had the IV in it. “Leave, please. I’ve got too much to deal with right now. I’m tired.” His expression tightened. “I want to talk to Lace alone before I take another pain pill.”
“Okay, baby.” Moving to the end of his bed, she touched the leg that was wrapped up. He made a face, but she didn’t notice. She was too busy looking down her nose at me.
“Southside trash,” she muttered beneath her breath as she stepped past me.
“Yikes.” I made a face as I went to Chad’s side, taking the place his mother had vacated.
“I told you how she was.”
“Yeah, you did. But I thought you were exaggerating.” I took his large hand, wrapped it in both of mine, and brought it to my chest. “I’m so sorry this happened.”
“It’s shit. Total complete shit.” His eyes glistening, he swallowed and pressed his lips together.
“How long do they think you have to stay in the hospital?”
“A couple of nights.”
“That’s not too bad. I’ll come up and visit you every day. What’s after that?”
“Listen, Lace. About that. I think it would be best if we put some distance between us for a while.”
“What?” My brows rose. “No. Why?”
“You need to be studying, not playing nurse to me.”
“I can do both.”
“No, you can’t, not as long as my recovery’s going to take,” he said firmly and turned his head to the side. “Six weeks, I have to lay around and wear a non-removable cast. Then they take that one off, only to put on another one. I’ll have two to six additional weeks with a removable one, and at least four months after that when my motion will be restricted. And that’s before I can even begin to think about trying to play basketball again.”
“Oh, Chad.”
“Don’t pity me, Lace.” His hazel eyes softened when he saw his harshness hurt me. “Please, don’t feel sorry for me. Okay? I don’t want that.”
“But I feel terrible that this happened to you.”
“I do too. I . . .” He glanced down at his leg, then looked at me. “Well, it made me realize how tenuous our dreams really are.”
That wasn’t a good thought. Icy trepidation that felt like foreboding trickled down my spine.
He placed his free hand over mine. “Promise me you’ll focus all your energy on achieving your dream. Complete the SAT course Bryan paid for, and study hard. Even though you’ll have to do it on your own.”
“I promise.”
“Don’t get sidetracked by anything.”
“I won’t.”
“I thought maybe I’d be around.” His eyes took on a distant cast. “I hoped I’d have the option to go to college here too. Help you out some. But I can’t do that anymore, Lace. I don’t even know what’s going to happen to me. But I do know that I’m not dragging you down into this mess with me. Understand?”
“Oh, Chad.” Abandoning our stacked hands, I did what I’d wanted to since I’d first walked into the room. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Lace.” He returned my hug. “Enough to want better for you. You need to get out of here. I want that for you. I want to see one of us achieve their dream.”
Lace
Teary-eyed at thoughts of Chad, I stumbled out of his hospital room and ran straight into Vance.
“Hey there, pretty girl.” He clamped his hands around my upper arms, and before I knew it, I found myself backed into the wall he’d been leaning against earlier.
“Where is—”
“They’re gone. Chad’s old man and my old lady went outside for a discussion.” He dipped his gaze to my cleavage.
I’d worn a low-cut Ramones tank with strategic slashes and arm holes so wide, you could almost see my lacy black bra. I also had on black jeans, a black knit cap on my head, and bracelets, leather and silver on my wrists. I was rocker-girl chic all the way, anticipating seeing Bryan later at the beach. But now that and everything else seemed to have been blown to hell.
“I want a turn with you.” Lifting my arms over my head, Vance ground his belt buckle and his erection into me.
“No. Let me go.” Trying to yank my arms free, I trembled with panic. My hot dog from earlier lurched from my stomach to the top of my throat.
“You heard her.”
War’s unexpected but threatening growl made an electrical current snap through me. Turning my head, I sagged in relief as I watched him step closer.
His visage was