Chapter 39 – Clover
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Clover
Sylvia lies limp on the pavement. Her body lying there all brings me back to that terrible night.
I don’t want to think about what happened, or the fact that she still threatens to do it sometimes.
I have to get to Sylvia. I touch her body and she’s warm.
I’m just glad I’m not touching my dead best friend.
I hold her close to me, trying to wake her up. Thomas has his phone out.
“I’m calling the ambulance. Is she…”
He doesn’t want to say it, but I exhale with relief.
“She’s alive. She’s warm. But… I think she’s hurt. Sylvia? Sylvia, can you hear me?”
I press my ear to her chest. She needs a jacket.
I can’t tell how long she’s been out here, but it can’t be healthy for her.
She’s out cold. At least she’s still breathing.
I can see the rise and fall of her chest, but I don’t know how long it will last. Thomas gets someone on the phone and he handles the dispatcher with all the imperious demands I would expect.
“Get someone over here IMMEDIATELY!”
Yes, Thomas. That’s their job. I touch Sylvia’s cheek and try to lie her on her side. She doesn’t smell like she’s been drinking or anything. I search her body for any open wounds and then I touch her head to move it and my hand comes away from her thick hair wet with blood.
Someone hit her head.
“I think someone hit her head.”
Thomas communicates as much to the dispatcher on the other end of the line.
We sit there together with Sylvia for only a few minutes before the EMTs get there, but it feels like a painfully long time.
The ambulance won’t let either of us leave with her and the paramedics feel suspicious that we can’t answer any questions about where she was, or what she was doing.
We just found her. We can’t tell them anything.
Deans come out of the dorms and seem to have very few questions for me or Thomas considering we were breaking the rules by being together. I assume it’s Thomas’ privilege at work and I don’t argue with the fact that I’m not in trouble for once.
Sylvia’s condition takes priority. Once the paramedics and deans get there and they get Thomas’ story, I call Kola to update her on everything.
I roused her from a very deep sleep, but she’s ready to jump out of bed just to check on Sylvia.
The dean won’t give her permission since it’s so late at night and Kola has classes in the morning..
Kola asks to come over to my bedroom to offer moral support once I get back to the dorm, but I tell her to get some rest and that we’ll talk in the morning. I don’t want her to see Sylvia like this and I don’t want to put this on her. I’ll already have to ask her for too much soon.
I feel sick to my stomach as the paramedics take Sylvia away. Once we’re alone again, watching the ambulance disappear, Thomas slips his hand into mine and squeezes. My body ought to have a visceral reaction to Thomas slipping his hand into mine.
I didn’t see her wake up. I don’t like that I didn’t see her wake up.
I fight back tears and Thomas squeezes my hand tighter.
I don’t know if she’ll survive the night and it hurts to see her like this.
I know someone attacked her. The deans and the paramedics seem to think this was an accident, but once Sylvia gets to the hospital, the doctor or nurse who attends her will probably find out the truth. Who could have done this?
“Hey,” he whispers. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll go in the morning to see her.”
“We have Ethics class,” I blurt out. I don’t move my hand from Thomas’. I find his grasp oddly comforting and his hands are firm, tattooed and very masculine. I try not to think about his hands, even if they’re holding onto mine so tightly.
“Yeah,” he says. “Don’t care.”
He’s right. I don’t care about ethics class either, at least not while my friend’s in trouble. The thought of someone hurting Sylvia like this scares the crap out of me.
“Who could have done this to Sylvia?”
“We know who,” he says. “Come on, Clover. It makes sense. I think we’re close.”
He’s right. I know who did this. We both do. “Spicy freak.”
“Exactly. Let’s head indoors. They could be anywhere. Watching.”
I hope he isn’t right, but his comment forces me to instinctively jerk my hand away from his. This person doesn’t want us together and they’ve already gone pretty far to prove what they’ll do to keep anyone away from Thomas Bainbridge.
“My room?” I whisper.
I’m not asking Thomas to sleep in my room, right?
“If you can sneak me in again.”
“I don’t know if it’s worth it…”
Thomas puts his arm around my shoulder. “We’ve got to plot, haven’t we?”
We sneak back into the dorms too easily and my room’s still empty when we get there.
Thomas and I crawl into my bed together and I pretend like I’m not letting him do that.
He lies on his back and I lie on mine. I don’t want to touch him, or do anything to make this weird.
So we just talk about Sylvia and what we’re going to do about the halloween party.
I don’t remember falling asleep in Thomas’ arms. I remember trying to subtly kick him onto the floor and then I remember his big, heavily tattooed arm falling over my torso and giving up as we faced each other and slowly fell asleep.
In the morning, I’m reminded of my decision to sleep next to Thomas when a blood curdling shriek awakens me.
“THERE’S A BOY! OH MY GOD! RAPIST! RAPIST!”
Thomas groans as my roommate wallops him aggressively on the head with a book called Introduction To Inorganic Chemistry.
“RAPIST!” she yells again as Thomas struggles to get his bearings as I figure out what the hell is happening and stick my hand out to stop her from hitting him.
“Molly, chill!”
“What’s he doing here?! I thought he was–
“He’s not attacking me!”
Thomas sits up and then crawls to the other end of the bed, curling up and throwing his hoodie up. That’s it? Boy, get up! Thomas remains unbothered.
“He’s not allowed in here,” Molly snaps.
“I know. I know.”
“Were you having sex?!” She shrieks, her cheeks turning red. What? Why the hell is she so angry and what kind of question is that?
“No! I mean… Listen, we’re leaving.”
“We are?” Thomas grumbles. Is that man just pretending to be asleep so I deal with this shit? Oh hell no. I lean over and grab onto Thomas’ hair, pulling it hard.
“Yes,” I snap at him, as if it’s all Thomas’ fault and not at least partially mine. “We’re leaving.”
Molly’s face is still red. She folds her arms and doesn’t stop her lecture.
“It’s my safe space,” she says. “I have a right not to want disgusting men in here.”
“Fair enough. Listen, I’m sorry.”
Thomas gets out of bed and yawns. He finally turns his attention to Molly.
“You don’t have to be a dick to her,” Thomas says. “She’s had a rough night. I was just comforting her.”
“What happened?” Molly asks, her face softening as Thomas looks at her. She looks like a blue tongued skink basking in the warm glow of a terrarium light beneath Thomas’ gaze. Seriously? She’s about to bite my head off, but one look from Thomas and she’s about to melt. Give me a damn break.
“Long story,” Thomas says. “Now if you don’t mind, Molly. We’re leaving. Sorry for the intrusion.”
“Y-yes, Thomas.”
She turns away and sits at her desk, putting her headphones on. What the hell? I grab my uniform and my backpack and storm out of the room, Thomas following closely.
“That was odd,” Thomas mutters.
“She’s going to report us,” I tell him. “We’re going to get in so much trouble…”
Before I can tell Thomas off for this stupid idea of us sharing a bed together, I hear Kola coming down the hall.
“Clover? Is that you I hear out there?”
Shit. Well there’s no getting out of this.
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