Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
TRIPP
I 'm not alone for very long when Aspen walks through the door.
“Hey,” she smiles, sadness still evident in her pretty hazel eyes.
“Hey,” I sigh as she sits in the chair next to me. “How are you?” I ask first, having to remember that she watched her best friend get murdered.
She drops her head, her fingers twisting her engagement ring around her finger. I wish I could take all her pain away.
Wish I could make all of this disappear.
Wish I could go back in time and stop all of this from happening.
“I'm so sorry Aspen,” and she finally looks at me, tears dampening her cheeks and she gives a little nod.
“I just...” she tries to speak but stops herself, shaking her head from side to side.
“I know,” I reason with her, I have no idea if it'll even make her feel better, but she shuffles forward and scoops my hand into hers, her thumb brushing back and forth across the back of it.
“You doing okay?” she asks me now and my heart thumps inside my chest.
“I've been better,” I smirk, head resting into the pillow.
“I bet, you've been through it.”
I nod.
“This is nothing in comparison to what Pacey has endured... and…” I went to mention Harlow but stopped myself.
“Don't invalidate your own trauma and injuries,” she scolds, wrinkles forming on her forehead as she furrows her brows.
“Sorry,” I roll my lips and I sigh.
“Where's Dixie?” she suddenly asks, looking around the room.
“No idea, haven't seen her in a couple of hours... Riggs went looking for her.”
“Oh,” she sounds surprised, but I am not sure if she is surprised about Riggs or Dixie running.
“Mm,” I hum just as my phone buzzes. “Can you grab that for me?” I ask Aspen and she stands and reaches for my phone that is sitting on the bed table at the foot of the bed. She passes it to me, and I see Rusty's message.
Rusty
Heard about the funeral, fuck man, my thoughts and prayers are with you all. Send my love to Austin.
I swallow the lump down of the reminder that is burned into my retinas.
Me
Thanks man, I appreciate it.
Rusty
Btw, cars done. No rush. Took a little longer than expected as had to wait for parts but all good to go.
Me
Thanks, might need you to hold onto it a bit longer. I'll be out of action for a while.
Rusty
No problem. Rest up. Look after you.
Letting my phone rest on my lap, I look up at Aspen.
“What a complete shit show.”
She scoffs a laugh, and her bottom lip trembles before she breaks down again.
“Aspen,” I sigh, she's breaking my heart.
I lift my arm up as she rests her head on my chest, and I comfort her whilst she cries.
Aspen is so much more than just my brother’s fiancée, she is family, she is my sister. We grew up together and when all the shit went down between Pacey, Riggs and Aspen, I was the only one she would talk to, until Riggs told me to back the fuck down, and annoyingly I did. Then she up and left. Broke all of our hearts in the process, just not as much as she broke Riggs’.
Riggs appears at the door, he looks pissed off. Permanent scowl on his face, heavy footsteps on his way towards the room and hands balled by his side, but as soon as he sees Aspen, everything disappears. He scoops her up, holding her to his chest as she sobs silently into his shirt.
“I am going to run her home; I'll be back soon...” and the look he gives me is not a good one. Something has happened. “Dixie is safe,” he mutters just as he walks out of my room and relief swarms me in an instant.
Time slips by and my eyes feel heavy. Letting them close for a moment, I can feel myself drifting in and out of sleep when there is a knock on my door.
“Yeah,” I say muffled, refusing to open my eyes.
The sound of the boots hitting the floor and the clink of the spur spinning has my eyes bolting open. I knew who it was before I even looked.
Sheriff Kelcie .
“Well, hello Tripp,” a lopsided smirk pulls at his lips, thumbs tucked into his belt loops and a dark brown cowboy hat covering his balding hair.
“What do I owe the pleasure?” I sigh, closing my eyes again, hands resting on my lap, fingers interlocked.
“Just thought I would pop in and check in on my favorite Rivera brother.”
“Cut the bullshit,” I scoff.
“Fine,” he sighs, “I need to know what the fuck went down at Clay Attaway's funeral,” he pauses for a moment as he drags the chair that sits in the corner of the room along the lino floor tiles and sits right next to my bed.
His breath is rancid.
I turn my face away from him for a moment.
“You know what went down,” I roll my eyes.
“I do, but what I can't seem to understand is that whenever you and your brothers are anywhere near the Attaway’s there is violence.”
I go to open my mouth but slam it shut, before starting again.
“Sounds like you're picking sides, Kelcie.”
He scoffs, shaking his head from side to side.
“I only pick the innocent side Tripp, the side that matches the badge that sits on my belt.”
“ My badge.”
“Technically, it's my badge. You gave it to me.”
“Leant it to you,” I raise my brows, “don't get it twisted Kelcie.”
He laughs, tipping his head back and I have never wanted to punch someone in the throat as much as I do this dickhead.
“We will see what happens when you're back on your feet, aye Rivera,” he leans in and snarls, his hand on my shoulder as he pushes his thumb into my bullet hole wound, and I scream out.
“Get the fuck off him,” my brother’s voice bellows around the room and Kelcie shrinks back into his seat, but Riggs is fuming. His temper is short, and I can see in his eyes he has lost it. Grabbing Kelcie by the scruff of his shirt, he drags him out of the room and tosses him down the hallway of the hospital.
“I'll have you charged for that Rivera!”
“Try it, where are your witnesses?” and Kelcie stands from the floor, and I watch as he looks up and down the hallway. “Exactly, now fuck off Kelcie, don't come anywhere near my family again,” and Kelcie knows better than to not listen to Riggs.
He steps back inside the room and grunts when he sees blood trickling down my chest. Reaching for the call button, he presses it over and over until someone comes in, but I have no idea what happens after because I black out.