Chapter 16 #2
I return my phone to my pocket, and don’t bother checking it when I feel his reply come through.
***
Serena was quiet the entire time it took us to get to the hospital. She has been through so much in the last forty-eight hours, and I wish I knew what was going through her head right now.
I knew from the moment I saw her in the café that I was going to spend the rest of my life protecting her. Don’t ask me how or why, I just did. I know that might make me sound slightly insane, but I’ve never been known to be sane in the first place.
Unfortunately, I failed her by allowing her to get attacked by Tyler. When I found out she had a boyfriend, the first thing I did was have Theo look into him for me. I had to know everything I could about the man who had access to her.
Besides a few traffic tickets, the man seemed harmless. Nothing screamed psycho. So, I figured I’d have time to work my charm and convince Serena to leave him. Not that it would have taken much work.
From what I gathered, he was a deadbeat boyfriend anyway.
And if that didn’t work, I’d just find a way to make him conveniently disappear. Both options were in play.
Never did I suspect he was going to snap on her.
Although, with my history, my spidey senses should have tingled when I stole glances at her phone the night her and Jules first came to the club.
I wanted to strangle Tyler and then bury him six feet under my driveway when I saw the way he was talking to her.
The texts screamed red flag to me, and I was ignorant enough not to do something sooner.
One thing is for sure; I will never fail her again.
Serena’s leg shakes up and down as she sits next to me on the couch in Dr. Rivers’ office. Once again, twisting her fingers in her lap in front of her. I place my hand on her leg, and it stops shaking instantly.
An audible whoosh of air leaves her 3; and her body relaxes next to me. She places her hand on top of mine and the way it makes me feel is something I’ve never felt before.
It’s a quiet surge that’s enough to make my pulse falter. A light feeling that eases the tightness in my chest that has been present since I can remember. Not weakness.
No, it's something worse.
Hope.
I have lived so long expecting the worst possible outcome. I have seen things that would make Ed Gein seem like Christopher Robin. When you live your life this way, always in darkness, it makes it impossible to ever imagine a life full of light.
But when Serena touches my hand and looks at me with eyes full of trust, something inside of me lifts. It chips away at my hardened heart and softens the edges that I spent years sharpening to protect myself.
And it is terrifying.
Dr. Rivers enters her office and closes the door behind her, hanging her white coat on the small black hook on the back.
She sits behind her desk and opens her laptop before greeting us. “Good evening. My name is Dr. Rivers, but you can call me Lauren. I understand that you are a friend of Coles and need some help.”
“Yes ma’am.” Serena’s voice is soft.
“Please, Lauren is just fine.” She leans back in her chair and smiles.
“Sorry, I’ve never done anything like this before. I mean, I have seen a doctor before. I’ve just never felt like I was breaking the law to do it.” Serena fumbles over her words.
“Well, from what Cole explained to me over the phone, it sounds like you aren’t going to want to get the police involved.
If we go by the books, that’s exactly what will happen.
” She continues, “Now, I’m not going to make you do anything you aren’t comfortable with, so the choice is completely up to you on how we proceed.
” Lauren leans forward and interlocks her fingers underneath her chin.
Serena looks up from her lap at Lauren and then over to me. Nodding my head, I give her leg a gentle squeeze. “You are in control here Mi Vida.”
She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and lets it go. “Alright, let’s make me into a criminal.” She looks back at the doctor. “I would like to keep this as quiet as possible.”
Lauren laughs. “If you’re a criminal, then so am I.”
“Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel any better.” Serena retorts.
Laughter fills the room from both girls, and I relax a bit. I’ve seen Lauren dozens of times before, but never for someone I was in love with. Cole usually has me bring the girls who need medical attention from the club here so they can be tended to under the radar.
Somewhere their handlers won’t be able to track them down.
For the longest time, the women wouldn’t be seen, no matter how much Cole and I insisted they would be safe. They would rather continue to suffer in pain with broken bones and bleeding wounds, than risk their abusers finding them.
It wasn’t until Charlie was seen that the other girls started to follow suit.
A couple x-rays and a lot of plaster later, we are walking out of the hospital with Serena’s wrist in a cast, supported by a sling around her shoulder.