Page 56 of Casper
“Come on, Casper. You can do this. For me.” Luna held tight to me, refusing to let go.
Finally, we emerged from the house. I didn’t think we would get to the car. We didn’t have that kind of time. Knowing the explosive would blow any second, I pushed her to the ground beneath me at the edge of the yard, covering her with my body.
Then it happened. An explosion that shook the entire house. The worst of it had been contained to the basement. Still, the upper floor sustained some damage. Pieces of siding, roof shingles, and various chunks of debris rained down on us. Something slammed into my back, knocking what little breath I had left from my lungs.
I didn’t care. As long as Luna was safe.
Knowing that it was over meant no longer having to fight the pain ripping through my insides. I had no idea how bad it was, but I knew it wasn’t good. The world began to fade away. Vaguely I was aware of Luna shoving me off her, frantically calling my name.
Then I was gone.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
LUNA
I made the call to 911 before stashing Casper’s gun in the trunk of his car, shoving it down under the spare tire. Then I returned to his side, doing my best to rouse him while waiting for the ambulance. Try as I might to stop the bleeding from his bullet wound, it continued to seep through his shirt.
Tears spilled down my face as I prayed for the ambulance to hurry up. This was all my fault. I’d been worried about Casper’s lifestyle endangering him. Instead, it had been my past that came back to kill him. If I lost him now, I would never be able to live with myself.
Finally, the ambulance arrived, along with police and the fire department. We were both taken to the hospital. I knew eventually the police would have questions. I would do my best to tell them the truth without sharing more than they needed to know.
Being separated from Casper hurt more than anything else that had happened so far that night. I heard the paramedics say something about surgery as they rushed him down the hall.
I was taken to a different part of the emergency room where I waited for a doctor to see me. It seemed to take forever. Since I wasn’t hurt as badly as Casper, I wasn’t as high onthe priority list. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to be anywhere but by his side.
When a nurse came in to talk to me, she looked me over, taking notes for the doctor. When she asked if I’d been sexually assaulted, I bit my lip. There had been no physical damage from what Jace had done. All of that had been mental. There was nothing she could do to help me.
“I understand that it’s a sensitive subject,” the nurse said. “We have someone you can speak with if you’d like. It’s better not to keep it bottled up.”
“Maybe later. I just want to get out of here and go see Casper.” Right now all I wanted to do was bury what Jace had done to me. Maybe the time would come when I would need to talk about it. That time was not now.
The nurse tried again to encourage me to talk to someone, promising it would be private and confidential. Again I thanked her but refused. Her sympathetic expression only made me feel worse about it.
After what felt like hours a doctor came in and checked me over. I had several cuts and bruises. Nothing serious. No signs of head trauma of any kind. I was given prescriptions for pain and anxiety and released.
I refused to leave the hospital until I knew Casper was all right. All they would tell me was that he’d been taken into surgery. When I’d managed to clear my head enough to think straight, I called Codie. She and the other Kings came right away.
As soon as I saw her, I fell apart all over again. Bursting into tears. Putting an arm around me, she led me away from the guys and outside for some air.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” she asked gently. “You don’t have to if you’re not ready to talk about it. I’m here for you no matter what.”
We sat on a bench near the entryway. For a long time I sucked in the cold night air. Although I didn’t want to talk to anyone from the hospital, I felt comfortable telling Codie everything. She listened, letting me go at my own pace. I didn’t leave anything out.
“Jesus, Luna, I’m so sorry. That never should’ve happened to you.” She held my hand in hers, offering her support and strength.
“It’s not the first time. Jace had been forceful before. I only wish Casper hadn’t seen it.” I stared off across the parking lot, watching a woman chain-smoke in a gray SUV. “I can’t lose him now. What will I do if he doesn’t pull through?”
“You can’t think like that. I know you’re afraid, but Casper needs you to be strong right now. He has so much to fight for. He’s not going to leave you.” Codie did her best to reassure me. I appreciated her efforts.
My tears had dried up. I wasn’t sure I had any left. All I could do was stare forlornly into the dark, watching as that woman pulled another cigarette from her pack. I wondered what had her smoking like a chimney. Stressing the fuck out.
“Do you want me to take you home to change? Are you hungry or thirsty?” The concern in Codie’s hazel eyes made me grateful for her friendship.
“Actually, yeah, I could use some water and a change of clothes. It sounds like Casper will be in surgery for a while.” I accepted the hand she offered. Together we walked to Stray’s Mustang. Codie pulled out the keys, waiting for me to buckle my seatbelt before driving away.
At my dorm I went through the motions of a shower, staring at my bruised and battered face in the mirror before pulling on a cozy pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. I grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge, ready to head back to the hospital.
“Do you want to hit up a late night drive-through on the way? Grab a veggie burger or something?” Watching as I struggled to tie my hair back into a braid, Codie took the hair tie from my hand and took over.
