of her ponytail, she twisted her hair around her hand. Turning from Matt, she said, "It's okay, I'll stay with him." Her gaze never left Rob as she waited for Matt to say something.
After what felt like an eternity, he stood and rested a hand on her shoulder. She let out the breath she'd been holding.
"Let me know if you need anything, and call me when he wakes up."
Covering his hand with her
She didn't need to be Matt to work out the meaning of an owl. Owls were wise, and if one wanted to tell her that Rob was hurt, well, who was she to argue? Jess pulled on a pair of socks and dragged a brush through her hair. She didn't care if she was crazy; she had to see Rob. Her gaze darted to the bedside clock as she pulled the bedroom door open—six a.m. She hoped he'd be tucked up in bed, alone, but she wouldn't calm down until she knew he was okay. Until she had seen him with her own eyes.
***
Stopping the car outside Rob's house, she noticed the gate was open. Pulling her sweater up around her neck, she stepped out into the cold, the slam of the car door shutting behind her the only noise in the quiet morning.
As she rounded the car, she saw that the gate was propped open with a shoe. When she got closer, she realised the shoe was still attached to a foot, and she lurched forward. When she saw him on the ground, she wished she hadn't. Her hand rose and covered her mouth, eyes watering as she took a shaky breath.
"Rob," she whispered before she dropped to her knees. Hesitantly, she reached towards him, and a sense of déjà vu hit her. It felt like finding James in the vault all over again. Except James had been okay, so Rob was going to be okay too. He would be all right, she kept telling herself, over and over.
Jess glanced around, but they were alone, and his front door was closed. She patted his pockets until she found his house keys. But as she looked down, she knew there was no way she could move him on her own, even if it was only a few metres to inside his house.
With a groan, she pulled out her mobile. Should she call Matt? But how would she explain being there? Or James? But then James wouldn't be that impressed that she was alone outside Rob's house at this time of the morning. Matt would find out at some point, she thought, pressing the phone icon next to his number. As she waited for him to answer, she started to bounce up and down on her toes. Come on, come on, answer. When it went to voicemail, she swore and dialed again, until he answered.
"Jess? What's wrong?"
"It's Rob."
"What happened?"
"I ... I don't know. I found him outside his house, and he's unconscious. I think he's been attacked, but I can't move him by myself, and I can't leave him here."
"Why are you ...? Never mind. I'm on my way. I'll see you soon."
Jess hung up and slid her phone back into her pocket then sat next to Rob, brushing her hand over his hair.
***
"Jess?"
At the sound of Matt's voice, she looked up from beside Rob, where she had become lost in her own morbid thoughts. Matt helped her up and pulled her into a brief hug.
"You doing okay?"
She nodded, because if she said anything, it would all just pour out, and he would know she was anything but okay.
"Come on. I'll get his shoulders. You take his feet."
She helped Matt roll Rob over onto his back then lifted his feet, and between them, they carried him inside to the sofa. Hunting through his closet, she found a blanket to cover him and took a seat on the footstool next to him. Matt knelt down next to her.
"Do you want me to take you home?"
Dragging her gaze from Rob, she looked at her brother through narrowed eyes. "We can't just leave him here, alone."
"I know. If you can drive yourself home, I'll stay with him."
Grabbing the end of her ponytail, she twisted her hair around her hand. Turning from Matt, she said, "It's okay, I'll stay with him." Her gaze never left Rob as she waited for Matt to say something.
After what felt like an eternity, he stood and rested a hand on her shoulder. She let out the breath she'd been holding.
"Let me know if you need anything, and call me when he wakes up."
Covering his hand with her
Similar Books
