Chapter 19
What’s supposed to be an awesome night of fun with my boyfriend and my best friends turns into a nightmare as chants of “Fight!” echo around the track.
In the blink of an eye, Marshall comes out of nowhere and barrels straight into Ryder like a linebacker, knocking several people down along the way.
The scene happening in front of me is so much like my fight with Maria in the school hallway where students gathered around us, egging us on.
It’s also reminiscent of the huge brawl in the backyard at Fallon’s party.
Is there a time where Marshall is around that doesn’t end up in a fight?
And where the heck are the deputies that are supposed to be here?
Mr. Barnes would have already shut this down as soon as it started.
I hear myself scream when Marshall pulls back his fist. Julien takes off to help Ryder.
“Liz, stay here. And find Fallon,” Jayson shouts as he runs to join Julien, who is trying to pull Marshall off of Ryder.
Screw this. I rush towards the fight. My feet skid to a standstill when I hear a horrible crunching sound, like the snapping of a celery stick. I recognize that sound. I heard it when I punched Marshall in the face last year and broke his nose.
A thousand awful thoughts marathon-run through my brain.
Ryder’s about to start chemo, but the leukemia has already taken its toll on his body.
He doesn’t eat. He’s fatigued to the point where he has to take two to three naps a day.
He’s lost weight and isn’t as strong as he used to be. Marshall is going to hurt him.
Without a second’s hesitation, I push people out of my way to get to Ryder.
I want to murder Marshall with my bare hands when I see blood dripping from Ryder’s mouth.
OhGodOhGodOhGod. Jayson is trying to shove himself between Ryder and Marshall, while Julien wraps his arms around Ryder’s waist, pulling him backwards with effort.
I’m so focused on getting to Ryder that I don’t see Marshall stumble sideways, his elbow ramming into my stomach and sending me spiraling to the ground.
Crying out, I wrap my arms protectively around my middle as I collapse to the dirt, pain exploding where Marshall’s elbow made contact.
Air whooshes out like my lungs are a bellow being squeezed.
I’m accidentally kicked in the lower back near my right kidney by a girl caught up in the domino tumble of bodies.
A feral roar blasts through the fight chants, sending chills racing down my spine. Like an avenging blond demon with ice blue eyes, Fallon literally lifts Marshall up by the collar and tosses him to the ground with a thud that shakes the earth at my feet.
This is the Fallon who makes guys quake in their shoes whenever he walks into a room. This Fallon is the dangerous one, the one that Old Elizabeth was wary of. This Fallon shows everyone here exactly how he got his reputation and why he is the King of Highland.
With brutal savagery, I watch Fallon drop down upon Marshall’s prone body and deliver blow after blow until blood pours out of Marshall’s nose and his left eye swells shut. Where the hell are the deputies? Didn’t they come out tonight?
Fallon punctuates each of his threats with a hit of his fist. “You touch her again and I’ll kill you!”
“Oh my God, Lizzie!” Hailey cries, but my attention is all on Fallon.
She and Brea drop down around me. Hailey frantically tries to move my hands from my abdomen, but my body has frozen in place.
“Lizzie, are you hurt? Oh God. Jayson!” she screams so loudly, I jump.
Large, callused hands grip my face, forcing me to look into silver-gray eyes. “Liz, baby, focus on me.”
I blink and blink again. My stomach hurts.
Hailey tries once more to move my hands and panics when I won’t let her. “Jayson, what do we do? The baby. The baby. She keeps clutching her stomach. Oh God. What do we do?”
Total and complete silence. A loud firecracker going off out of nowhere couldn’t have done a better job at suddenly halting the chaos and the fighting.
A sharp, pained, guttural noise has me looking up. And my heart stops when I meet a pair of wide amber eyes. Not like this. He can’t find out like this.
“Jules, get the truck!” Jayson shouts at his brother who immediately runs off.
“What did you say?” Ryder asks Hailey.
Hailey’s mouth gapes wide as she looks at him then back at me. I am so sorry, she mouths, instant tears running down her face.
Brea looks up at her brother, clearly in as much of a state of shock as he is.
“What did you say?” Ryder shouts when no one answers him.
Fallon steps in front of Ryder, blood dripping from his knuckles. Marshall is moaning and rolling over on the ground, clearly in a lot of pain. No one makes a move to help him, not even Maria. She just stands near him, wringing her hands, worry marring her face.
“Not here, man. We need to get Elizabeth to the hospital. So you either help or get the hell out of the way.”
It’s like Ryder can’t hear him. “You’re pregnant?”
My mouth opens but nothing comes out. I look at Jayson for help which just sets Ryder off.
“You son of a—” Ryder lunges at Jayson but Fallon grabs him.
“You knew?” Ryder yells at Fallon. “You knew she was pregnant and didn’t tell me? Was it you? Was it Jay?” Ryder’s voice sounds broken, like it’s choking him to get the words out.
“Calm down,” Fallon warns him, gripping Ryder’s arms and holding on to keep him in place.
“Calm down? Which one of you got my girlfriend pregnant?” he spits out. “Jesus, after everything. I forgave you!” He spears me with a heated, accusatory look that makes me shudder with its intensity.
No, he has it wrong. Everything is wrong.
So, incredibly wrong. I should have told him.
Why didn’t you tell him? He thinks I’ve been cheating on him with Jayson and Fallon.
You did cheat on him, Old Elizabeth resurfaces to remind me.
You can’t be certain that the baby isn’t Jayson’s.
Shut up! Shut up! Old Elizabeth isn’t supposed to exist anymore.
Fallon shoves Ryder back. “You’re done. Once you calm the hell down, meet us at Highland General.”
Just as I feared, whispers from the crowd begin and grow as word spreads from person to person.
It will be common gossip around school when we go back.
Parents will find out and look at me with shame.
They will use me as an example to warn their teenage daughters what could happen to them if they practice unsafe sex.
I’ll be labeled a slut. I’ll be looked upon with both pity and scorn.
“Baby, wrap your arms around my neck and hold on,” Jayson says as he lifts me off the ground.
I moan at being jostled around. A car horn honks a rapid triplet when Julien arrives with the truck.
Hailey reaches into my coat pocket and grabs my car keys. “I’ve got her car. Me and Brea will meet you there. I’ll call Daniel.”
Jayson acknowledges her with a nod of his chin and starts to carry me to the truck. Fallon walks in front of us, daring anyone to say or do anything. The throng of our peers part like the Red Sea to get out of his way.
Wait. Ryder. We can’t leave without Ryder.
I look around frantically, only to see Ryder’s black Hellcat peeling away from the track and speeding down the dirt road, leaving nothing but red taillights in the distance. He’s gone. He left. I turn my face into Jayson’s shoulder and cry.