Page 119 of The Forbidden
“What happened?” I wince, sucking in a breath as a burning pain flares in my thigh.
Peeling back the covers, I eye the white bandage wrapped tightly around my leg. And then it all comes back to me. Every last horrifying second plays in my mind like a movie reel.
“Jarrod,” I gasp, my eyes darting to Evan.
He grips my hands tighter, his lips forming a straight line. He nods. “He’s been arrested.” The deadly look in Evan’s blue eyes tells me Jarrod won’t be getting out anytime soon. He runs a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “Why did you jump in front of me, Anais? I’m meant to protect you, not the other way around.” The pain in his voice breaks something inside me.
That image of Jarrod lunging at Evan with that knife, the fear I felt, the unhinged look in Jarrod’s eyes, will stay with me forever. I would never let him get hurt. Not if I could stop it. All I knew in that moment was I needed to do something.
“He was going to stab you. I had to stop him.” My voice trembles.
Evan’s jaw tightens, anger flashes in his eyes. But it’s not directed at me. “You will never do that again. Ever. Do you understand me?”
I nod, the lump in my throat preventing me from speaking.
“Evan, I don’t think now is the time to have this conversation.” Elena interjects gently, her gaze soft as it meets mine. I give her a grateful smile. She’s right. Now is not the time. I understand his fear, but I don’t need his frustration or disapproval right now.
My mother steps up, fussing around me, her eyes red and swollen from crying. The sight makes my chest crack even more, that small fissure inside me widening. Guilt eats at me. I hate that I’ve caused so much worry. Mom hands me a cup of water, and I chug it down, desperate to relieve the dryness in my throat.
“Honey, can you tell us why… Jarrod? … would do something like this?” Mom asks tentatively.
“Yes,” my father adds, barely restraining the anger in his voice. “Why would a classmate attack you, Anais?”
I play with a loose piece of thread on the cover, unsure where to begin. It seems somewhere along the line, Jarrod caught feelings for me, and instead of talking to me about it in a healthy way, he let them develop into something more sinister.
“She’s mine,”he’d growled, as he charged at Evan with that knife. The memory makes me flinch.
Emotion tightens my throat, and I swallow it down. I need to explain everything. Taking a deep breath, I glance around, meeting the expectant faces of the people who love me. They’re looking for answers, and I need to tell the truth. Even if I hate reliving it.
Maybe if I’d told someone about the incident in the elevator none of this would’ve happened. Maybe I wouldn’t be here, in this hospital bed with a knife wound in my thigh. Anxiety claws at my skin, thick and unsettling. The guilt is suffocating. This is all my fault. I could’ve prevented this. I could’ve –
All the anxiety falls away when familiar hands cup my face, settling me. I meet Evan’s eyes, soft and soothing, allowing them to ground me. His lips quirk up into a half smile as he rubs pacifying strokes across my cheeks, lower, until his thumb rests on the pulse point in my neck. His way of checking my panic level. He smirks. Bastard knows exactly how to calm me when I spin out.
“Inhale. Exhale. I’ve got you, baby. You’re safe,” he murmurs, not an ounce of embarrassment considering we have an audience. Not that I would expect Evan Maxwell to ever feel that way. He’s never been one to care about what anyone else thinks.
I suck in a breath before slowly releasing it, my gaze shifting over his shoulder to my brother who looks… perplexed, as he watches this all play out. I shoot him a weak smile which he returns with a frown.
“Good girl,” Evan mutters, bringing my eyes back to his as he strokes my pulse point and hands me another cup of water.
My body relaxes. My mind slows. A heavy cloud of exhaustion settles over me. Honestly, I want to sleep. But I can’t. Not yet.
I need to tell my parents everything.
Handing the cup back to Evan, I get comfortable and start from the beginning. I tell them about the elevator incident. My father in particular is furious that I kept that quiet, but I soldier on, ignoring his disappointment. I tell them about theodd feeling of being watched. Of someone following me. The unsettling feeling of someone having been in my apartment. And lastly, the strange encounter during my run.
By the time I’m done, my dad, brother and Evan all look ready to lecture me on the importance of safety. But fortunately for me, they sense my fatigue, and all quietly agree to discuss it with me another day. I feel like a damn child.
Instead of focusing on the what if’s, I settle back onto my pillow, the soft hum of my family and friends’ chatter making me relax. It’s enough to send me to sleep.
And with Evan’s hand wrapped protectively around mine, I do just that.
After spending two days in the hospital, including giving my statement to the police, I’m finally discharged. But instead of going home, I’m going to Evan’s penthouse. Much to my parents’ annoyance, he insisted I move in with him to recover. And honestly, I didn’t argue. I wanted to go home with him.
Evan never left my side the entire time I was at the hospital, not even to get a change of clothes. Once it became clear that he wouldn’t be going anywhere without me, Elena stopped by his penthouse and packed him a small bag of clothes and essentials to bring by the hospital.
Now I’m here in his arms, being carried bridal style through his apartment and to his bedroom, as my mother trails behind us. Judging by the tight set of Evan’s jaw, the frequent eye rolls, and mumbling curses under his breath, I can tell he is growing increasingly exasperated with her.
My man doesnotlike being told what to do.
