Page 23 of The Truths We Seek

She’s run her entire life. Either inside herself, or the last few years, quite literally.

“She doesn’t have anything to run from. I told her Trent isn’t a problem anymore.” Rory finally says as I shrug into my t-shirt, glad to finally be out of that fucking hospital gown.

I quirk a brow at him and shake my head. “Dude, I love you like family, but clue up. She isn’t going to run from Trent. If she’s blaming herself like I think she will be, then she’s going to run to protect us from her. You’ve spent time with her, I know you’ve seen it. That part of her that believes she’s broken. That she’s the problem. She had only just started to let that go and now this.”

“She still has the tracker in,” he says with a shrug and I roll my eyes. “She can run, but she can’t hide.”

Sometimes I wonder how he can be so in tune with her and this dense all at the same time. But there’s no point in arguing it out here. I just want to get home. Meyer and Quinn were supposed to be here too, but since Rory arrived alone, I’m guessing she’s worse than Rory is willing to tell me.

I get it, I could’ve died, but I didn’t. If they start treating me like I’m some precious piece of glass, I’m going to get real ruthless and do something stupid. There is no way in Hell I’m dealing with that.

Not when Quinn needs to be our focus.

Well, her and Trent.

“Have you checked on him?” Rory glances up at me from his seat when I ask the question. I don’t need to say who he is.

“I swung by there this morning before coming here. He’s alive. Even though he wishes he wasn’t. Still got a smart fucking mouth though. Well, he did to start.”

The sadistic smile on my friend’s face tells me he enjoyed his visit with Trent this morning. I’m not entirely sure why the asshole is even still breathing, but talking about much of anything in this hospital has been a challenge.

Which is the other reason I’m ready to get out of here. I feel like I have ants under my skin from being stuck in bed for so long. Too much is going on and I’m severely out of the loop. We had too much going on before Trent; shit that was precarious footing at best. Meyer will have a grasp on it all, but there’s only so much one person can do. If the talks with the Ghosts and Demons have gone sideways because of Trent… well, I’ll be paying him a visit all of my own.

Fuck me, I need out of here.

Stat.

I chuckle to myself for the stupid pun as Rob enters the room. “Ready to go I see.”

“I’ve been ready since I woke up from surgery and you know it.”

He shakes his head as he steps into the room, the door closing behind him. “I’ve got your discharge papers all filled out, you can go run free, but I don’t need to tell you to take it easy, right?”

Rory snorts a laugh from the sofa and I flip him the finger. “Taking it easy is relative. I’m fine.”

“You nearly died, Hunter. No one thinks you should be leaving, even if you bribed the doctor to tell you that you could leave when Quinn was here. This goes against all advice, so I need you to not be a fucking idiot.”

I grin at him and wink. “Me, an idiot? Never, Doc. I’m the goodest boy that ever lived.”

He rolls his eyes at me and shrugs. “Just don’t get yourself killed. I already saw what that looks like, I don’t want a repeat any time soon.”

I hold up my hand and make the Star Trek salute. “I swear.”

Humor probably isn’t the best route, but it’s all I’ve got. I’m not going to promise anything because I don’t know what’s been happening while I’ve been trapped in here. I don’t have any intention of landing myself back in the hospital, but if shit has hit the fan, I’m not about to ride the bench.

The door opens again and it’s like a lightning bolt straight to my chest.

My girl.

“You came.” The smile on my face is so wide at seeing her it almost hurts. I open my arms and she barrels right into them. My hold on her is tight enough to crush her, even with my injuries. I kiss the top of her head, breathing her in before looking up to Meyer.

He shakes his head, answering my silent question in an instant.

She’s not doing well, which is to be expected. Tommy was her safe harbor in an otherwise torturous world. Maybe the only stability she knew in this world before us, and well… it’s not like life hasn’t been rocky since she met us. She stayed in touch with Tommy the entire time.

He was the dad she always deserved, and now the monster from her nightmares took that from her.

“Are you okay?” I murmur to her as the others leave the room, trying not to wince as she clings to me. She’s worth the pain that comes with the embrace, and I’d live and die for her every day if that’s what she needed.

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