Chapter 19 His Girlfriend
NINETEEN
HIS GIRLFRIEND
SARAH
After a long day of meetings with the university and the other sororities regarding safety during recruitment, Mona, Rae, Amira, and I were finally back at Frattic.
“Thanks again for letting me stay here this week. Jasmine is gone until work week, and the idea of being in our apartment alone scares me.” Amira flipped her long locs over her shoulder.
As the vice president of our sorority, she’d made the trip back from Kansas City for the security meetings.
“No worries,” Rae said, pouring herself another glass of water. “I can’t imagine staying alone with a killer on the loose.”
Her brothers lost in game seven of the playoffs, so she came back to Kirksville to escape her family’s disappointment.
Don’t know that I would trade the safety of home for a town under a serial killer watch, but to each their own.
Kat frowned down at her phone before slamming it face down on the counter. “Langley said he found us a new drummer.”
“So why do you look so pissed?” Mona asked from the stove. She’d eaten one of the gummies Morgan had left behind and decided late-night pancakes were in order.
“Because I’m sure it’s just some guy he hooked up with, and they’ll end up bailing on us as soon as we get some shows booked.”
I checked my phone, but there were no new messages from Connor. In desperation, I’d even texted Jamie.
It’s almost midnight. Jamie should’ve taken them out to the train bridge by now.
“You okay, Sarah?” Amira asked, handing me the bowl of popcorn.
Frowning, I grabbed a handful. “I haven’t heard from Connor all night.” I shoved the popcorn into my mouth and refreshed my messages.
Nothing.
“That ungrateful bastard. He’d better be lying in a ditch.”
“Kat!” we all yelled.
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, fuck off. Sarah gave him and his boys a couple hundred dollars’ worth of good ass fireworks. If he can’t find a second to text thank you, he sucks.” Shrugging, she finished her beer. “I’m going to bed. I have to open at The Depot.”
Kat threw her can into the recycling and gave us a small salute.
“Night,” we called out to her.
My phone vibrated against the laminate countertop. I snatched it up, my buttery fingers fumbling it. “Come on,” I mumbled, holding onto it with both hands. “Hello?”
“Hey. Sorry to call you so late,” Connor said, his voice cautious.
“It’s no problem. What’s up?”
The girls stopped shoveling pancakes into their mouths and looked at me.
“Uh. I wanted to call and say thank you for the fireworks and booze.”
I smiled, averting my eyes from my sorority sisters winking and grinning at me.
“No problem. I’m glad you guys could use them.” I walked out of the kitchen to a chorus of oohs and aahs. “What are you doing now?”
As much as I wanted to ask if he was coming over, I knew that was pathetic. He deserved a night free of me treating him like a sexy security blanket.
Connor sighed, “We’re at the hospital.”
“What?” I started toward my room to get my purse. “What happened?”
Mona, Rae, and Amira followed me upstairs.
“We got in a car accident. Everyone is fine, just a little banged up.”
I grabbed my purse and shoved through my frowning friends. “I’ll be there in five.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Oh.” My steps slowed, and I realized that maybe our relationship was too new for hospital visits. I stopped in the middle of the stairs, and the girls ran into my back.
“Stop playing it cool and tell Sarah to come get us,” Jamie yelled through the phone.
Connor huffed out a laugh. “Actually, would you mind giving us a lift? The Lincoln’s totaled.”
“I’ll be there soon.”
“Thanks, pretty girl,” Connor quietly said and hung up.
Rushing to the door, I said, “I’ve got to go pick up the McCormick boys from the hospital.”
“You want us to come?” Mona asked, slipping on her sandals.
I shook my head. “That’s okay. I’m not sure how many people I’m giving a ride to.”
“Then call us when you get there, and let us know if you’re coming home tonight,” Rae said, sitting back at the table.
“You’ve got it.” I rushed down the rickety stairs to my car.
True to my word, I got to the hospital in five minutes. Walking through the entrance, I made a beeline for the ER. Sprawled across the chairs in the waiting room were two hot—albeit beat-up—guys, Jamie, and Connor.
“Our savior is here,” Jamie dramatically sighed as he slowly stood.
I went straight to Connor, and he wrapped me in a hug.
“Are you okay?” Leaning back, I took in the smattering of scrapes on his face.
He carefully touched his ribs and winced. “Just a few cuts and bruises. Jamie got the worst of it.”
I turned to look at the other guys, but Connor pulled me back to his chest and kissed the top of my head.
“My turn,” Jamie whined, dramatically limping toward us.
“She’s my girlfriend. Back off,” Connor said, not letting me go.
Girlfriend.
Internally, I was throwing a goddamn parade. We hadn’t discussed labels, so hearing him call me his girlfriend was exciting.
I smiled into his shirt, absently listening to his friends give him shit.
“And who’s this?” a sweet voice asked from behind me.
Connor quietly groaned, squeezing one more time, then letting me go. “Mom, this is my girlfriend, Sarah Tilney.” He gently turned me to face a short, full-figured, blond woman. “Sarah, this is my mom, Colleen McCormick. She’s a nurse here.”
Him casually calling me his girlfriend twice in the span of five minutes made me ridiculously happy.
Schooling my expression into a more appropriate smile for the ER, I gave her a little wave and said, “Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, honey,” she chuckled, pulling me into a tight hug. “We’re huggers in this family.”
Leaning back, she held me at arm’s length and smiled. “Aren’t you gorgeous?” She glanced at Connor. “Good job, Con.”
“Thanks, Mom,” he said flatly.
Colleen cackled, her gaze running over each of the guys. “Care to tell me what happened? I just got out of surgery and heard my boys were in the ER.” She went over to Connor’s friends and gave them a once-over.
“Some asshole ran us off the road,” Jamie complained as his mom brushed the hair off his forehead, checking the bandage there.
Colleen frowned and took out her phone. “I’m calling your uncle.”
Connor deflated but stayed silent as his mom walked away, talking on her phone.
“We should leave before Uncle Rick gets here,” Jamie whispered as his hands fidgeted at his side.
As if summoned by the mention of his name, Mayor Rick McCormick walked through the automatic doors.
The man whistled as he took off his ball cap, exposing a full head of dirty blond hair. “Y’all look rough. What happened?”
“We got run off the road over by the McClusky farm,” Jamie said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Is it always this awkward between them?
Rick frowned as he looked each guy over. “You get a license plate?”
“Nah,” Connor said, stepping protectively in front of Jamie.
Rick dipped his chin. “I’m going to talk to Sheriff Danbury.” Without acknowledging his sister, he crossed the waiting room to the gaggle of cops chatting and sipping coffee.
“Why don’t you boys get going?” Connor’s mom said, eyeing her brother carefully.
Connor wrapped an arm around her shoulder and winced. “Are you going to be okay?”
She nodded, pulling her attention from the most powerful men in Kirksville chatting. “I can handle your uncle.”
“If you say so . . .” Connor dropped a kiss on top of her head, and the rest of the guys followed suit.
“Love you, Mom,” Jamie said with a sweet smile.
“Love you too.”
“Bye, Mama McCormick,” the skinny, pale guy covered in tattoos said, wrapping her up in his long arms.
“Bye, sweetheart. Tell your mom I have some extra cilantro and thyme for her.”
“Awesome,” he grinned.
The tall, muscular guy with dark brown skin and a fashionable fade stood stiffly nearby until Colleen opened her arms wide and said, “Get over here, Grant.”
He stepped into her hold, dwarfing her with his impressive build.
“It’s good to have you back,” Colleen murmured. “You’d better be at dinner next Sunday.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Her small hand swatted his toned back.
“Mama McCormick,” he said with a smile.
“Good boy. Now you keep these hooligans in line.”
“Mom,” Connor said flatly.
She let go of his friend and playfully glared. “Get out of here before I decide to tell Sarah some stories about you in high school.”
“Time to go,” Connor said, guiding me to the automatic doors.
“Your mom’s hilarious,” the emo guy said, shoving his shaggy black hair from his eyes. Looking down at me, he grinned. “I’m Tom. We’ve heard a lot about you.”
I glanced up at Connor and smiled at his reddening cheeks. “All good things, I hope.”
“Of course,” Tom smirked.
When we got to my small compact car, I grimaced, “Uh, I guess I should’ve borrowed Kat’s van.”
“Not bitch!” Jamie screamed, jumping into the back seat.
Tom looked at Grant and sighed. “Fine.” In the middle, he leaned over so we could see him. “Can we hit a drive-thru?”
“Uh, sure?”
Tom winked and settled back in his seat.
“Thanks for the ride,” Grant said, giving me a small smile before he got in the car and closed the door.
Connor opened the driver’s side door for me.
“Thank you,” I said, slipping under his arm.
Once I was buckled in, he shut the door and rounded the hood of the car. After a quick trip through the drive-thru, I parked in front of Connor’s apartment. The guys spilled out, but Connor stayed in the passenger seat.
He watched them disappear inside, then turned and looked at me. “You staying with me tonight?”
I killed the engine and tucked a loose lock of hair behind my ear. “If you want.”
“I do,” he said with a tired smile.
“Well, okay then.” I sent a message to the Frattic chat and then followed Connor inside.
Laughter spilled from the apartment when we opened the door and immediately stopped when they caught sight of me.
“As you were, fellas.” I waved at them as I went to the kitchen for a glass of water.