I brought this on myself.”
“Layla, that’s not true.” I start to reach for her and stop. “Is it okay if I hug you?”
When she opens her arms, I scoot toward her and draw her close.
She tucks her head beneath my chin. “You saved me. You and Tyler.”
“Well, Tyler did most of the saving. I helped, though. It was definitely a team effort.”
“Is he here?”
“He’s downstairs with Mom and Dad. He didn’t want to intrude.”
When I release Layla, she leans back against the pillows.
“Do you remember much of what happened?” I ask her.
She swallows hard. “I remember getting in the car with Sean to go to school. He asked me if we could make a stop—he said he needed to get something from his apartment. I didn’t want to go because I was afraid I’d be late to class, but he said it would only take a few minutes. We drove to his apartment, and he said I had to come up with him, that he couldn’t leave me alone in the car. So I went upstairs with him.” Her voice breaks. “I didn’t like Sean, but I never wished him harm. Seeing him killed like that—”
She shudders. “I can’t believe his roommate shot him. And I can’t believe Sean would sell me out like that. If I’d known he owed his roommate money, I could have paid it for him. Instead, he tried to sell me. How could he do that? He drugged me, although I can’t figure out how.”
“Did you drink anything on the way to his apartment?”
She thinks for a moment. “Just the only thing I ever drink—water from my own water bottle.”
“He might have put something in your water. Do you remember any of what happened at the warehouse?”
She looks away. “I don’t want to talk about that.”
“How about Jason? Why won’t you talk to him?”
“I don’t want anything to do with any more bodyguards.”
“You’re going to have to, sis, if you want to return to school. You know Mom and Dad aren’t going to let you go out alone, especially after what happened. And Jason’s a good guy. Tyler wouldn’t have recommended him if he wasn’t a hundred percent trustworthy.”
“He knows what happened to me, Ian. How could I ever face him?”
I reach for her hand and give it a squeeze. “I think you should give him a chance. Tyler trusts him, and that’s good enough for me.”
I sit with Layla until she gets tired and disappears into her bathroom to get ready for bed. I wait until she comes out dressed in her fleece pajamas, and I tuck her into bed.
“Did you take your meds?” I ask her, meaning her anti-psych medication.
“Yes.”
I lie down with her for a while, and we check her sugar levels using the app on her phone. They’re fine.
I stay until she dozes off.
When I leave her room, quietly shutting the door behind me, Jason is right where I left him.
“How’s she doing?” he asks.
“The same. She’s scared. She’s afraid to face you because you know what happened to her.”
Jason winces. “Poor kid.”
“Just be patient with her.”
“I will. I’ll give her all the time she needs.”
When I return to the living room, I find Tyler seated next to my mom. She’s beaming at him, and my dad is hanging on his every word. I think it’s safe to say he’s won them over.
After all, he saved their daughter’s life.
* * *
Later that night, as we lie in our bed, Tyler and I try not to dwell on what tomorrow will bring.
As I rest my head on his shoulder, I use my index fingers to draw shapes on his chest. “What time are you supposed to be in court tomorrow?”
“One o’clock.” He turns to look me in the eye. “You’re not planning to come to the courthouse, are you? I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Of course I’m coming. So are Beth and Sam and your mom.”
Tyler sighs. “There’s no reason for you to be there, Ian. They won’t detain me immediately. I’ll be able to come home afterward. They’ll let me come to the jail on my own.”
“There’s every reason for us to be there,” I say. “We love you, and we’re coming to support you.” I roll away from Tyler so he can’t see the hurt on my face.
He turns with me and wraps his arm around my waist as he presses himself against me. “It’s not that I don’t want you there,” he says. “I just don’t want you to go through