Page 84 of Chase Our Forever

He quickly reaches out to steady me. “I think you need a hospital. That cut looks deep.”

I can’t keep my body from shaking as I stare at the man in front of me. My brain is telling me not to get into a car with him. I have no idea who he is, and my injuries from the accident make me vulnerable.

But I have to get to Dean. I don’t want to put him through the torture of thinking something happened to me one second longer than he needs to.

I could deny this man’s help and wait the hour it would probably take for police to show up, or I could trust that this stranger has good intentions. If Sutten’s taught me anything, it’s that strangers can be kind. Not every man is like my father. Not every stranger is like the people he’d let hang around our house.

I let out a shaky breath. “I might need the hospital. But I need my boyfriend to know I’m okay.” The wordboyfriendslips out effortlessly.

I don’t have time to overthink it. It’s cold, and I just need to get inside.

“Who’s your boyfriend?” he asks, his voice gentle.

I look over his shoulder for a moment when a flash of red catches my attention. It’s the bird. It hadn’t left. It’s been here the whole time. My mind tricks me into thinking maybe it was just waiting to make sure I was going to be okay, that I was going to get help.

“Miss? Let’s get you to the hospital. Tell me who your boyfriend is, and maybe I can find a way to contact him.”

I watch the red bird fly away, thankful to have not been alone while I waited for this stranger to help me. I meet his eyes. “Dean. Dean Livingston.”

He sucks in a deep breath. “I know the Livingstons well. Once we get closer to town, I’ll have service, and I can tell them I’m taking you to the hospital. We’ll get the word to him, I promise.”

My teeth chatter, but my body relaxes slightly. “Thank you,” I manage to get out.

“Let me help you.” He wraps my arm around his neck and helps keep me upright as he walks me to his car.

It feels like heaven the moment he opens the passenger door and hot air hits me. The warmth feels amazing against my cheeks. I know this isn’t the best idea I’ve ever had, but I don’t have a lot of options.

This man seems nice. He wears nerdy, wire-rimmed glasses and looks old enough to be my grandfather. That has to mean he’s nice, right? He seems to be telling the truth about knowing Dean’s family. I don’t have a lot of options but to trust him.

He presses his fingers to my head. “We need to get you to the hospital. I’ll see if they can meet you there.”

I shake my head. I don’t know Dean’s number. I don’t want to go anywhere without going home first to tell him I’m okay. After that, he can take me wherever I need to go if I need a doctor. “No. I need to get home first to show Dean I’m okay. Will you take me there?

The man lets out a long sigh. “I’d feel much better if you got checked out first. You’re unsteady on your feet, and that gash has to need stitches. I’ll call Marshall to tell him where you are. He’ll tell his son.”

I shake my head again. I really wish I knew Dean’s number, but I don’t. “If you could just take me home.”

He doesn’t say anything else before he gently shuts the door. I try to stay awake to make sure he takes me to Dean’s and not to the hospital, but it’s hard. The darkness of sleep keeps pulling me under, despite how hard I fight it. As I drift off, all I can think about is Dean. I hope he isn’t home yet. I hope he hasn’t been worrying. I feel terrible. I should’ve listened and let him drive me to pick up the gifts. I didn’t know it’d snow, but I still can’t help but feel guilty.

Thoughts of Dean swarm my brain, but I’m pulled too completely into unconsciousness to be able to repeat that to the stranger.

50

DEAN

My leg bouncesup and down in place as Cade turns into the hospital parking lot. We were out driving back roads in search of Liv about an hour ago when we got the call that one of my father’s friends had found Liv and taken her to the hospital.

She apparently was pretty banged up. I try to steady my breathing after imagining what’s happened to her and what injuries she might have. Mom couldn’t give me many details about how hurt she was. Eric, Dad’s friend who found her, had just mentioned that she appeared to have a pretty bad head wound and maybe some other minor injuries they wanted to get checked out.

But she’s alive. That’s all that matters.

Cade pulls up to the front doors, and I don’t even wait for the car to be fully in park before I jump out and race toward the entrance. My boots slip against the freshly fallen snow on my way there, but I don’t let it slow me down. Now that I’m so close to her, the time it takes to get into the hospital seems to take forever. This entire night seems to have gone by achingly slow as I thought of every terrible thing that could’ve happened to the woman I love.

The moment the automatic doors open, I’m running inside, my eyes searching the busy hospital floor. I run to the front desk, my hands slapping against the counter as I try to get the attention of the receptionist.

“Excuse me?” My voice comes out rough and frantic.

The woman holds up one finger as she says something into the phone she holds to her ear. A frazzled cry comes from my throat.

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