35. Sammy
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
sammy
All of us were shell-shocked by the events of this morning. It was evening now, but the fear had yet to wear off. Never in my life had I felt so damn scared than when I had heard Sarah on the phone.
I never wanted to experience fear like that again. One moment, I’d been snuggled in bed next to Colt, the next we’d been racing to get to her. Colt drove his truck like a race car, tearing up dirt and gravel to make it to her in time.
Whoever attacked her—I wanted to make them pay. They’d gone after her in the parking lot, which meant they’d been following her. There was no way they would have known to go to the cafe so early unless they were stalking her.
I rubbed my eyes. Everything was falling apart. I felt the same way I did last year when Haley was in trouble, only it was so much worse because I was in love with Sarah.
Honey tapped her foot, her arms crossed, her eyes shooting daggers at me and Colt. Everyone was crowded in the waiting room and doing our best to keep it together for Jake and Davy. The boys had clung to us on the drive over and I’d done my best to be there for them. Davy was furious that we’d kept him from seeing Sarah, but I was doing what she’d asked.
I understood why she didn’t want them to see her being put in the ambulance. God knows, I never wanted to witness that ever again. It was something I would never forget, as long as I lived.
Haley got up from her chair and came over to us, giving Honey a pleading look. This was the sixth time she’d tried to intercept the Honey stare down Colt and I were receiving right now. She was angry and maybe blamed us for what happened. I wasn’t really sure.
“You’re being rude right now,” Haley whispered to Honey. “Stop tapping your foot. You’re making me anxious.”
“They should have been there with her.”
Haley started to protest, but Colt shook his head. His knee wouldn’t stop bouncing. “No, she’s right. We should have.”
I swallowed hard and looked at Jake and Davy. They’d been through too much. How was I supposed to help? What could I possibly say or do to show them everything would be okay? All I knew was I never wanted to stand between them and their mom again.
Cam leaned forward, rubbing his jaw. All of us were exhausted and frightened, holding ourselves together for Davy and Jake. He gave Honey a hard look. “None of this was their fault,” Cam said. “Whoever is after Sarah, it’s all connected to Thomas.”
That, we could all agree on.
“Is she going to be okay?” Jake asked.
“Yes,” Emma said. Her arm was around him protectively, her eyes burning with rage. “Your mama is strong.”
The nurse stepped into the room and her eyes widened. We made quite the group. Honey, Haley, Cam, Hunter, Jake, Davy, Emma, Colt, and me. My parents would have been here too, but we’d sent them on the mission to get food for everyone.
The nurse cleared her throat. I swore she was the same one we’d seen multiple times last year, which made sense given how fucking small the hospital was. I was pretty sure the tiles on the floor had been here since the place was built. “Okay, Sarah is awake. She has a bad concussion and she sustained several lacerations from the glass, but those will heal. She’s going to be just fine. She asked to see her kids and Haley, but no one else yet.”
I breathed out, my shoulders sinking. I reached over, sliding my hand into Colt’s. He squeezed my palm hard. My heart raced as anxiety took hold of me. I was desperate to see Sarah.
Haley gave us an apologetic look before focusing on Davy and Jake. She held out her hands for them. “Let’s go see her.”
Davy glanced over at us, his gaze sliding to our hands intertwined. Both him and Jake took Haley’s hands, following her and the nurse out of the room.
The tension in the room shifted once the boys were out of ear shot. “Fuck,” I sighed. “This is a fucking nightmare.”
Colt gripped my hand tighter, but remained silent.
Emma gave me a sad look. “Sarah is okay. That’s all that matters. She fought back. Whoever this son of a bitch is, we’re gonna get them.”
“Bud is looking,” Hunter said. “They can’t keep escaping us.”
I nodded, but I couldn’t feel a damn thing right now aside from guilt.
Cam got up and changed seats, sinking down next to me. He didn’t say anything, though.
Last year when Haley was in the hospital, he’d been a zombie for days. I hadn’t quite understood the depth of his despair until now, and we knew Sarah was going to be okay.
“So, are the two of you going to explain things to me?” Honey asked.
“Honey, they’re both tired,” Cam sighed. “They’re literally covered in Sarah’s blood. Seeing someone you love get hurt is hard.”
Her face softened. “I meant about the three of them, Cameron Harlow. Not about them not being there. Sarah goes where she wants. If anyone knows that, it’s me.”
Colt stood up, releasing my hand. “I need some air. All I can say right now is I love her and I love him. That’s it.”
My heart launched to my throat. I stared in shock at him as he pushed past Honey and left the room. He loves me? He just said he loves me?
I leaned forward, his words settling over me. Now wasn’t the right time to talk about that admission, but…
Colt loved me.
A shaky breath left me and I raked my fingers through my hair.
Honey’s shoulders sank. “I’m being bitchy, aren’t I?”
“Yep,” Emma chimed.
She was the only one ballsy enough to say it.
“I think all of us are scared and stressed. This is like Haley 2.0. and there’s nothing we can do. Hunter, did you see the man who attacked her?” Emma asked.
“No,” Hunter said. He grimaced and leaned back in his chair, giving me a grim look. “Well, I got a glance at him. When I pulled up, I saw someone running, but I also saw Sarah crawling on the pavement. I had to go to her first. I gave them the description. The problem was that it happened so early, no one else was really awake.”
“He has to be somewhere close by,” Emma said.
“I agree. I just don’t know where. ”
This was the longest conversation I’d ever seen the two of them have without being rude to each other.
“It wasn’t David, though,” Cam said. “Which is more concerning in some ways.”
It was. With David, we could expect him to behave a certain way. But whoever was going after Sarah was angry and vengeful.
They wanted to hurt her.
Seeing You’re Next written in red again terrified me. The pictures of all the women plastered on the door, their names scrawled in a way that spoke of rage and pain.
I couldn’t lose Sarah.
“Sammy, I’m going to go after Colt,” Cam said softly. “Unless you want to.”
I wanted to more than anything else, but I needed to stay here. “I need you to,” I said. “He and I can talk more later.”
Cam nodded and clapped my shoulder gently, squeezing me. “He loves you.”
“I love him too. He doesn’t know that yet.”
Cam nodded, fighting a smile. “Noted.”
He left us. Emma and Hunter glanced at each other and then he stood too. “I’m going to check on Mom and Pops.”
“I’m going to go see Sarah,” Emma said. “They can’t hold me back.”
They probably couldn’t.
That left me and Honey alone. She sat down next to me and held out her small, weathered hand. I took it gently.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Sometimes I get a certain way. I love Sarah so much. I know I’m her grandmother, but she’s a daughter to me. We’ve had a hard time with each other the last few months, but she and I are finally really talking again. I had some idea about the three of you after David showed up, but I don’t think I fully realized your relationship until today. ”
“It works for us,” I said. “I love them both, Honey. I really do. And I love those boys too. They deserve to have a father or two who love them.”
“You’re young,” she said. “Is being a father really what you want right now?”
“Yes.” That came out with no any hesitation. “I want everything. I want the broken hearts and the sadness and the tears of joy. I want the ball games, the fights, the sitting on the porch with Sarah and Colt and watching the sun set. I want to build a house we can grow in. I want to have a family. I want this family. I want it all.”
She sniffled. “You know, I remember the day Sarah got married to David. I never liked that bastard. Colt showed up that day and I really thought she would go with him. I thought she would see that David wasn’t right for her.”
“He’s manipulative.”
“He is. He took her and turned her into someone she wasn’t and I’ve watched her fight for years. I’ve watched her fight to be a good mom. I’ve watched her fight to hold herself together. I’ve watched her fight to see the good in a bad situation. I always wanted her to be with someone who would fight that hard for her.” She took a deep breath. “But now, I want two people who will fight for her.”
Tears sprang to my eyes. I drew in a steady breath before looking over at her. I leaned over, kissing her cheek. “Thank you, Honey.”
She smiled. “It’s not like you needed my blessing.”
“No, but it helps.”
Haley appeared in the doorway with Emma and the boys. “We are heading to the Harlow farm for dinner. Honey, do you want to come?”
“Sure. I can talk to Lynn all day.”
Haley smiled. “Perfect. Sarah is ready for you and Colt. I’ll be back in a few minutes and will be taking her home. Everyone else has been kicked out. With love, of course.”
“Your husband is with my future husband,” I said.
Haley and Emma exchanged glances with wide, knowing grins. I wondered if they’d placed a bet of sorts.
“Alright, I’ll retrieve him and send yours in.”
Honey winked at me and then they left as a group. I stood up and looked down at myself, wincing. Maybe changing a shirt was a good idea.
Colt appeared in the doorway, his eyes red. He was looking rough. I’d do anything to take the fear out of his gaze. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I whispered. “Are you okay?”
“No. Are you?”
“Nope.” I crossed the room to him and tugged him close, kissing him hard. He melted against me, his fingers knotting in my shirt. I drew back, kissing his forehead. “It’s going to be okay,” I whispered.
“I don’t know,” he whispered. “I just don’t know.”
“It will be. Let’s go see Sarah.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling.”
I couldn’t disagree. The two of us walked silently down the sterile hall to her room. I poked my head in, knocking on the frame.
Fuck. Seeing her like this killed me. I hadn’t even had time to process how angry I was at the person who attacked her, and I needed to put that away for now.
She was already sitting up and redressed in the new set of clothes Haley had brought her from home. Wherever the glass had cut her, she was bandaged up. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and dark circles shadowed her eyes.
“Hey, angel.”
Sarah looked up at us, immediately tearing up. Her gaze flickered from me to Colt and back again. “Hi.”
“How are you feeling?” Colt asked.
She let out a broken laugh, her shoulders sagging. “Like I’ve been hit by a truck.” She swallowed hard and looked away, a couple tears rolling down her cheeks. She took a slow, deliberate breath. “I can’t do this right now.”
Colt went to her, kneeling next to her. “What? What can I help with?”
“No, Colt. That’s not what I mean.”
I could barely breathe. I couldn’t move.
“We need to take a break from this . From whatever this is. I can’t do it. I can’t right now, I’m sorry.”
Colt looked like he’d been shot. I leaned against the doorway, my knees like jelly. This was the very thing I’d feared the most. I’d known we’d moved too fast, that we were diving in head first, that I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t what either of them needed. Pain froze me in place, every part of me folding into agony.
“Why?” Colt whispered.
“I can’t do this right now. You both need to go. Haley should be coming back for me.”
“Let us help you,” I said. “Please, Sarah, I?—”
“Please don’t finish that sentence.” Her words came out in the softest whisper. She looked at me, shaking her head. “Please. Please don’t do that right now.”
But I love you. I love you, I love you ? —
“Please go. I need to rest. I need to go home.”
“Sarah, please don’t do this,” Colt whispered. “We care for you. We can take a step back, we can take it easy, but?—”
“No. I just need my sister right now.”
He bowed his head for a moment, his voice wavering. “Okay.”
I felt a gentle hand on my arm and turned. Haley’s brows knit with worry. “I’m here, Sarah. ”
“Perfect timing.” Sarah grabbed a bag with her discharge papers and ruined clothes. She wobbled for a moment as she stood, but steadied herself before Colt could help her.
“Can we help you get to the car?” I asked. Hold it together. Hold it together for Colt.
“No,” Sarah said. “We’ve got it. You can go.”
I paused for a long moment. She wouldn’t meet my gaze.
The misery on Colt’s face killed me as much as the pain I saw in Sarah’s stance. “Colt, come on,” I said gently.
He gave her one last pained glance and then left, pushing past me. I looked at Sarah, using my last bit of strength to speak. “If you need anything at all, please call us. We’re always here for you, no matter what happens.”
I took off after Colt before she could say anything else. Tears blurred my vision as I stepped out into the cold, heading straight for his truck. I opened the passenger door and looked in the back. He was splayed out over the back seat crying.
“Baby,” I whispered.
“She just broke up with us.”
I wanted to tell him it would be okay. But I didn’t really know. All I knew was that everything fucking hurt.