Beautifully Hurt (Beautifully Broken)

Standing up, my eyes lock on Jason’s. From the red rims around his eyes and how pale my friend is, I can only guess he’s already found out about Katie. I walk closer, and wrapping my arms around him, I whisper, “I’m so fucking sorry.”

Jason instantly breaks down, and I take his full weight as his legs give out. I crouch down until he’s kneeling and just continue to hold my friend, his grief palpable in the air.

Mom kneels behind Jason and rubs her hand up and down his back. Her eyes meet mine, and it takes everything I have to hold back the tears.

I clench my teeth and close my eyes at the raw pain seeping from Jason, echoing through me.

I can’t fucking believe this happened.

In one night, we lost the Conley family and Quinn’s fighting for her life in surgery.

Jason manages to take a couple of deep breaths and somehow finds the strength to gather himself.

Just then, one of the deputies, Cade, walks into the waiting room. He glances over us, then shakes his head, visibly shaken by the horror that’s struck our town.

I help Jason to a chair, and Mom sits down next to him, taking his hand.

Dad comes to stand at my side as I turn to face Cade.

He shakes his head again. “Sorry to do this now, Eli. I need to get as much information as possible so we can catch the bastards.”

“I understand.”

We move to the other side of the room, then Cade asks, “Can you tell me what happened?”

“I dropped Quinn off at the Conleys. They were going to celebrate Katie’s…” my voice disappears as the image of Katie flits through my mind. I suck in a breath from the punch it delivers to my gut and hold up my hand as I try to breathe through it.

Dad places his hand on my back for support.

I gather myself, then continue, “I got a call from Quinn. I don’t know how many there were. I heard a guy saying something about Quinn. There was a gun–”

Cade interrupts me. “What did the guy say?”

I have to force the words from me, my voice strained. “That it wouldn’t have killed her to put out.”

“Then what did you hear?” Cade asks.

“A gunshot.” I do my best to focus on the details, and having experience with weapons, I add, “It sounded like a point forty-five caliber.”

“We’ll be able to tell when we have the bullets,” Cade says. “What happened then?”

“There was another guy. He said Quinn called someone, and they had to get out. It was followed by another gunshot, and then it was quiet.”

“What did you do?”

I gesture at Dad. “I called my father while driving to the Conleys. When I got there, I entered through the front door. I saw the Conleys… I found Quinn in one of the bedrooms.”

Cade holds his hand up to stop me. “Back up. Did you touch anything?”

I nod, and swallowing hard, I admit, “Katie. I closed her eyes.”

A strangled sound from Jason yanks my attention to him, and I watch as Mom wraps her arms around him.

“Eli,” Cade says to draw my gaze back to him. “Did you touch anything else?”

I shake my head. “Only Quinn.”

“Where did you find her?”

The questions keep coming, and at some point, I find myself repeating everything.

And all the while, I can’t stop worrying if Quinn’s okay.

I wish I could rewind the night and just keep her safe with me.

“Do you have any idea who the attackers are?” Dad asks Cade, yanking me out of my thoughts.

Cade shakes his head. “But we’re on it. We won’t rest until the bastards are behind bars.”

Jason stands up, and walking out of the door, he mutters, “A lot of good that’ll do. It won’t bring Katie back.”

Ethan goes after Jason, and I let out an exhausted sigh.

Then Cade says, “I’ll be in touch. We might have more questions.”

I watch as he leaves then Dad pushes me down in a chair. Mom comes to sit next to me, wrapping me up in her arms. “I know you’re in shock right now, but it will be okay.”

I pull back, locking eyes with Mom. “Will it? Really? Quinn’s been shot twice. She’s… she’s… Katie’s death is going to break her.”

Mom lifts her hands, framing my face, and then she looks at me with so much strength it makes me feel stronger. “Quinn will get through this. We’ll all be there to help her.”

I shake my head. “How do you get through something like this, Mom?”

“You just do because there’s no other option.” Mom’s features tighten. “I had to deal with something when I wasn’t much older than Quinn. It takes time, but you heal, Eli. Quinn will hurt a lot, but she’ll survive.”

Only then does my worst fear flit through my mind. “What if she doesn’t make it?” My voice turns hoarse from the dread. “What if I lose Quinn?”