One-Eighty (Westover Prep 1)

“Can I see her?”

She nods, turning without a word and walks toward the elevator bank.

“Devin doesn’t want you here, but he went back to the office for a little bit. You’ll need to be gone before he returns.”

I nod in understanding. If I were Dr. Schofield, I wouldn’t want my amazing daughter near a man like me either.

“What was wrong with her?” I ask.

“She had a subdural hematoma,” she says, but that just makes me stare at her harder in confusion. “She had a small brain bleed.”

“From the accident?” Her lip twitches, and I can tell she’s mad at me, too.

“Yes. They got it under control with medicine.”

“I won’t be long,” I promise when she points me toward a door. “I only need to say goodbye.”

My throat burns with tears, with hatred for myself, with pity I shouldn’t be allowed to feel when I step inside and see her small body in the hospital bed.

My feet feel like stones, my legs infused with lead as I walk closer. I’ve lost my memories, a blessing and a tragedy all rolled into one, but it’s what I have to do now that is going to destroy me.

This is the coward’s way out. Asking for forgiveness doesn’t even enter into my head because I don’t deserve it. I never did.

Insisting such from her was just another thing I need to atone for.

I clasp her hand between mine, the warmth of her skin assuring me that she’s going to be okay. I whisper that I love her, and it’s because of this love that I have to walk away.Chapter 36Piper“I said I’m fine.” I swipe at my mother’s hands as she once again straightens my covers.

“You’re in the hospital for the second time this summer,” she huffs as she drops her hands to her sides. “I don’t think there’s anything fine about that.”

“I don’t even have a headache,” I mumble. “When do I get to go home?”

I do my best to ignore my silent phone, but even though it’s not ringing or sounding out alerts for texts, it has had all my focus since I woke up a couple of hours ago.

This hospital visit is different from the last one. I’m not covered with aches and pains. I’m not worried that I killed someone. I’m only concerned with why Dalton hasn’t answered when I called and hasn’t once responded to one of my texts.

“You want to go home to see that boy,” my dad snaps from the other side of the room, “and that’s not going to happen.”

I narrow my eyes at my father. Days ago, he left the ball in my court, left the decision to date Dalton on me, but he’s changed his tune. He’s putting his foot down, which is ridiculous. The man is a pediatrician for Christ’s sake. He should know better than to forbid a teenager anything.

“He’s—” I begin, but he interrupts.

“He brought you to the emergency room naked,” Dad seethes.

My skin heats with embarrassment, but if I’m going to be doing adult things with my boyfriend, then I need to approach this situation like an adult.

I’m not ashamed of what Dalton and I have done so far, but speaking about it with my parents isn’t something I want to do.

“We didn’t have sex,” I tell him honestly.

“Only because you passed out before it got that far.”

What did Dalton tell them? Surely, he wouldn’t go into explicit detail about the twenty minutes in his room before I was unconscious.

“I’m seventeen,” I remind him. “Eighteen in a couple of weeks. I’m mature enough to make my own decisions about sex.”

“Yet, you’re not intelligent enough to stay out of a car when the driver has been drinking?” He raises a challenging eyebrow at me. “You’re back here again because of him.”

“This isn’t his fault,” I begin, but snap my lips closed.

Dalton didn’t want me to tell anyone that I was driving. I’m not saying that I won’t confess eventually, but I also don’t want to break my promise to him without talking to him about it first.

“The hell it isn’t,” Dad seethes.

Mom places a hand on his back, and it seems to comfort him some, but I know it’s not enough to make him forget about the entire situation.

I’m opening my mouth to argue further when the nurse walks into the room.

“How are we feeling?” Her bright smile is a stark contrast to the atmosphere filling the room.

“I’m fine.”

Mom frowns at my snappy reply, but I ignore her.

The nurse’s smile doesn’t falter as she checks something on the IV machine.

“Who are you?”

I roll my eyes but answer, “Piper Schofield.”

“Where are you?”

“Westover Regional Hospital.”

“What happened to you earlier today?”

“I had a delayed brain bleed due to a car accident a few weeks ago. I got a headache at my boyfriend’s house right before we were going to have sex.” I look at my dad and emphasize my connection to Dalton. He doesn’t seem impressed. “I passed out and ended up here.”