“You have no idea,” I muttered as my mind kept racing. “So all of it was nonconsensual?”
“Rage inducing,” he corrected. “Not only was it nonconsensual, but she released the wrath of hell on him even though she’d already taken a pretty big hit to her skull. Like I said, I like her, and I don’t like very many people other than my family. The woman has some major fortitude and she’s gutsy. I certainly wouldn’t want to piss her off.”
I shook my head. “I’ve never seen Riley like that.”
“Thank God,” Noah drawled. “It was a little bit frightening.”
“Is she okay?” My heart was pounding out of my chest. I had to know that Riley wasn’t badly injured. “Tell me the truth.”
“I talked to Skye, and they’re keeping Riley overnight for observation. She has a concussion, but luckily, it didn’t break her skull. Skye told me she heard it crack against the wall.” As he finished speaking, Noah went to the fridge again and handed me another water. “Drink. You need to hydrate. You look like shit.”
I took a huge slug. “I need to get to Riley. What in the hell did I do, Noah? I just . . . left her. Easton was hurting her, and I just walked away.”
Nausea rose up in my throat, and I took another gulp of water to hold it back. I was starting to believe that Noah’s account was real. It had to be. And I felt like a bigger asshole than Easton at the moment.
How could I just . . . leave, when Riley had been hurt and in trouble?
“You didn’t know. And believe me, that woman can protect herself,” Noah said grimly. “Do not start beating yourself up over your reaction. Learn from it. If you’d stopped for just a moment, you would have realized that your thoughts made no sense. Riley hates Easton. Why in the hell would she be cuddling up to him again?”
To please her mother?
Hell, now that I was rational, even that excuse didn’t make sense.
I knew Riley.
I knew she was breaking away.
I knew she hated that life where everything was conditional.
“I fucked up,” I said hoarsely.
That woman can protect herself. That’s what Noah had just said. And yeah, I had no doubt that Riley could take care of herself, because she always had.
The thing was, I should have been there to help her. It was time that Riley knew that somebody would be there for her.
And I . . . hadn’t.
“Then fix it,” Noah suggested. “And don’t go off half-cocked next time. She doesn’t have any family in Citrus Beach. She’ll probably need some help until her brain is right again. Skye is more than willing to be there for her, and Aiden is, too. They’re both trying to talk Penny into going home, since she has school in the morning.”
“I’ll be taking care of her.” I couldn’t stand the thought of Riley ever thinking she was alone.
Noah smirked. “I thought you would be. If you could just pull your head out of your ass.”
Maybe I did hate myself for walking away from Riley when she needed me, but I wasn’t going to compound that mistake and ever do it again.
“Are you sure she’s okay?” I asked Noah again.
“When have I ever bullshitted you?” he asked.
“Never,” I admitted.
“Then take my word on this. She’s got one hell of a headache, and she’s a little fuzzy. But the doctor said she’d be fine. Keeping her overnight is precautionary, just to make sure she’s watched. They don’t expect any complications.”
I looked my older brother in the eyes. “She might end up hating me for being a jerk, but I’m not leaving her again.”
Noah shrugged. “I can’t say that I understand how you feel. I don’t get making a big deal out of any relationship with a female. But I think she’s worth caring about.”
“Way worth it,” I informed him emphatically. “I gotta get going. I want to get to the hospital as soon as possible.”
“Finish that water and please take a shower. If Riley isn’t nauseated already, she will be. You stink.”
All I really wanted to do was get to Riley, but Noah was right. For her sake, I needed to wash the stench off me.
“I’m on it,” I said as I jogged toward the stairs.
“Seth!” Noah hollered.
I stopped on the third step impatiently. “Yeah?”
“If she’s really pissed, get the girl a kitten,” Noah instructed. “It might soften her up.”
I looked at my brother like he was crazy. “What?”
“Riley has always wanted a cat. But her parents would never let her get one. It came up in a conversation I had with her today. She’s been meaning to get one, but she hasn’t gotten around to it yet. So if she’s really mad, get her a kitten. It might work,” he said, trying to sound unconcerned, when I knew he really wasn’t.
I shot him a grin. “Thanks for the tip.”
He shrugged. “What are brothers for?”
Without another word, I sprinted up the steps.
As I ran, I thought I heard Noah grumble, “I’ll just let myself out.”
CHAPTER 18
RILEY
I couldn’t say that I really wanted to see Seth when he walked through my door at the hospital.
Now that my brain was getting unscrambled, I was pretty damn mad that he made a snap judgment.
Although the worried look on his face made me cave just a little.
I’d grudgingly agreed to stay overnight in the hospital, not because I wanted to, but because it was the only thing that had made Penny leave to get back to San Diego for school the next day.
Aiden and Skye were still sitting at my bedside, and they both greeted Seth as he came through the door.
I wasn’t quite as cordial. “What do you want?” I mumbled as he stopped beside the bed.
He reached out and stroked my hair gently. “I know you’re pissed, Riley. And you have a right to be. I made a quick judgment—”
“Way too quick,” I answered.
Aiden and Skye stood up.
“I think we should go,” Aiden said.
“I was going to stay with Riley tonight,” Skye protested.
“I’m staying. I don’t plan on ever leaving this room tonight,” Seth said in a firm tone.
“Riley needs to be okay with that,” Skye insisted.
Oh, God. I really wanted to say I wasn’t okay with it, that I wanted Seth to go away. But then Skye would have to stay here all night because she thought somebody needed to be here with me. No amount of persuading was going to change her mind, even though the nurses had told her they’d watch me closely.
I smiled at her. “It’s fine. Go home. Thanks for being here for me.”
“Call me if you need anything,” she answered. “We’re so close that I can be back in a matter of minutes.”
Aiden took Skye’s hand and guided her out of the room.
Seth pulled up a chair so he could sit right next to the bed. “Listen to me, Riley. I know I fucked up—”
“You hurt me,” I told him bluntly. I was tired of always needing to say the right thing. I was learning that it was much easier to just state the whole truth.