The Lies That We Tell

Chapter 5

The hospital room is quiet, save for the low noise coming from the tv on the wall facing Tate”s hospital bed. He doesn’t notice Devon and me when we first walk in. Aubree is too busy crying to him about something. Adrian, still in his tuxedo, stands off to the side speaking quietly with the detectives. It’s Liam who sees us first.

“You found her!” He exclaims, jumping from the chair next to Tate”s bed. With Liam’s words, every head in the room turns toward the door, to me.

“Thank god you’re safe,” Adrian excuses himself from the discussion with the detectives and comes over to wrap me in his arms.

“I told you her and the brother went off to screw somewhere,” Aubree looks me up and down, disgust written all over her face.

“Rhyann, we’d like to ask you a few questions if that’s alright with you.” Detective Myers says, ignoring the spoiled brat in the corner and walking toward me and Devon.

“Um, hello.” Aubree stands up, her face is scrunched up and tomato red. “The victim is here, you guys should be out looking for the man who stabbed Tate, not fawning all over her!”

Detective Andrews looks over to Aubree, “Who says the person that attacked your boyfriend was a man?”

“He’s my fiance,” Aubree stiffens with a huff and sits back down in the teal, pleather chair.

“Detective, what are you implying?” Aubree’s father comes to her defense. “Why wouldn’t Tate”s attacker be a man, you think a woman could do this?”

Detective Andrews ignores the question and follows his partner as we walk out into the hall. With Devon by my side, the two of us explain every detail we can recount of what happened, leading up to our arrival at the hospital.

After we are finished, the detectives tell us that the uniformed officers didn’t find the driver of the van, but they searched the van and what they found corroborates our story.

“No shit. Did you think we’d be lying?” Devon asks. His body shakes next to mine, I squeeze my fingers into his clenched fist in an attempt to comfort him, to remind him that it’s okay, I’m here and I’m safe.

“Well, no but—”

“Then we’re done.” Devon cuts Detective Myers off and pulls me back into the room.

Shortly after the detectives left, a nurse came in letting us know visiting hours were over and anyone who wasn’t immediate family had to leave. Aubree, per her usual spoiled self, threw a tantrum about being his fiance and how she should be permitted to stay with him. Her father insisted she go home where she was safe, and after a bit of theatrics and waterworks, Aubree and her father left the hospital. Tate, still sleeping from whatever sedative he’d been given, stirs in the bed.

“So, what happened?” I ask quietly.

“We’re not really sure,” Adrian says, his voice hoarse. The man looks like he’s aged twenty years since I saw him earlier this evening. I guess having your son stabbed in the gut and your best friends daughter kidnapped in one night will do that to you.

“Adrian and I were headed to our place when we got a call from Tate. All he said was ‘Swamp ass’ broke into the apartment and stabbed him before running off,” Liam clarifies.

“Swamp ass?” Devon looks at the two men in confusion.

“The guy from the other night?” I ask, looking at Adrian. He nods his head slowly.

“I think so,” Liam adds. “ We think it’s the same guy who tried to kidnap you t he first time.”

“Well, that would make sense,” I explain. “When I woke up, the person who took me tonight was on the phone with someone.” I go on to explain the events of my night, leading up to when Devon opened the doors to the van. Adrian beams with pride when I describe how I got myself loose and tried to fight back, but his expression quickly changes to one of concern when Devon tells him that the police officers were unable to find the driver of the van. We talk for a few more minutes outside of Tate”s hospital room before Adrian sent me and the twins to the hotel suite he insisted on us going to for the night. booking for us. Tomorrow, we meet with the rest of the Morris Security Firm to hire on round the clock security detail for all of us.