“Not even the Hope Diamond is going to make me forgive Nathan on the spot. My trust isn’t something that anyone can buy.”
Amanda, though, couldn’t help but want to keep the earrings. They must have cost quite a bit.
“No one has to know,” Judith said. Amanda rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m sure no one will notice it if I walk around wearing these beauties. Nathan would get false hopes out of it. I won’t sink to his level and lead him on.”
“Then, could I have them?”
Amanda chuckled to herself.
“I think I’ll keep them safe.”
Starting work at Best Buy also helped Amanda keep her mind busy. She mostly worked in the computers and tablets section. If needed, she could also help out in the smartphone and camera sections. As a geek, Amanda loved the job. By the second week, she was tempted to buy herself a laptop that she’d been admiring. It looked cool and elegant. Amanda already had a MacBook that she’d been using for a year, though.
In that short time, Amanda came to feel at home in the store. Her charisma and beauty drew customers to her. Amanda used her knowledge of tech to help them get what they needed. One of Amanda’s coworkers told her that he’d never seen a more attractive geek. They became good pals afterward.
Brad had let Amanda know that he would arrive on the second week of March. He was taking her and her friends to Arkansas. The news thrilled Emmy, so Amanda proposed to take her on a day out on the town on Friday.
“Are we going shopping?” Emmy asked, trying to find out what Amanda had planned.
“Sort of. You’ll like it.”
Kellan led Emmy and Amanda outside. Caldwell was waiting for them in the car. Judith would also be going.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Amanda and her group saw Judith waiting for them.
“Hi, Amanda. Hi, Emmy!” she greeted. The two girls hugged Judith.
“Do you know what Amanda’s up to?” Emmy asked.
“No, I’m afraid not.”
Emmy gave a pout, and then they walked forward.
“I’m glad that we’re going to spend some time with Brad. I’ve missed him.”
“Brad told me he missed you, too,” Amanda said. “He looks forward to showing you how he acts.”
“As long as he doesn’t kiss Lizzy, I’m fine with it.”
Judith and Kellan laughed.
“It’s a movie, friend. Actors kiss each other all the time.”
Emmy pursed her lips.
“I know. I guess I’ll have to handle that.”
On the road, Emmy looked around to see where Kellan was driving. She was trying to deduce where they were taking her.
In about five minutes, the car pulled into a curb.
“Come on, Emmy. Caldwell will remain in the car.”
When Emmy stepped out, she looked at the buildings adjacent. Across the street was a unisex salon.
“You brought me to a barber?” Emmy asked.
“I did,” replied Amanda. “You need a makeover. Don’t you want to look beautiful for Brad?”
Emmy’s eyes lit up at those words.
“Yes. I want to be the only girl Brad has eyes for.”
The salon they were visiting was presumably the best in Ithaca. Kellan had looked around the city and told Amanda which one to pick. When they entered, a couple of middle-aged women looked at the newcomers. One of them was working on a customer.
“Good afternoon,” said the other stylist, glancing at the four of them. “How can I help you?”
“Our friend here needs a change of look, and a haircut,” said Amanda. She placed her hands on Emmy’s shoulders from behind. “She wants to look gorgeous to impress a guy.”
Emmy blushed. The hairstylist nodded.
“You came to the right place. Come over here, honey. Sit down,” she said to Emmy.
“How long will this take?” she asked.
“That depends on what you want.”
Amanda and Judith went to sit on some chairs by the front. Kellan walked outside to stand guard.
The stylist first gave Emmy a book containing photos of different hairstyles. After browsing through it, Emmy chose the look she wanted. Then the stylist set to work.
Emmy pouted at the small chunks of her hair falling to the floor, but she couldn’t complain. She hadn’t cut her hair in ages and it had grown all the way to her elbows. As she was a little short, the hair looked longer on her than it really was.
Sometime after, the stylist finished. Emmy touched her hair, awed at the change.
“Wow. It looks spectacular,” she said, smiling. Her sleek hair was now shorter, falling a bit past her shoulders. It was styled in a waterfall braid.
“Oh, that looks pretty!” Judith said.
“I agree,” Amanda added. “I’m tempted to get my hair done like that, too.”
Emmy laughed.
“No. Your hair looks so pretty on you. I like how you made your bangs fan out to the sides. They frame your face instead of falling straight down.”
Judith touched Emmy’s hair. It now looked glossy.
“Brad will do a double-take when he sees you. And I say that as a compliment.”
“Do you like it, Emmy?” the stylist asked.
“I love it. Thank you.”
“I’m glad. Now let’s do the makeup.”
Amanda and Judith stood aside to let the stylist continue working.
“Don’t overdo it, though. We’re the kind of girls who prefer not to look too artificial.”
“I get it, sweetie. Then I’ll go for subtle.”
It took another quarter hour for the stylist to apply makeup on Emmy.
“Girls, what do you think?” asked the stylist. Amanda nodded.
“Not even Lizzy’s going to keep Brad’s attention with you in the room, friend.”
Emmy smiled, beaming.
“That’s it. You can stand now, sweetie.”
Emmy got up from her chair. She looked herself in the mirror from all angles.
“It’s amazing how a change of look can make such an impact,” she said. Emmy was of only average looks, but when she prettied up, she could turn heads.
The stylist gave them the bill. Amanda paid it.
“You don’t have to,” Emmy said.
“Think of it as a gift. If Brad doesn’t put his eye on you after this, I don’t know what else to do.”
After paying, Amanda and her friends walked back outside. Judith and Emmy were the first to cross the street to the car. Amanda went next. Simultaneously, Kellan received a text message. He reached into his jacket pocket.
In the next couple of seconds, they heard the sound of screeching tires. Kellan looked up. Amanda was still in the middle of the road. Judith and Emmy were just getting in the car. To the right, an unknown truck sped right toward Amanda.
Kellan didn’t think about it. He ran forward. Amanda looked at the incoming truck, freezing in panic. Just then, something pushed her hard. Then she heard a thud. Amanda fell to the ground.
“Amanda!” Judith said. She and Emmy rushed toward her. Caldwell got out of the car. He quickly brought his gun up, firing two shots. He cursed and aimed for the tires, but missed. The truck turned at a corner and disappeared.
Christopher did not fancy going out in winter when he was sick. He was just recovering from the common cold. A few minutes earlier, Christopher had been resting in bed. That was when Rebecca had called. She asked him to pick her up. Christopher was reluctant to go, but Rebecca had no one else to turn to. Besides, she sounded strange. It was as if she were in pain or something.
On the next intersection, Christopher turned. A few feet ahead, he saw the truck Rebecca had mentioned. She was inside it, on the driver’s seat. Christopher parked his car and then walked toward her.
“About time,” said Rebecca. She had her eyes closed, and her mouth was pursed in pain. There was a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, despite the cold weather. Christopher glanc
ed down at her right hand. It was covered in blood. He looked up and saw that the car seat was almost soaked in it.
“You’re hurt,” he said, blanching. “What have you been doing?”
“Don’t ask questions. Just drive me to my place.”
Christopher blinked twice, confused.
“Are you mad? You won’t make it! We have to get you to a hospital.”
“It’s just a graze. Now shut up and move.”
Despite the pain, there was still fire in Rebecca’s eyes.
“Fine, fine. Let me get you to my car.”
“Take this one!”
“No way. They’ll ask questions.”
“It’ll be a lot worse to leave it behind. They’ll find my blood and…just do what I say.”
Christopher reached behind Rebecca. He felt blood on her back, realizing it was a gunshot wound. Gingerly, Christopher helped Rebecca out of the truck. He set her on the backseat and took off her jacket. She reclined across, face down.
“I have to tend to your injury,” Christopher said. He walked around to the other door.
“Do you…even know what you’re doing?”
Honestly, Christopher didn’t. But he’d seen enough people hurt (on TV) to know the basics. Christopher grabbed a pair of scissors from the glove compartment. He cut open part of the sleeve of Rebecca’s sweater and the blouse under it. The wound didn’t look too bad.
Christopher grabbed some tape he had in the center console. Then he cut a square chunk of the jacket. He pressed it against the wound.
“Argh!” Rebecca said. Christopher kept the square in place with tape.
“I hope this slows down your loss of blood. The jacket’s waterproof, so I assume it’ll help.”
“Fine. Now let’s go. I’ll tell you what to do.” Rebecca took a deep breath. “I got in touch with a doctor I know. He’s on his way here.”
“That’s great.”
Christopher closed the door and walked over to the driver’s side. He didn’t bother to clean up the blood on the seat. Christopher started the truck and drove.
“Leave me in my apartment. Hide my key under the pot outside, the one on the right of the door. That way the doctor will be able to enter.”
“You want me to just leave you there?”
“I’ll be fine. You need to take this truck.” Rebecca gritted her teeth. “Hide it in the forest. Burn it.”
“You are one crazy girl, Sis.”
Rebecca didn’t reply.
“Are you feeling well enough to be out for a little longer?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. I don’t want to relapse just now that I’m healthy again.”
“You won’t be outdoors. Relax. There’s something else you can do…once you’ve got rid of the truck.”
Christopher waited for Rebecca to speak.
“Your dear Amanda is at the hospital.”
After mentioning that, Christopher almost brushed into a car driving in the other lane. They were going in the same direction, but still.
“Again? What did you do to her now?”
Rebecca raised her eyebrows. Christopher didn’t see that, as his focus was on the road.
“Nothing.”
Christopher took a deep breath.
“Is she fine?”
“I don’t know. You find out,” she replied weakly.
Rebecca didn’t say anything more. Christopher looked over at her. She had passed out.
In the hospital waiting room, Amanda waited with Judith and Emmy. They’d been there for the past half hour, with no update from the doctor. They had tended to Amanda, but only briefly. She’d sustained an abrasion on her arm when Kellan had pushed her.
Caldwell was standing guard nearby. He stood with his back against the wall. Amanda was so anxious that she wanted to stand up and begin pacing. Why was the doctor taking so long to bring them answers?
Judith put an arm on Amanda’s shoulder.
“Would you like to go for some coffee?”
Amanda shook her head, panicked.
“I’m not moving from here until the doctor speaks to us. Kellan risked his life for me. I won’t leave him.”
Emmy and Judith both placed an arm around Amanda. They tried to reassure her.
At that moment, Christopher burst into the room. Amanda’s eyes widened in utter shock.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, standing up. Christopher halted on his way to her.
“I heard about what happened, home girl. They said you were in the hospital again. I wanted to see that you were all right.”
“How did you find out?” Amanda demanded. Emmy and Judith were also looking at Christopher with suspicion. He scrambled to think of a suitable response.
“I…well, I was just at your apartment right now. You weren’t there, so I turned to leave. Then a neighbor of yours walks up and I ask her if she knows where you are. That’s when she tells me that you’d just called her. She said you were at the hospital. So I made my way here.”
Christopher was glad that he’d thought of getting an alibi in case Amanda questioned him. Rebecca hadn’t told him much, so he went to Amanda’s apartment to see what he could find out.
Amanda, seeming satisfied, walked back to her seat and dropped down on it.
“Sorry. I didn’t expect to see you here,” Amanda said. “I called my neighbor in case any of my friends showed up to my place.”
Christopher nodded. He sat down next to Judith.
“Are you waiting for the doctor to release you?”
Amanda shook her head.
“No. Kellan got hurt. I…I was almost run over by a truck. He pushed me out of the way and got hit.”
Amanda cried again, looking down at the floor.
Finally, the doctor showed up. Judith poked Amanda’s shoulder. She looked up and then stood. Caldwell also walked toward them.
“Family of Mr. Kellan Hughes?”
“They’re not here. We’re his friends,” Amanda said, introducing herself. “How is he, Doctor?”
The doctor took a deep breath, and then spoke.
“The patient is still in critical condition. He sustained multiple fractures, including his left arm and some ribs on the right side of his body. He’s also lost his spleen.”
Amanda gasped. She covered her face with her hands. Christopher heard her sobbing.
“Is he stable?” Judith asked. The doctor shook his head. Amanda looked at him in panic.
“Not yet. I need someone to notify his family, just in case the worst happens. Some of Mr. Hughes’ internal organs sustained considerable trauma. He is still in observation due to his hemothorax.”
Amanda and her friends looked confused.
“Hemothorax?”
The doctor nodded.
“That’s internal bleeding in the chest area. In this case, the cause is damage to the lung and surrounding tissue due to the broken ribs. If left untreated, the patient can suffer a collapsed lung from the blood that accumulates. That can lead to death.”
It took some time for Amanda and her friends to digest the doctor’s words. She couldn’t believe it. Kellan, so strong, was now fighting for his life in a hospital.
“When can we go to see him?” Emmy asked.
“I’m sorry, but he won’t be conscious anytime soon. The next twelve hours will be critical to determine how the patient’s condition will progress.”
The doctor looked at each in the group, his expression sympathetic.
“For now, that is all I can tell you about the patient. I will keep you updated.”
Judith nodded, thanking the doctor. He walked away.
“We need to call Kellan’s family.”
Amanda sat back down. She pulled her smartphone from her purse, checking her list of contacts. Kellan had given her his family’s number just in case it was ever needed. The time had come.
Christopher tried to hold Amanda’s free hand while she spoke to Kellan’s parents. She pulled away, not wantin
g to upset Judith. When the call ended, Amanda leaned against her seat.
Another set of footsteps approached. Emmy turned to look. She saw Detective Sutton. An officer accompanied him.
“Ms. Tilley,” Sutton said. Amanda stood up to shake hands with him. “We need to take your statements.”
Amanda wiped tears away from her face. She gave a nod to the Detective.
“Okay. Here?”
“We would rather question each of you individually. All of you are witnesses, correct?”
“Christopher is not,” said Amanda. “He came because he…I called him.”
“Okay. I’ll speak to you first, Ms. Tilley. Follow me.”
The interrogations took an unknown amount of time. Amanda felt sure it was already past noon, because her stomach was growling. When she told Sutton that she had caught a glimpse of the driver, he asked Amanda to stop by the station and speak to the sketch artist.
“We’ll be there shortly,” Amanda told him. Sutton left with the officer.
“We should go take a break,” Judith said to her. “You need to eat. There’s nothing we can do here right now.”
Amanda didn’t know what to do. On one hand, she was hungry. On the other, her fear for Kellan’s condition outweighed her hunger. He had been in terrible shape before the ambulance took him. Amanda didn’t want to leave the hospital waiting room.
“I would much rather stay here in case the doctor has more to tell us.”
“You heard him,” Emmy said. “He won’t wake up for a long time. The doctors are taking care of him. You need to take a break, get some fresh air.”
“They’re right, home girl. If you stay here, time will feel like it’s not moving at all.”
Amanda took a deep breath. She nodded.
“All right. Let’s go.”
Christopher helped Amanda stand up. Their friends and Caldwell followed them out of the hospital.
When they were outside, Caldwell asked Amanda for a word.
“You need to be ready for when Mr. Dillingham gets here tomorrow. See, Hughes was able to say a few words to me before he passed out.”
Amanda gasped. She’d thought that Kellan was unconscious by the time she could get up from the ground.
“He said to tell you to get out of here, and not to worry about him. The sooner you are away, the sooner you’ll be safe.”
Devoted to Her (Dream Date Book 2) Page 22