Page 55 of Light It Up Red
I nod my head, but I’m not sure I believe her either. Frances squeezes once more before releasing me, and I watch as she approaches the hospital bed, silent tears falling down her face when she looks at her son. I position myself at the bottom rail. Alessandro follows me. His hand closes around mine as I stand here and look at Travis. This is my fault. He’s in this bed because of me, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do now.
“When is he going to wake up?” I don’t know who I’m asking, but I ask it anyway.
“The doctors are going to wake him up tomorrow. They want him to rest overnight,” Mr. O’Neil says.
I nod my head. Tomorrow. He’s going to wake up tomorrow.
When Alessandro’s phone rings out, breaking the silence, he excuses himself from the room. Enzo follows him out, and Gray steps up to my side. His hand replaces my brother’s as he gives my palm a comforting squeeze.
“He wouldn’t like you holding my hand, you know.”
“I know,” Gray says. “But you were my friend long before you were his.”
“You should go home to your daughter.”
“I’m not leaving you, Lil. That’s not what we do. You never left my side when I needed it. I won’t leave yours either,” he says.
He’s talking about when Kathryn ran away. I knew she left. I was the one who helped her disappear in the first place. Even though she never told me why until recently.
I hated watching him mourn her. I hated watching his heart break over and over again, when I knew she wasn’t really missing. That she chose to leave him. But she was my best friend, and for whatever reason, she was adamant that he couldn’t know where she was. I kept her secret. All those years, I kept her secret and did my best to help Gray move on. Not that he ever really did. The fact that he doesn’t hate me right now is a miracle. Because if the roles were reversed, I’m not sure I’d be as forgiving.
“I need to know who did this,” I whisper to Gray.
“We’re going to find out,” he says. “I promise we will find the person who did this.”
“And if it was my father?” I keep my voice low. The last thing I need is for Travis’s parents to overhear me and realize this is my fault.
“It wasn’t your family, Lil. Your father isn’t going to start a war with us.”
Gray’s wrong, though, because I know my father would go to war with anyone when it comes to his kids. His family. And taking me away is the biggest threat there is.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Something wet drops on my hand, my fingers. I blink my eyes open, and a bright light has me slamming them shut before slowly opening them again. I look down at my arm, wondering what’s dripping.
“Lili?” My throat is sore, my voice hoarse.
Her head snaps up, and her tear-filled eyes land on mine. “You’re awake. Shit. I need to get a doctor,” she says, reaching over and quickly pressing a button above my head.
I lift my hand to her face and wipe the wetness from her cheeks. “What’s wrong?”
“Travis, you were shot yesterday. How do you feel? That’s a stupid question.” She looks away and shakes her head.
“Why are you crying?”
“You were shot,” she repeats.
I try to sit up, only to stop when a sharp, piercing pain rips through my abdomen. “Fuck.” I grit my teeth.
“Don’t move. Your parents are here. They just went to grab a coffee,” Lili says. “Travis, I’m… I’m so sorry. I didn’t know…”
“What? Why are you apologizing, babe?” I’m still trying to wrap my head around what’s going on. But my brain feels foggy. I can only imagine how many drugs are running through my system.
“This is my fault,” she whispers.
“Lili, babe, as much as my world starts and ends with you, my getting shot is not your fault.” I reach out and take her hand.
Lili shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I should have stayed away from you. If I had, this wouldn’t have happened.”
