Page 47 of Cuts Like an Angel: Part 2

Chapter Twenty-Five

William

By the time Carly pulled up along the promenade near him, William was huddled on his knees, his freezing clothes clinging to him and threatening him with a good dose of pneumonia. His phone had died, and all he could manage was to hold himself together enough until she came. His body shivering, his teeth chattering, limbs numb, it was almost a welcome change.

“Josh,” she called, dashing through the barrier and down the steps. Her soft shoes tapping on the stones. “Josh. I’m here.”

Shame rode William’s body like a cowboy breaking in a mare. “I can't. I can't … I can’t,” he repeated, shaking his head, holding himself there. His arm was covered in blood. It dripped onto the stones.

“Shit. Josh. What did you do?” She was down with him, her hand on his back, rubbing. “Come on. Look at me.” She made him raise his head, tucking her fingers under his chin. The look of shock, and disgust no doubt, flitting across her face. “We need to get you to the hospital,” she said softly. She took his arm, holding his hand in hers. “Oh, Josh.”

“She’s leaving,” he cried. “Just going. She wasn’t going to tell me.”

“Who? Rosie?”

He nodded.

“Are you sure?”

“I saw the text message.”

“There's no other explanation?” she asked. “We talked about this, remember? Ground and then think.” Carly sniffed suddenly. “Have you been drinking? Josh?”

He pushed her away, reeling as the shit in his head reared up again. No way to control it. “It’s all fucked. All of it.”

“Come on. Stay with me. What did the text message say?”

“It asked… shit,” he mumbled. “I don’t remember. I remember. Was about her leaving. How much longer did she need before she went back home and that her dad would pay for the flight.”

“Oh.”

“Yep. See.”

Carly’s brows knitted together. “There will be an explanation. If I know Rosie …”

“You don’t, though. You just know what I told you, and you know how my mind works. What if it was all bullshit?” he slurred. “What if all of it was wrong? I saw her … stupid sweet side when what she really had was a let’s fuck him over side. You don’t know. I don’t know.” He jammed his knuckles into his temple. “No one fucking knows.”

William shivered harder now. His hair wet and sticking to him. He held himself tight, ignoring the sting in his cuts as his wet clothes pressed into them.

“We need to get you warm. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“No,” he said, pushing away from Carly. “I don’t want the hospital. They’ll lock me up again.”

“They might not.”

“They will.”

“Maybe an overnight would help? Clear your mind?”

“No,” he said. He grabbed his phone and his shoes, not caring to put them on. “I’m not going back to that fucking place. I can't. They just give me fucking pills.”

“They can help you.”

“They make me into a zombie.” Although, maybe a zombie was better than what he was feeling. But he just couldn’t do it. He couldn’t feel that way … or not feel that way. He scratched at his head, digging his fingers in and making sure it fucking hurt. “I just need to go. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to call you.” He tried to peer up at her, his vision as blurry as his speech.

“It’s fine Josh. I promise.” She reached for him to reassure him, but he snatched his arm out of her way.

He’d rather go back to dunking his head under the water again than go back to the hospital. Then Rosie would never come back. Why would she want to? Poor fucking sick William with his sick past.

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