Page 124 of Burn With Me

Her left eye is swollen shut, and black and blue bruises lead down around the cut on her cheek that looks like it’s been stitched up.

She looks too small, too weak, in the hospital bed. Chris will regret the day he decided to lay a hand on her.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. How are you?” she asks. She scoots over and pats the space next to her.

Instead of climbing into the bed, I take a seat next to it. If I get in with her, I know I will fall apart, and this isn’t the time or the place for that.

Her lips turn down, and she sighs, settling in the middle of the bed again as I respond, “I’m okay. Were they able to reach your parents?”

She nods. “His parents? Yeah, they’re going to catch the first flight they can.”

“Would you like me to call Lenni?” Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on the edge of the bed and grab her hand.

“No, I’ll call her when I get home. They said I’ll need to stay overnight, but they’ll discharge me tomorrow.” She twists her hand, interlacing our fingers as she scoots closer.

“He left something for you in his will. We’re going to go over it on Wednesday. As soon as I know a time, I’ll let you know.”

She looks surprised. “Why are you being so serious right now, Jackson? And why are you already worried about Scott’s will?”

“As soon as word gets out that he’s gone, the press will try and get their hands on it. There were too many witnesses in the halls of the apartment complex. Your neighbors are the ones who called the cops and reported a domestic disturbance. I guess when Scott was yelling through your door, the neighbor told him the cops were on the way.”

“Jackson, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault–”

“Don’t,” I cut her off. “Nothing is your fault, Ginny. Youcan’t blame yourself. If anything, it’s my fault. I should have been the one to call the cops right away instead of sending him because he was close.”

She bites her lip, looking like she wants to say more but is worried. It makes me physically ill, knowing that she’s been through so much in the last few days and that I’ve been the cause of most of it.

“What is it?” I ask.

Shaking her head, she squeezes my hand tighter. “I don’t want you to end up resenting me.”

It’s incredible how she’s worried about my feelings when she’s the one who’s just been assaulted.

Tears start to flow down her face, and I reach up to wipe them away before kissing her gently. “I could never resent you.”

Standing, I gently maneuver her back against her pillows. “Now get some rest. I have some things I need to take care of now that I know you’re okay. I’ll be back later, alright?”

She nods against the pillow, her good eye already closing as exhaustion overtakes her. I’d like nothing better than to crawl into the bed with her and hold her throughout the night, but I have calls to make.

The rest of Chris’ life is in my hands now. And I’m going to make sure it’s a living nightmare.

It doesn’t occur to me that my uncle’s blood is still staining the front of my shirt until I walk into my building and receive curious looks from the people in the lobby.

I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet that he’sgone.

He’s dead because of me.

If I had just gone to her instead of sending him…

But then, would Chris have raped her? Would the cops have made it sooner ifIhad called them instead of herneighbors? Would it be Ginny lying in a body bag in a morgue?

The questions swirl in my head, one after the other on a loop, but one fact sticks out above all the rest.

If I’d just told her about being the stranger sooner, none of this would have happened.

Even if Chris had found out and returned, even if she’d chosen to leave me, it would have given us time. Time to figure shit out and make it work. If she’d been in a better place…I wonder if she even would have left the restaurant with Chris.

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