Page 69 of All Our Ghosts

I fought then, but the fight I had in my heart was nothing compared to what I’m feeling now and a part of me hates myself for it. To hold her life in such high regard that this feels more important.

My chest is heavy, my legs ache, and my shoulder feels like it's on fire but I know it's nothing compared to what she is feeling. The further I get through the trees and towards the trail, the more promises I begin to make to myself. Never to let her go. Never to leave her again. I'm done running from the things that scare me.

I glance down at her. Her eyes are still closed but her chest is moving.She’s still breathing. Keep going. Do not fucking stop.I warn myself. I won't ever forgive myself if I give up now.

The minute my feet hit solid ground I book it. Careful of the downed branches and mud-holes until I reach the pull-off. I'll have to come back for my bike but right now I don’t give two fucks about it. I look through the windows of the tow truck, searching for the keys, and see them sitting on the seat.Good girl, I think.

I pull open the door and carefully lay her on the seat before sprinting to the driver's side. I know I should take her to the hospital but the closest one is over an hour away and I don't have that kind of time. The shitty truck heater is my only hope right now of getting any heat to her body. I flip it on high, fix all the vents in her direction, and start down the road, the tires digging into the mud and gravel. My teeth chatter until town comes into view and my jaw clenches hard enough to stop it. Determination burns in my veins as I fight through the weather to get her back to the compound.

I quickly peel into the parking lot on squealing tires and park. There's a group of prospects walking towards me with concerned looks and brows raised. I throw the door open and bolt to the other side of the truck. Wyatt pushes his way through to the front of the group with wide eyes and my heart flickers seeing the kid. "Go get Cole, West!"

"What happened?" He yells while jogging to the truck as I help Kadence out. His eyes go wide as he looks through the window, seeing her limp form. "Is that…?"

“Go, Wyatt. Now!” I bark and shift her body in my arms. Her groans dig deep under my skin. "I know, baby, you're okay, you're gonna be okay." I promise over and over again until Cole bursts through the door of the clubhouse with Dex and Blake on his heels.

“What the hell happened?!” Cole yells, his eyes going wide upon seeing her.

“She followed me to the bridge,” I mutter, pushing my way past Cole. “She needs the Doc.”

“She doesn’t need Lang, Nash. She needs a fuckin’ hospital,” Cole growls, following behind me. I hear a gasp come from Blake as we pass her and Dex.

“Open the fucking door, Cole!” I rumble turning to him. “She needs to get warm, the hospital’s too fucking far away!”

Cole glares at me, shaking his head and pulls open the door. “Take her to my room.”

“Fuck no,” I spit, moving into the clubhouse. I can hear the parade of footsteps behind me while moving down the hallway, pushing into the room I use whenever I stay here.

“Nash!” Cole’s voice echoes down the hallway after me.

I kick open the door to the bathroom and carefully set her in the tub. Ripping the shower curtain off the rod and tossing it aside, I lean over and turn on the water, making sure it isn’t too hot and just warm enough that it won’t send her further into shock.

“What the fuck happened?” Cole asks from behind me as the tub fills.

I push past him, tugging on the dresser drawers and tossing clothes onto the bed, not even sure what I'm pulling out. Anything at this point was better than the wet clothes we were both wearing. "Did you call Lang?"

“Dex is on the phone with him now. He’ll be here.” Cole moves back this time as I pass him and go back into the bathroom to kneel next to the tub and take her hands, rubbing them between my own. I push back the hair from her face. A whimper leaves her as she leans into my touch and her eyes flutter open again.

“You’re safe,” I whisper, trying to give her a comforting smile.

Kadence nods, her eyes flickering to Cole as she slips into the water a bit further. Her dress hugs her skin and I know I’m going to have to change her. It’s only in the light of the bathroom that I’m able to take in the full extent of the bruises and cuts on her body. Her arms are torn up from the fall, bruises tattoo her arms and her chin.

“Nash,” Cole pushes, “whathappened?”

I lean into her, pressing my lips to her forehead. “I’ll be right back,” I whisper against her skin before standing and shooting Cole a look that could kill.

It isn’t his fault. None of this is Cole’s fault. I have to remember that, but my anger needs somewhere to go. I walk back into the bedroom tearing off my shirt and grabbing one of the ones I tossed to the bed. “She followed me to the bridge.” I answer like it explains everything.

“You said that.”

“The bridge gave out and she fell into the water. I had–” I pause, sucking in a breath and squeezing my eyes closed as the image of her falling flickers in my mind. The terror on her face, the way she screamed my name. It would haunt me. “I had to go in after her,” I finally say.

“Why the fuck were you out there anyway? You were supposed to go to the club and bring her back here!” Cole's voice raises as I pull the shirt over my head and turn back to him.

“I did go to the club, Dex was–it looked like,” I mutter, shaking my head. I’m fucking stupid for thinking Dex had touched her that way. I saw it, but I saw it through a haze of red.

Cole shakes his head. “So you ran. Again.”

I stare at my best friend.Again. I’m tired of hearing the word. My gaze flickers to Kadence. “Yeah, and I feel like a fucking asshole for it, for all of it, so put away your high horse, O’Neil.”

---