Page 45 of What Comes After

“From what I understand at this point, yes,” she confirmed.

The idea that anyone could have assaulted her was bad enough, but to know that she’d suffered a beating from more than one adult male was devastating. No wonder they weren’t sure if she’d survive.

“Theo, there’s more.”

All I felt was devastation and despair. I didn’t think I could handle anything else. But this was about Devyn, and I needed to know everything. “What else is there?” I asked.

“She wasn’t alone.”

“What?”

“Devyn wasn’t the only person who was attacked last night. She had been at the theater with her boyfriend.”

My eyes narrowed. “Is he responsible? Did he do this to her?”

The silence stretched between us as my mom’s eyes stared into mine. Eventually, she revealed, “He was beaten, too. His injuries are even worse, and while the doctors won’t give me any details on the specifics of his condition, they did let something slip when they were telling me about Devyn.”

“Which is?”

“They mentioned that while she wasn’t in the clear just yet, she was at least far better off than he was. Evidently, he’s in a coma, on a vent, and has suffered a traumatic brain injury. If it looks bad for Devyn, it’s even worse for him.”

Damn.

It pained me to think about Devyn having a boyfriend at all. That had been a source of contention for me for years now, but this wasn’t the time to worry about my own feelings.

I had to consider what things were going to be like for Devyn when she got through this, when she woke up—I refused to believe that wouldn’t be the case.

Her recovery. Her care. Her emotional well-being.

“Is there anything else I need to know?” I asked my mom.

“You know everything I do now.”

For several beats, we stared at one another. “I need to go back up there to be with her.”

She nodded her understanding and said, “Go. I’ll stay here for a bit and give you some time alone with her. And I think I’ll give your father a call to see what, if anything, he’s learned about this whole mess.

“Alright.”

Though I should have stood up and walked out of the cafeteria, I didn’t. Something held me firmly in the seat across from my mom. It wasn’t until she spoke again that I realized what it was.

“She’s going to get through this, Theo. One way or another, she’s got to get through this. We can’t lose her, so you need to go up there. You need to be with her. And you need to make sure she knows that you’re here for her.”

That was it.

I needed not only the reassurance, but also the guidance my mom offered.

Because even though I might have known deep down that I’d have done everything she was saying, it was likely I would have allowed my emotions over the situation to get the best of me. Despair might have consumed me, and instead of pouring my energy into something positive—encouraging Devyn to heal and make her way back to me—I might have walked out of the hospital in search of the men responsible for putting her here.

With that, I stood, took a step forward, and bent to give my mom a kiss on the cheek. Then I walked out of the cafeteria and back toward the elevator, not caring about the looks or stares I’d gotten from the people who must have recognized me.

Minutes later, I was back in Devyn’s room.

No matter what it took, I was going to see her through this.

Until she was whole and healed again, nothing else in my life mattered. Then again, I had a feeling that even after she healed, Devyn was still going to be the only important thing in my life.

TEN

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