Page 69 of White Hole

“Kinsley,” he said with an exhale, as if relieved to see me. I was surprised he wasn’t upset that I was just lying there; that I wasn’t curing cancer. He strode over quickly and kissed my forehead. “What happened?”

George cleared his throat and explained how he ran up on me as a guy was attacking me. The man, dressed all in black, ran off when George approached. George then called the ambulance and my mom from my open phone.

“Well, thank you, uh…” My father stood up, addressing George.

“Dad, this is George. He’s my boyfriend.” George looked as shocked as my father. Both of their jaws dropped as they eyed each other more scrupulously.

“Oh, well, nice to meet you. Thank you so much for being there for Kinsley.” They shook hands. “What are you studying, George? Play football? How long have you two been together?”

The doctor walked in, interrupting any answer I could come up with for my father. I was cleared to go without even a broken bone or concussion. I had to make sure not to play contact sports for a week and watch for any worsening headaches. There would be bruising from the fall, but otherwise, I was healthy.

A police officer was waiting outside the curtain to take a report, but I knew it was useless. The police in this town were corrupt. Who policed the police?

It was almost midnight when George held my hand as we walked out of the hospital with my parents. He put his huge winter coat over me since I was still in just a sweatshirt and leggings. It hung to my knees and swallowed my frame, but the scent of G filled me and that was the warmest thing I could have worn.

“Well, George, please stop by for Christmas in a few weeks. I’d love it if you celebrated with us. It’s usually just Kinsley and me,” my mother said. She shot daggers at my dad with her eyes.

My father said, “Bethany and I would love to have you over, too, George. We have a big celebration with our family. I think I’ll be playing Santa this year. Kinsley used to love that.” He was smiling his big, fake smile.

George nodded and smiled at my parents. “Thanks for the invites.”

Once we reached his truck, my parents each gave me a hug, asking if I wanted to stay with either of them, but I assured them I was fine. I wanted to talk to George alone. There were still too many questions I had.

George placed me carefully in his passenger seat like I was a porcelain doll and grabbed the sleeping bag from the back to put over me. I didn’t need it, but I appreciated the gesture. Once he clamored in, he put his hands on the steering wheel, but didn’t drive.

He turned his head slowly and narrowed his eyes at me. “Am I?”

“Are you what?”

“Am I your boyfriend?”

I inhaled sharply. “I don’t know.Areyou?”

“I want to be.Fuck, I want to be more than that.” My heart thudded in my chest. He leaned all the way across the cab and placed his lips against mine. “Girlfriend… I’ll take it for now.” His George breath flooded my nostrils as he said the words close to my face.

George sat back and drove to the main exit of the hospital’s parking lot. “George, what did your father do?”

He quickly braced himself, like he’d been shot. “He did something really bad. And if I tell you more, it could put you in danger.”

Maybe he was embezzling money from his company. George said he was a manager… Maybe he worked for Cardell Enterprises like most of the town. George came from money, so that made sense. The Cardells werenota family to mess with. If George’s father had messed with old Cardell money, that could put George in danger, too. As angry as I had been with George, I did not want him dead. Especially before I could give him a second chance.

“I’ll do it.”

“Do what?”

“The threesome. I’ll do it.”

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

GEORGE

“Why the fuckwould you agree to that?”

“Because I want to help you. I don’t want you to impregnate her or be hurt by her anymore. I don’t want your family hurt. Or your life to be in danger.”

It was noble. She cared for me, but… “No, Sins. No. I’ll figure out something. You don’t need to get involved. I wasn’t asking you to join when I told you her request.”

“I want to.”

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