Page 85 of Busted Dreams

We didn’t talk for the next hour. I didn’t even think I blinked. Time moved slow, as if every person around us had to wade through invisible sludge.

The nurse came and went. The doctor stopped in the room, then talked to Thatcher. The officer talked. Then, as if it was part of any normal night, the officer took Trinity away for booking. The nurses and hospital staff didn’t even blink twice.

“So drugs. A lot of them,” I mumbled.

“Enough for a trafficking charge.” Thatcher could barely get the words out.

“But the drugs weren’t hers,” I pointed out. They had been on the other girl. Literally. Inside her cargo pocket on her pants.

“But it was Trinity’s car.”

“Sir.” Another officer had arrived shortly after us. “I’m going to ask you and your party to leave.”

He was here to arrest Dixie Stapleton. The girl with Trinity. And they were asking us to leave so Thatcher didn’t make a scene. I touched his arm.

“You ready?”

“Yeah, I guess I’ll go back to my place. There’s nothing I can do until she sees a judge Monday morning.” He threaded his fingers through his hair, then pulled on it until it stuck up in all directions.

Beck stepped up to Thatcher and roped an arm around his shoulders. “This could be a good thing. As a first offender and a minor, she’ll probably get off with probation. It can be sealed at eighteen, and she needs a wake-up call. This could be it for her.”

“Better that wake-up call before she’s an adult,” Jonah chimed in. He was pale, his hand shaking slightly as he ran it through his hair. Did he see a missed future for himself if he hadn’t gotten away from Reaper?

Thatcher nodded, letting Beck turn him toward the hallway to lead us out of the hospital. “I just… I kept everything that happened with you a secret, Jonah.” He looked back toward the rest of us. “If I hadn’t, if I’d shared what you went through, maybe she wouldn’t have been stupid enough to continue messing around with this fucking girl.”

“Or maybe she would have,” Jonah said softly. “Sharing my secrets would have seemed unreal to her, like watching TV through a plastic bubble. Sometimes, we need to experience things for ourselves to learn.”

A few paramedics were headed right for us, running alongside a stretcher and calling out vital signs. We moved to the side, not wanting to be in the way, but I screamed when they passed us.

“That’s Rhys!” I broke away from them to follow after Rhys. How? When? Why?

“Ma’am, we’re going to ask you to stay back.” A nurse intercepted me and started herding me backward.

“I know him, he’s my boyfriend!” I could barely see past the tears streaming down my face as I pointed over her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, no one will be allowed in for a while. You can wait in the waiting area and check back in. Once he’s been cleared, you can see him.”

“Come on, Astrid.” Beck peeled me away from the nurse and led me to an open area on the other side of the desk with tons of chairs.

“Why is he here?” I let Beck pull me down to his lap as he murmured nonsensical words into my ear.

“I don’t know. We don’t know. But we’re going to find out.” Calming myself enough to sit up and wipe my eyes, I glanced at the others. Jonah was shell-shocked, sitting completely still beside me. If I tried to talk to him, he probably wouldn’t hear me. Thatcher sat across from us, and he looked absolutely heartbroken.

How did all of this come crashing down on our heads? Life had just started to take a turn for the better. It was like someone somewhere was laughing at how naïve we were to believe we were finally making progress.

Another hour went by. Then two. Then three. Only this time, each minute passed with agonizing slowness. It was after midnight now, and we still hadn’t heard anything.

I walked up to the desk for the tenth time, hoping he was fine and they were just being precautious.

“Excuse me. Can we visit Rhys Bennet yet?”

There must have been a shift change, because this nurse was new and too fresh faced not to have just come in.

“It looks like he’s awake and waiting for discharge. You can go see him, that room right over there.” She pointed to the corner room at the end of the hall.

“Awesome. Thank you so much!” I rushed out.

Grabbing the guys, we went straight to Rhys’ room. He was fiddling with the remote, a pensive look on his face.

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