Page 96 of Always

I couldn’t fix my father.

And I couldn’t fix Addie that day.

And now that I have enough money to last ten lifetimes?

I still can’t fix things like this.

Money truly isn’t everything.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Dan and Carlotta Logan arrive in twenty minutes. They go straight to reception and don’t say anything to us. Not that I blame them. Their little girl is back there, and for all they know she may have OD’d.

Garrett Ramirez is not worth this. What hold does he have over Tessa?

A nurse comes out and talks to the Logans. Eventually, they make their way over to Skye and me.

I wait for Skye to acknowledge them. She doesn’t. Just as I’m about to, Tessa’s mother speaks.

“Hello, Skye,” Mrs. Logan says. “I’m so glad you found her.”

She still doesn’t speak.

I stand. “I’m Braden Black. How is Tessa?”

“She’s going to be okay,” Mrs. Logan says. “They’re pumping her stomach.”

It was drugs. Damn. I hate to be right.

“So soon?” I ask.

“It’s a preventive measure,” Mr. Logan says. “They won’t get her toxicology lab report back for an hour or so.”

I nod. “I see.”

“You two can go home,” Mr. Logan says. “We’ll call you when we know anything more, Skye.”

“Skye?” I ask.

“I want to stay,” she finally says.

“All right.” I return to my seat. “Is there anything I can do forany of you?”

“Some coffee would be nice,” Mrs. Logan says. “Thank you, Mr. Black.”

I take Skye’s hand and pull her out of her chair. Nothing in the hospital is open, of course, so we walk to a convenience store across the street where I grab two coffees.

“You want anything?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “I should be there.”

“They needed some time to deal with what they just found out.”

“Is that why you dragged me along?”

“That, and because you needed to get away.”

She doesn’t reply.

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