“I definitely surprised myself,” I said, reaching for her arm. “Thank you, Ms. Gentry. I’m sorry I was such a pain in the beginning.”
She smiled softly. “Not a pain. Just a girl needing a bit of direction. And now, you’ve finished. Just the final ceremony to go.”
That was too kind of her. I’d been a snob about the competition and everything it contained. I could only hope I’d changed for the better. Still, that didn’t make what I had to say any easier.
“Please don’t hate me, but I have to go.” I glanced over at my shoulder to see Lexi and Beth watching me. Urgency thrummed through my body like an SOS signal. “My best friend in the world, he might be hurt. And I know he needs me. But I’m not sure if I’ll be back in time for the crowning ceremony. Is that okay?”
A small wave of shock passed over Ms. Gentry’s face, but to her credit, she recovered quickly. Her eyes searched me for a moment. I stared back at her, trying to mentally show her just how important this was. I couldn’t leave Hunter hanging. It didn’t matter what had happened between us, I needed to be there for him.
“Go,” Ms. Gentry said gently, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder. “I know you wouldn’t leave if you didn’t feel it was of the upmost importance. I hope that your friend is fine.”
I wrapped my arms around her thin waist and hugged her quickly. As I pulled away, I saw the surprise on her face morph into a pleased smile. She shooed me away with her hands and I ran after Lexi and Beth as we hurried toward the car.
The contest no longer mattered. Beating Sarah Claiborne felt like the plans of a child. The only thing that mattered was my best friend.
I could only pray that he was okay.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I’d never seen so many cop cars.
Those kids hadn’t been lying. Something big had gone down at Hunter’s house. Fear swept over me as Beth pulled into the drive. She hadn’t even put the car in park before I was out of the passenger side and sprinting toward the front door. This time, I didn’t wait to knock. I burst right into the living room, where Bree sat huddled on the couch, surrounded by four police officers in dark blue uniforms.
“Bree!”
I froze as all five people blinked up at me in surprise. Bree rubbed her hands over her face, looking more haggard and exhausted than I’d ever seen her. Her cheeks were splotchy and her eyes bloodshot, as if she’d been crying. I wasn’t sure what to do. My eyes trailed over to where the TV lay shattered on the floor and to the fist-sized hole in the drywall. The violence of it all sent terrifying tremors cascading down my body. Then, Bree held her arms out to me and I rushed her for a hug.
“Are you okay?” I asked, my voice muffled in her t-shirt. “What happened? Where’s Hunter?”
She released me from her crushing hug and sighed heavily. “I’m okay, baby girl. We just had an unwanted visitor this evening.”
I set my jaw and kneeled on the ground in front of her. “Was it Steven? Did he hurt you again?”
Her eyes widened for a mere second before she smiled sadly at me. “I guess I’m not surprised Hunter told you about that. Yeah, it was Steven. He was stinking drunk and mad as a hornet. He barged in just as we were trying to leave for the rodeo. He was horrible. Hunter protected me.”
Not a single ounce of me was surprised that Hunter had stood up for his mom. He was that kind of guy. Just as he had stood up for me at the sheep washing and again at the movie theater. He had a superhero complex, and it made me love him all the more.
I scanned the room, before my gaze returned to her face. “Where is he? Is he okay?”
“He’s taking a quiet moment in his room.” Bree nodded toward the hallway. “Go to him. I’m sure he’d want to see you.”
My boots scuffed on the hardwood floor as I hurried to my feet and rushed down the hall. Once again, knocking was not a concept I was patient enough to use. I pushed through the door to Hunter’s room, taking a step inside.
Hunter sat in a position on the edge of his bed that mirrored his mother’s on the couch. He was hunched over, his face in his hand. His red flannel shirt was half untucked and torn on the shoulder. My lungs sucked in a breath as he looked up from his hands and his hazel eyes landed on me. The tired lines around his mouth and eyes had aged him a decade. There was a white bandage on his temple and a cut on his lip. Still, he blinked in surprise, and began to stand.
“Don’t get up.” I rushed him, reaching for the bandage on his head. “What did he do to you? Where are you hurt?”
Seeing the red beginnings of a bruise on his cheek was making my heart pound harder. Anger seethed in my stomach. Steven had done this. That hulking, nasty excuse of a man had hurt my best friend. I wanted to put the cuffs on him myself. He’d hurt the sweetest boy in the world. He deserved to be behind bars. Forever.
“Charlotte, the EMTs already checked me out,” Hunter muttered as I tenderly ran my fingertips over his temples, searching for anything they’d missed. It wasn’t good enough. He could’ve had internal injuries.
“I think you should go to the hospital,” I said, turning his chin so I could see the bruise on his cheek better. “You could have a concussion. Or a brain bleed. I heard about a kid who hit his head during football and had an aneurysm. You never can be too careful, you know?”
He grabbed both of my hands with his and pulled them gently down from his face. “Char Char, I’m fine. I promise. It’s just a little bump.”
“But you don’t look fine.”
His lips curved into the slightest of a teasing grin. “Yeah, well, you should see the other guy.”