Page 93 of Reckless

“Is he awake?” Chloe’s voice was frantic.

“Are you okay?” I managed to ask her.

“Yes.”

“Go home.”

“I can’t leave you like that.”

The pain in her voice was so raw, it made me want to die right there on the spot. This for sure reminded her of the night Liam was born. I never got the courage to ask her, but I assumed that was the worst night of her life.

“Make her go,” I said to Kieran. He pulled her to the side. They talked for a while.

Then I heard her say, “Call me later. To tell me how he’s doing.”

“Sure,” he agreed immediately.

When Chloe finally left, Kieran sat on a chair right next to me and said. “Everything changed tonight, Hartley. Decisions must be made.”

***

I woke up in a dark room. A needle penetrated my skin. I slowly turned around to the person standing over me, taking blood from my vein, and the whole world spun. I closed my eyes again and tried to fight the urge to vomit.

“You have a concussion and three cracked ribs,” a voice I didn’t recognize explained. “You were out for almost two days, in case you are wondering.”

“Where…” I tried to speak but my throat was so dry, I couldn’t continue my sentence.

“Kieran brought you here.” I opened my eyes again and I focused on the man’s face. “I am a doctor and you are in my home.” He offered me a glass with a straw. “Just a little sip.” I followed his advice. My chest burned with pain. “Rest now,” he said as I fell into slumber.

The next time I woke up, my head felt better. I remembered everything that happened. Sitting up in bed, the pain of the cracked ribs knocked the wind out of me. I looked around. No phone.

It took me a few minutes to get out of the bed. Once I managed to do it, I walked over to the door and opened it. The light that came from the other side blinded me.

I squeezed my eyes shut. The image of Hannah crying and yelling at me to leave her alone assaulted my brain. How long had I been here? Did she know what happened after she left? I remember that man told me I was here for two days, but how much more time had passed?

I had to find my phone and check up on Chloe and Liam. Kieran too. How much the police knew about my illegal activities? Then if by any chance I wasn’t arrested, I had to take something for my headache, sit down and think about how to get Hannah back.

I forced my eyes to open and walked down the hallway. I heard muffled voices in the end of it.

“Are you safe?” Someone asked.

“No. Not going to be for a while,” Kieran said.

“What are you going to do?”

“You know what I have to do. I have to regain control.”

“That’s not what you wanted to do with your life.”

“If I don’t do it, none of us will have a life.”

I found them behind a corner, standing by a door.

“Look who crawled out of bed,” Kieran said, cutting off his conversation with the doctor. He looked tired and bedraggled. Like hadn’t slept or showered in days.

“What the fuck happened? Where is my phone?”

“A little thank you for saving your life would be nice.”

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