want to talk about it?”
Pressing my lips together, I shake my head.
Where would I even start?
“Okay, I get it, I do.” She hesitates, and I hope she’ll say goodbye and leave me alone. I can’t do this, not now.
Not ever.
But she surprises me by saying, “Don’t be too hard on him. He’s been going out of his mind since you got here.”
My defenses go up, and I want nothing more than to tear out the IV, grab my clothes, and get the hell out of here.
I don’t, though.
Grinding my teeth together, I swallow all the things I want to say.
She doesn’t know me. She doesn’t know what happened between Conner and me and Warren.
Or maybe she does, a little voice whispers, but I tamp it down.
“I’ll let you rest.” Remi is reaching for the door handle when I find my voice.
“Remi?”
“Yeah?” Hope flashes in her eyes.
“Keep Conner away from me.”
“I’ve recommended to James that he take you to the hospital.” Dr. Miles smiles, but I don’t return it.
“No, not gonna happen.”
“Kennedy, you were beaten and sexually assault—”
I flinch, pulling the sheet over my body. Dr. Miles returned twenty minutes ago. He removed the IV and said he’d treated what injuries he could. I have a busted lip, a nasty black eye, bruised ribs, bruising around my throat and hips, and some other cuts and scrapes. But it isn’t the external injuries he’s concerned about.
It’s the ones he can’t see.
The ones I refuse to confide in him.
“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Doctor, I do. But I’m fine.”
“Kennedy, whoever hurt you needs to be—”
“I said I’m fine,” I snap.
He lets out a weary sigh. “Okay, okay. I’m going to write you a script for some pain meds, and emergency contraception should you need it—”
“I’m on birth control.”
He nods. “Your blood work will be back in a couple of days.”
“Thanks.” I hesitate. “You haven’t told anyone about... you know?”
“Ellen—”
“Ellen?”
“The Jaggers’ housekeeper. She and Remi were present while I performed my initial observations.”
Shame burns through me. They both saw what he did to me. It makes sense why Remi was so nice to me earlier.
“You don’t need to worry. They understand that this is your story to tell.” He gives me a weak smile. “And James is happy for you to stay here until you figure things out.”
“Great.” I smile tightly.
I have no intention of staying. Part of me still doesn’t understand why Jayden brought me to the Jagger house in Sterling Bay in the first place. He could have taken me to Shelbie’s house, or the emergency room in the Heights.
But no, he brought me to the one place I would never have chosen to come myself.
Even though I know I can’t go back to Warren, not after this, I know I can’t stay here either.
Once again, I’m lost and alone.
My parents died when I was young, and I moved in with my great aunt. But she got sick right before the summer and died. With nowhere to go, Warren and his dad had taken me in. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than the alternative.
I’m still only seventeen, a minor. And I have nothing.
No one.
My life is a fucking mess.
“Okay, I think we’re all done here.” The doctor looms over me. “I know it feels desperate right now, but there are people out there who can help you. Counselors—”
“I’m good. Thanks, doc.” I can’t disguise the sarcasm in my voice.
Counselling won’t help someone like me. Someone bound to a life of heartache and pain.
“Very well. Goodbye, Kennedy.” He hesitates, the anguish in his eyes obvious. He’s a doctor. His job is to help people, to make things better. I guess James Jagger pays him a hefty fee to make house calls, especially one like this. But when you’re one of the richest men in Sterling Bay, it’s probably pocket change.
I just don’t understand why. Why has he gone to all this trouble... for me?
The reason stares back at me as Dr. Miles opens the door.
“Conner,” he sighs. “She specifically asked for you to—”
“I’m not in the room,” he argues. “But she can’t stop me from standing outside my own bedroom door.” His eyes flash to mine, and I cuss under my breath.
He isn’t going to make this easy.
He’ll never let me just walk out of here.
I need a plan.
But right now, I can hardly move, so I’ll have to give myself some time to recover first.
“I just want to talk,” Conner says over the doctor’s shoulder.
“Well, I don’t.” I