Drop Dead Queen (Corium University Trilogy 2)

Xander killed Quinton’s mom, and Quinton doesn’t know yet. Which makes me wonder, what kind of hell will break loose when he finds out?

10

QUINTON

“I think he is waking up.” Scarlet’s voice meets my ear, and I am certain I’m dreaming.

“Quinton, open your eyes if you can.” My mom’s shaky voice breaks at the end as if she has been crying for a while.

Someone touches my right arm, soft fingers rubbing up and down my skin in a soothing motion. Another gentle hand is wrapped around my left, a thumb drawing small circles above my wrist.

“He’ll wake up when he is ready.” My father’s normal rough voice sounds almost wobbly today, like he’s unsure of what he’s saying.

It’s another few minutes before I can pry my eyes open, and that takes an enormous amount of effort. I feel like there are ten-pound weights sitting on my eyelids.

When my eyes finally open, I’m surprised to find my parents and Scarlet hovering around the bed I’m in, a bed that is definitely not my own. My thoughts are clouded, and nothing makes sense. Why are they here? And where is here?

“There you are. We were so worried about you, Quinton,” my mom sobs, stroking my arm. “They gave you a lot of pain medicine, so you might be a little out of it, but that will pass, and your arm is going to be fine too.”

I automatically looked down at my arm, and images of the bear attacking me flash in front of my eyes. Slowly, all the memories come back to me. The crash, Aspen, the cabin… and the bear.

Shit, that’s a lot to take in. I want to ask them where Aspen is, but something in the back of my mind tells me not to.

“We were so worried about you.” Scarlet squeezes my hand. I look over and find her eyes brimming with tears, her lips pulling into a half-hearted smile.

Fuck.

“I’m sorry,” I rasp out. Clearing my throat, I try to talk again, and the words come out a little easier. “I didn’t mean to worry you.” And I didn’t, but that doesn’t make this any less my fault.

“You must be hungry,” my father says. “Ella, why don’t you find Quinton something to eat and take Scarlet with you.”

“All right,” my mom agrees. “But don’t be too harsh on him,” she tells my father, and I already know I’m about to get an ear full. Not that I don’t deserve it.

Scarlet and mom both give me a gentle kiss on the cheek that almost makes me roll my eyes before they exit the room. As soon as the door closes behind them, my father steps closer to the bed and starts laying it on me.

“What the hell were you thinking?” My father paces around my bed, unable to hold my gaze. I don’t remember the last time I saw him so angry. “Do you have any idea how worried we were? What it would have done to your mother and your sister if you had died out there? I can’t believe you were so reckless and irresponsible. Why didn’t you call me? You know if you have a problem, you call me!”

“We both know you wouldn’t have helped me with this. You hate Aspen. There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d have gotten your support.”

“You are right. I wouldn’t have, and for a good reason. I don’t like the girl, and you shouldn’t either. I would have talked some sense into you instead. Why would you go after her? Risk your life for her of all people?”

“Because I owed her. Actually, we both owed her. Did you know Matteo attacked Adela at the Belmont fundraiser?” That stops my father dead in his tracks. His pacing ends at the foot of my bed, where he turns his body toward me, his intense gaze searching mine.

“He cornered her on the way to the bathroom, trying to pull her into an empty room. Aspen stopped it from happening.”

“That can’t be right. Matteo wouldn’t be that stupid. Aspen is lying to you, and I can’t believe you don’t see it! Adela would have told us.”

“She told Scarlet,” I quip. “She didn’t tell you or me because she knew what we would do, and she didn’t want you to forbid her from attending parties in the future.”

“Motherfucker. If that’s true, then Matteo needs to pay.”

“Don’t worry, he will.”

“You can’t kill him while you’re here.”

“I know. That doesn’t mean I can’t make his life hell,” I say and watch a cruel smile form on my father’s lips. I use that small window of him being in a good mood to my advantage. “Where is Aspen?”

His smile turns into a frown immediately. “In a room down the hall. Her leg is broken, but she’ll make a full recovery. The doctor put her in a cast but will probably send her to her dorm room later today.”