Page 25 of Hot for Her
I knew I’d have nightmares about the sounds his mom made when she arrived and saw them putting his broken body into the ambulance.
After over an hour at the hospital, they still wouldn’t give us any real answers. Mrs. Echols asked if his condition was stable and they wouldn’t confirm. She asked about his vitals and they said a doctor would come speak to her shortly.
Though we couldn’t get any answers, we were bombarded with questions.
The police had shown up shortly after we’d arrived. They’d asked how long I’d known Drew, if I’d known who his plans had been with, and if he’d received any threats. Now, two uniformed police officers and Camille’s dad were questioning Drew’s mom incessantly, asking if she had any idea why anyone would do this to her son.
Does he have any enemies?
Just half the country.
Has he recently been in conflict with any of his classmates?
He was a passive aggressive smart ass, so yeah. Weekly.
Can you think of anyone in particular who would’ve had a grudge against him?
Anyone on the lacrosse team who knew his secret.
I’d told Aiden repeatedly to go home, that I was okay. But he hadn’t listened. He’d already brought me a coffee and some peanut butter crackers from a vending machine but I couldn’t stomach either.
Finally, around two in the morning, when the police were gone and the waiting area was quiet, Drew’s mom stepped over to me with red-rimmed eyes and a weary demeanor.
“Emersyn,” she said, sounding a hundred years old. “You should get home. It’s late. I’ll text you if anything changes.”
I swallowed the constricting lump in my throat. “I can stay. Really. I don’t mind.”
She placed her small, frail hand on my arm. “I know. And I appreciate that and Drew will too. But there’s no sense in worrying your mother to death. Go home. Get some rest. You can come back tomorrow.”
I didn’t speak for fear I’d cry, just nodded and made my way toward the exit doors. Aiden followed close behind and again, placed a guiding hand on my lower back. I appreciated the comfort but I felt so…numb.
Part of me wanted to flip out and become completely hysterical and outraged. I wanted to find whoever had done this and murder them with my bare hands. Immediately. But the entire ordeal made me feel weak. Helpless.
Much like how watching my mother deteriorate before my eyes made me feel.
Aiden seemed to sense that I wasn’t up for talking and made no attempts to initiate conversation. I’d put what had happened between us earlier so far in the back of my mind the moment I saw Drew, that I still hadn’t processed it.
Everything came crashing down on me at once.
My mom’s volatile temper.
Ethan disappearing at the carnival.
Aiden and I doing... all the things we’d done.
Drew. Beaten bloody and fighting for his life.
It weighed on me, each event another heavy cement block to carry, making walking into my house facing my possibly irate mother and having to tell her about Drew, paralyzed me completely.
I couldn’t imagine having to say the words out loud.
“I don’t want to go home,” I whispered once he’d gotten in and closed his door. “Not yet.”
I knew my mom would be home, probably sitting in the dark, seething.
With only a nod, Aiden reversed out of the parking lot and headed back toward his place. He didn’t ask for an explanation.
I sent my mom a quick message telling her I was staying at Camille’s tonight since Ethan was at a sleepover also. I didn’t wait for a reply before I put my phone away.
