Page 149 of Of Flesh & Bone

CHAPTER 51

Adam

Idon't know how theydo it, but Eli and Vaughn are at the police station by 2:30 the next morning.I know this because Eli calls me to let me know he's there and that he will take care of Eve.Cal and I are taken to the emergency department at St.David's Medical Center.Cal is taken into surgery immediately and they come for me shortly after.

Cotton and Ace were escorted to the police station to give statements and now they're both here.Eve is still there.She's likely having to give an account of her life and what that man did to her.I should be there with her.Cotton told her to make no mention of the basement killings and to say that he stabbed the second guy and her dad's injuries occurred in their struggle.She said nothing.She didn't even look at him when he spoke, and she won't go near me.I would've left her no choice, but the cops were everywhere, and I didn't want more questions than necessary.

Ace still has Eve's phone and Eli said she still isn't speaking much yet, even to him and Vaughn, so I have no idea what's going through her head.I have no idea why she looked so defeated.

I stopped Cotton from going after her father with her even though it killed me to do it.I knew that she needed to do this for herself.I knew that she could do it, but it still terrified me that something could go wrong.My heart nearly pounded out of my chest, but I stayed at the end of the hall waiting and listening for a moment that she might need me, but she never made a sound.It was only his screams that I heard.

My phone rings and I look down to see that it's Eli.

"Hey, do you have her?"

"Yeah.We have her."

He sounds different.Strange even.

"Let me talk to her."

"I'm sorry, Adam.I can't.She's not ready yet."

"Not ready yet?Put her on the fucking phone Eli."

"She doesn't want to talk....to anyone.We're taking her home, ok.Just focus on recovery for now."

"Fuck recovery.Bring her to me."

"I can't do that, Adam.I'm sorry, man.I really am."He disconnects the call and my heart aches.What is happening?We won.Didn't we?

I try to refuse when the doctor wants to keep me overnight, but Ace threatens to call our parents if I leave the hospital against medical advice, so I stay.Our parents coming here adds a whole new complicated element to an already convoluted situation.

I call Eli multiple times and still never get to speak with Eve.I try to get Ace to go over there and talk to her, but the only time she will leave my side is to swap rooms with Cotton so she can sit with Cal.Cotton refuses to leave for the same reason.They're the only two people I know, apart from Cal and myself, who have a chance in hell at getting through to Eve.

The next 24 hours are torture as I wait to be released from the hospital.When the doctor comes into my room, he tells me that he would like to keep me for one more day of observation.I waste no time in elucidating for him that I will be leaving today and that I would like to have his blessing in my exit, but I don't need it.We come to an agreement that I'll use crutches for the next 72 hours, refrain from driving for two weeks, and avoid stairs.This is, of course, a lie because I will be ascending the stairs to Vaughn and Eli's apartment as soon as Cotton's SUV can get me there.

I leave Cotton and Ace to look after Cal.Cal lost a lot more blood than I did and there was some pretty serious damage to his shoulder, so his hospital stay will last at least several more days.I'm not sure what this means for his football career long-term, but I know that his senior season is over.

I'm pounding on the apartment door within 10 minutes of leaving the hospital.Vaughn answers the door and she's not at all surprised to see me.Using the crutches as promised, I walk into the apartment."Where is she?"Eli steps out of the kitchen, looking at me with sympathetic eyes."Don't look at me like that.Where is she?"

Eli says nothing and looks to Vaughn."Adam, if you could just give her some time.She's been through a lot, and she doesn't want to see anyone right now."

I ignore her and start for Eve's door."Adam, she-"

Her words are cut off and I hear Eli say, "She's tougher than you give her credit for.Let's let them work this one out on their own."I'm not sure when Eli became an Adam advocate, but I could get used to it.

I open the bedroom door without knocking and I don't see her.There's a large open duffle bag on her bed and a closed suitcase on the floor.The bed has been stripped and the room feels....empty.Eve steps out of the closet.Her hands are full of clothes, the few things she hadn't yet taken home, and she stops when she sees me.Her expression doesn't change.So, we're back to this.This unaffected mask that she used to be so fond of.

She's the first to break eye contact when she looks away to drop the clothing into her bag."I guess this means you're ready to come home then."

She stills like she's surprised by my words and isn't sure how to respond.She recovers quickly, however and says, "I'm leaving Austin."

Her words are like a thousand volts to my heart.They're like a knife to my lungs.I can't breathe.This hurts so much worse than that bullet did.She said she'd never leave again and now she's standing here telling me she's changed her mind.What could be this bad?Why would she want to leave not just me but everyone?Eli, Vaughn, Ace, Cotton, and Cal.They'll all be devastated if she leaves.We're family.

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