Page 16 of Love Me Steadfast
Morgan shakes her head. “Not yet.”
Right. After her twenty-four hour hold in lockdown for stabilization, she was admitted to Jackson’s inpatient program just yesterday, so the past three days have been a marathon of sharing excruciatingly personal details with strangers, hours of waiting, and assessments, maybe even some detox though that is confidential. I wince just thinking about it.
I slip the bagel folded up in the white paper bag from my purse, and her eyes light up. “Thank you.”
“Recovery is hard work,” I say with a wink.
She gives me a slow nod, and the tension in my chest eases a little.
“You need me to get some of your things?”
“Would you? I didn’t, um, know I’d end up…” She doesn’t finish, but she doesn’t have to. She likely had been holding it together for weeks, until she couldn’t, and it all came crashing down. Just like last time. I want to ask what triggered this, but it’s too soon.
“Jesse offered,but…” She shrugs.
I hide my surprise with a warm smile—Jesse’s a family friend, but I had no idea he and my sister had become close. “Sure. I’ll pack you a bag. Anything in particular I should get?”
She shakes her head. That she’s not asking for her guitar brings a hard, cold ache deep to my core.
“I wish you could bring Misty and Mav,” she says.
I lean over and kiss her on the temple. “You’ll be back home soon enough.”
A tear skids down her cheek but she swipes it away and gives me a brave smile. “Yeah.”
“How are things at The Limelight? You and Dad need help?”
She blinks and turns away from me. “So, about that.”
Chapter Six
CHARLOTTE (NOW)
Gripping the wheel,I accelerate down the long straightaway, not realizing I’m speeding until a cop car with flashing lights fills my rearview.
“Shit.”
My already imploding stomach crash-lands at my feet. I flip on my turn signal and steer to the shoulder, the road grit crackling under my tires. Once I’m parked, I take one slow breath, my eyes closed, then let it out.
Behind me, the tall, dark-haired deputy steps from his silver SUV and approaches, his head cocked and one hand on his hip. Relief ebbs through me—it’s Zach Hayes.
Zach’s stern expression softens when he gets to my lowered window. He and Will have the same intense blue eyes framed by dark lashes. “Charlie?”
“Hey, Zach.”
His eyes shine with kindness. So he knows about Morgan and why I’m here. Was Zach at Thunder Mountain with the firefighters and medics? Or did he hear about it through the Finn River EMS grapevine? I hope it’s not the latter. That won’t help Morgan.
“When did you get in?” he asks.
“Last night.”
He nods.
“Sorry about the speeding,” I say as a car whizzes by, sending a pulse of warm, asphalt-scented air into my face.
“How’s Morgan?”
“Safe,” I reply. As much as I hate that my sister is stuck inside those walls, she can’t hurt herself. “How’s your family?”
