Page 107 of From You to Me

A frown scrunched its way up her nose. “What?”

The doors to the waiting room dashed open, and Mikey walked in. “Any word?”

Matt shrugged.

Katy blew out a breath and got up in Mikey’s face. “Did Evy say anything? Why the fuck would she do this, Mikey?”

Mikey lifted a shoulder. “I think the bitch deserved it.”

“What!?” Katy shrieked. “How can you say that?”

A ping vibrated in my hand. My grip almost snapped it in half as I opened the phone to confirm what I already knew.

The look in her eyes told me everything that I needed to know.

Those brown eyes, they never lied to me.

The fucking dread that I didn’t see it sooner clawed the heart that I didn’t know I had.

“Are you Cece’s friends and family?”

I snapped my head as I watched the doctor approach us.

“Yes, Doctor. Is she fine?” Katy asked.

He nodded. “Thankfully, there wasn’t much damage to the bone, but the soft tissues were significantly injured. But that can be easily treated and won’t lead to any visible defects. She’s fine now. You can visit her if you wish.”

“Oh, thank God she’s fine.” Katy held her heart as she exhaled heavily.

I didn’t say a thing as I followed her into the white door at the end of the hallway.

The clinical scent of ethanol hit my nose with the click of the constant beep reverbing through the room.

“Gosh, Cece, are you okay?” Katy rushed to her side.

A silent weep slid out her chapped lips. “No,” she blubbered as tears fell out of her eyes. A wide plaster stuck stark over her nose.

“I’m so sorry,” Katy whispered as her hand grasped Cece’s.

“Emmie”—Cece’s gaze darted to mine—“she destroyed my nose. How am I ever going to show my face again? After all the hell she pulled, how can you take her back and trust her again?”

Mikey scoffed. “Stop acting. The doctor said you’re perfectly fine.”

Katy’s eyes jumped to Mikey. “Not now,” she hissed.

Cece’s silent weeping flowed through as she continued, “What did I ever do to deserve this, Emmie? When all I’ve ever been was be nice to her. You never should’ve let her in again. I thoughtyou learned your lesson last time. She’s just a lowly scum who’ll do anything for the next…”

I held out a hand. “Don’t finish that sentence,” I said in a cold whisper.

Her eyes flickered wide. “Emmie?”

“I know what you did.”

And the fade in the gleam covering her eyes told me everything that I needed to know.

A nervous laugh spurts out of her. “What did I do? I don’t understand?”

Katy’s confused eyes volleyed between us.

---