She kissed me back, her passion, her touch were too much for me. I unbuttoned her shirt and she did the same for me. We kissed, panted with want. I slid my hand inside her shirt along her rib cage and felt her shudder.
“Please, Brody,” she said into my mouth, galvanizing me. I worked on her belt, clumsy with desire.
A phone rang. I swore and then went back to kissing her. She tore her mouth from mine and went for her phone, her shirt hanging open. I stared after her, drunk with need.
23
Laura
Part of me wanted to kill whoever was calling me. But somewhere in my brain that ring registered as the one I used for my mom’s calls. I answered. She was crying, talking fast, so hard to understand.
“Slow down,” I said.
“He won’t wake up!”
I got a few more words out of her and then hung up.
“She went to check on Dad and he’s unresponsive. Mom and Damon are following the ambulance. I’m going to Damon’s to pick up some stuff for my mom. She wanted some clothes and her book—we don’t know how long they’ll be there.”
I darted into the guest room and changed into leggings and a t-shirt. I grabbed a hoodie so I’d have pockets for my keys and phone. I looked around, wondering what else I might need. I shook my head, wondering if my dad was going to make it, if by the time I had my mom’s stuff together and got to the hospital, it would be too late.
When I came out of the room, Brody was right there, waiting on me. He reached for me.
“Let me take you,” he said, his hand on my arm. I shook my head. I shook my head, frantic to be gone.
“No. Just—go wait with Damon. He’s gonna be scared and trying to help Mom. They need you there.”
“Laura—”
“Go. For me. Please. I can’t waste time arguing with you when my dad is—” I broke off and grabbed my keys.
I’d just gotten my car back that afternoon, and this was the first trip it would be making—to grab stuff for my mom and go to the hospital. This car was fucking bad luck, I was starting to think.
I was at the door when Brody swamped me from behind, hugged me hard. “I’ll be at the hospital waiting for you. It’s gonna be okay. I can’t promise your dad will be okay, but you don’t have to do any of this alone. I’m here.”
I wrapped my arms around his and leaned back in his chest for a second, wishing I could stay there forever, his strong arms around me, his broad, muscled chest behind me. I felt so protected, and it felt so right. He kissed the top of my head, “I’ll meet you there, darlin’,” he said.
I opened my vandalized driver’s door and slid into the seat and I drove to Damon’s house. I ran around, aimless and muttering to myself, until I had the stuff together for my mom. I even took a fleece blanket off the back of Damon’s couch because I knew she’d be cold waiting around in a hospital. I rolled it up and shoved it in her tote bag which was bulging because I’d stuffed in some snacks and her electrolyte water she liked as well. My mom deserved better than bitter hospital coffee in a paper cup—better than a life of fighting off death from her husband’s door and having to depend on her kids to even get a damn break. I blinked back the burning in my eyes. I could do more to help her, spend more time with her.
I dropped the keys while I was trying to lock Damon’s house back up. I was clumsy and distracted. Bending over to pick them up, I noticed the feeling too late, the prickle on my neck, the sense of wrongness, of somebody near me. I whipped my head around. A man was looming over me, too close, a cloth in his hand. I struck out with the heel of my hand, crouched as I was, and got him right below his kneecap. It wasn’t enough to stop him, but it would hurt. I rolled sideways instead of getting to my feet.
I kicked out with my legs as he reached me. Instead of trying to scrabble away, I was going to fight. No fucking way was I going to let this dude just carry me off. He feinted to the side so I struck his shoulder and jaw instead of his chest. Desperate, I reached in my pocket, punched the emergency call button on my phone and then threw it at his face as hard as I could. He gave a shout, and I rolled away and tried to get to my feet to run.