Page 247 of Collided

I hide behind a car to not let Dad and the others catch me.

Taking out my phone, I text Marie to send me Sebastian’s number. She does it in a minute. Dialing his number, I call him, and he picks it up right away.

His warm voice pours out of the speaker. “Hey, Hope. Is everything okay? I can get Heath—”

“Come to the police station please.”

“What! What’s going on?”

In the background, I hear him moving around and making noise.

“Heath… they arrested him.” I choke on a sob.

Sebastian curses and then speaks, “I’m coming. Don’t worry. I’ll get him out.”

“He’s in there because ofme.”

Silence stretches on the line. His breathing gets heavier over the engine of the car, and I realize he’s already in the car.

“It’s not your fault, Hope,” he says softly.

It hits me then.Sebastian knows. He knows about the abuse. He knows everything because Heath told him.

“You-you k-know.” I’m shaken to my core.

Sebastian curses. “Not the way you think, Hope. He told me so I could help him find the person who’s hurting you.”

I should be mad at Heath. I should be mad at Sebastian.I’m not.

All I feel is a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

“Please come.”

“I’m five minutes away.”

Before he cuts the call I can hear the screech of the tires. He’s surely breaking signals to get here.

I walk inside and see police officers everywhere.

There’s a cell in the back where Heath is. He’s removed his jacket and is hunched over his knees, his hands locked in place.

I run toward him. “Heath!”

An officer gets in my way. “Hey! What are you doing?” His big, muscular body intimidates me as he looks down at me.

I stand my ground. “Please. Let me see him.”

His eyes roam my face and then drop to my chest where my hands are clutched together.

“Fine. You have five minutes,” he says.

I thank him, then rush to Heath who stares at me with wide eyes.

“What are you doing here?” He reaches for me through the bars.

“I’m here for you.”

“You shouldn’t be here.”

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