Chapter Seven
Casey was getting overwhelmed. On one hand, she was thrilled to meet the girls because they were a lot like her. And although she loved spending time with them, she probably would never see them again. As for Simon, God, her feelings for him were already beyond anything she had ever felt before, and she knew the more time she spent with him, the more it was going to hurt when she had to leave him.
She thought about her options, but she really didn’t have any. She had a little money, but it wouldn’t last forever. She also didn’t have a car anymore. She needed to get to her aunt’s and see if she could live with her, but she didn’t have a good feeling about it.
“Hey, what are you thinking about?” Kinley whispered and touched her hand after she got back to bed.
“I don’t know what to do.”
“About what?” Riley asked.
“I was supposed to go to my aunt’s, but my car is dead. So, I have to find a way to get there. I also have the suspicion she won’t want me there.”
The four girls were crowded around her, whispering. Casey looked over at the dads to see them all scowl.
She turned back. “What should I do?”
“I thought Simon was taking you,” Aleena said.
“Taking me where?” she asked.
“Home with him,” Brylee said.
She shook her head. “No. He’s already done so much for me. Did you know he was the one that saved me?”
The girls shook their heads.
“I don’t want to be a parasite.”
Riley snorted. “Who told you that bullshit?”
“Riley, I will tell your daddy if you curse again,” Gage said.
Riley nodded. “Yes, sir.” She turned back to the girls. “We’ll give you our numbers, and when you get out of here, call one of us. If we littles put our heads together, we always come up with something.”
“Where should I go when I leave here?” Casey asked.
“Do you have enough money for an Uber and a motel for a few nights?” Aleena asked.
“Yes. I think I do.”
“Do you have a phone so we can call you?” Brylee asked.
“Yes.”
“Hold on,” Riley said, pulling open drawers to find paper and a pen. She wrote down the four girls’ numbers, tore the paper off, and gave it to her.”Now, tell us yours.”
Casey rattled it off. “It’s probably dead by now, so you won’t be able to get ahold of me for a few hours.”
“I hate the fact that you’re by yourself,” Kinley said.
The other three nodded.
“I’ll be okay,” Casey told them, but she was doubting her abilities now.
The door opened, and a nurse walked in. She looked surprised to see the room full.
“Girls, let’s get out of their hair,” Kaleb said.
The girls hugged her.
“We’ll see you soon,” Riley whispered to her.
Casey waved and then stared at the door after they left. Her attention rushed back when she felt a hand on her arm.
“Don’t worry, Baby. You’ll see them soon,” Simon said.
Casey nodded.
“The nurse has a few questions about the bill,” he told her.
The blood dropped from her face. “Oh my God. I don’t have insurance.”
Simon smiled and rubbed her back. “Don’t worry about that.”
She shook her head. “I won’t allow you to pay anything.”
His eyebrows rose. “You won’t allow?”
She blushed. “I … no. I can take care of myself.”
“You didn’t say that with too much conviction, Baby,” Simon said.
“Oh, well. It’s just because I’m a little tired.” It was the only thing she could come up with so quickly.
“For one thing, the man that ran you off the road is paying for everything, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
She couldn’t believe how relieved she felt.
“But if he hadn’t, I would have, and you wouldn’t say a thing about it.”
She opened her mouth to argue, only to have the nurse interrupt them.
The woman went over several things. When she asked for an address, Casey started to give her aunt’s, but Simon interrupted and gave his.
Casey didn’t know what to do. How the hell was she going to get away without him knowing?
“I’ll be back later. I’m going to check in with the office,” Trent said.
“Thank you,” Casey said.
“You’re welcome, Sprite.”
After he left, the nurse finished up and then followed, leaving her and Simon alone. She stared down at her fingernails.
“Baby, look at me,” Simon said and sat down beside her on the bed.
She looked up. God, he was so handsome. She would never forget him as long as she lived. She tried to hide her sadness at the thought of never seeing him again, but he caught it.
“Why so sad, Baby?” His finger glided over her cheek.
She shrugged. “I feel … I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Am I making you sad?”
She shook her head. “God, no. You’re wonderful. The most amazing person I know.”
He grinned. “That’s good to hear.” He studied her for a moment. “Do you enjoy being with me?”
She nodded. “Yes. But it doesn’t matter.”
He tilted his head to the side. “Why?”
What did she say to him? She was at a loss. “I…”
The door opened, and a man dressed as a guard walked in. “Sir, are you the owner of the black SUV in the parking lot?”
“Yes. I had someone drop it off for me. What’s the problem?”
“The alarm is going off. I can’t tell if someone tried to break in or not.”
Simon glanced at her. “I’m going to go check this out. I’ll be right back. I want you to rest while I’m gone.”
She nodded and watched him leave. She wanted to call him back so she could hug him one more time, but she knew this was her chance to leave, and she might not have another.
Casey grabbed her things from the closetandput her puppy in the bag the girls gave her. She hurriedly put on her shoes, ignoring the drops of blood, and walked to the door. She opened it and looked both ways to see the hallway empty. She turned and quickly walked down it. She wanted to find some stairs, but she had no idea where she was going.
The hallways seemed to go on and on, and she was getting desperate. When she caught the sign for the stairs, she started to rush toward it.