holds me. “He’s going to be just fine, Nic. He really is.”
I nod and pull back just enough to look up at him. “Is there any news?”
“His leg is going to be okay, he broke his fibula, the smaller bone, on his left leg. He’ll get it casted tomorrow, and he has a few broken ribs on his left side that should heal on their own. He got done with a CAT scan and MRI a couple hours ago. There’s swelling on his brain from….” His voice breaks and drifts off and I realize I’m not the only one hurting and scared. I may love Zack, but Jake and the other guys have known him for years. They are his friends; his brothers. Jake is just as scared as me.
I squeeze Jake’s hand trying to give him the courage to continue. He shakes his head trying to clear his own horrible thoughts, and sighs deeply before finishing.
“He was at Rachel’s house. She tricked him into going there, and had scheduled some paparazzi to show up to catch him leaving.”
I gasp in horror. She did what? It’s absolutely unbelievable. I knew she was evil, but purposefully tricking him?
“Yeah, she’s a piece of work. Anyway, according to her, she thought if she could get photos of him leaving her place that you’d find out, and well, leave him.” He looks completely broken and ashamed that he’s the one who has to tell me this story. I don’t blame him one bit.
I drop my hands and clench them into fists so tightly I can feel my nails breaking the skin on my palms. My entire body starts shaking with rage at the lengths this wretched woman will go to.
“What else?” I’m too furious to say any more, but I have to know what happened.
“He figured it out and left as the photographers were pulling up to her place, he took off and they chased him. He took a curve too fast, slammed into a guardrail and flipped his car.”
I hold up my hand to stop him. I don’t need, or want, to hear anything more. Rachel caused this. Surprisingly, I am not relieved yet at all, to learn that Zack was not in fact cheating on me with her. But now, I am much – much – too pissed at this woman and what her selfishness has done. I don’t realize Mia’s hand is grasping my arm until I feel her pulling me into the car. I say nothing on the way to the hospital, I’m not sure if they do either, but if Mia and Jake speak I am too lost in my visions of how to torture Rachel with my own bare hands to hear anything they say.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Once at the hospital, Jake ushers us up to the waiting room on the second floor. I fall into Melody’s arms and begin sobbing immediately. All the emotions I have held in for hours are released as his mom’s arms comfort me just like my own mom’s would have. We say nothing as she holds me tightly and just rocks me in her arms.
“He’s going to be okay.” Her words soothe me like no one else’s could have in this moment. She is strong. I want to be strong, but I can’t. Not yet. She has no idea the hell I am re-living thinking another car accident.
“I can’t lose him, too. Not like this.” I continue to sob into the woman’s shoulder as she slowly guides me down into a chair never loosening her grip around me.
“I know,” she soothes into my ear, “but he’ll make it.”
I slowly pull back from her and wipe my tears. Jake sits next to me, his arms resting on his knees, his head dropped down. Garrett holds much the same position across from me, with Chloe next to him, one arm wrapped around him, holding him close. I can’t even smile at her, although I’m glad she’s here, too. She nods slightly at me as if she knows what I’m thinking. I look up to Sammy and smile pathetically. She looks completely lost just standing there, her pixy-like bright personality replaced with utter worry. I slowly walk to her, hugging her when I reach her. I know how much Zack means to her. He’s the most important guy in her life, and I realize we’re all hurting and scared in our own ways. This isn’t just about me and my own fear, and I have to be