Page 158 of Closer

My mother returns, her face grave. “She’s in surgery.”

I shoot to my feet. “Surgery? For what?”

“Internal bleeding. They’re trying to stop it.” She puts a hand on my arm. “What happened?”

“Dad told her.”

“About what, sweetie?”

“About the real reason her father is dead.”

“He what?” Her eyes widen.

“He blurted it out. In front of her,” I say. “She was so upset, she ran out into the street and—”

“Oh, Sebastian.” She pulls me into a hug, but I can’t relax. Can’t breathe.

“What if she doesn’t make it? What if the last thing she heard was that I killed her father?”

“She’ll make it. She’s strong.” My mother’s voice is firm, but I can see the worry in her eyes.

I slump, my head in my hands. “This is all my fault.”

“No, it’s not.” She sits beside me, rubbing my back. “Your father shouldn’t have said that. Not like that.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it?” My vision blurs with tears. “I killed him.”

“Sebastian, you were just a boy. You were protecting her.”

“She won’t see it that way.” My chest tightens, panic clawing at my throat. “She’ll hate me.”

“She could never hate you. She loves you.” Her words only twist the knife deeper.

“You don’t know that. You don’t know what she’ll think when she finds out the truth.”

“The truth is that you saved her life. That’s all that matters.”

I cover my eyes, trying to block out the harsh fluorescent lights, the beeping of machines, the murmur of voices.

But I can’t block out the image of Lil lying on the ground, blood pooling beneath her head.

Can’t block out the sound of her voice. I’m sorry.

The hours tick by. And it’s pure torture.

No updates. No Lil.

The doors to the waiting room burst open, and her brothers stride in.

“Where is she? Is she okay?” Levi’s eyes flicker over us in an assessing glance.

“She’s in surgery.” My mother stands and gives him a hug. “We don’t know anything yet.”

Landon’s gaze lands on me, his eyes narrowing. “What. Did. You. Do.”

I flinch, each word hitting me like a physical blow.

My mother steps between us. “This wasn’t Sebastian’s fault.”

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