“I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe. My name is Officer Hallstead. You’re safe now. Help is here.” He’s going to hurt us. He’s going to kill us. “Miss, the paramedic needs to take him. He needs medical attention. He’s lost a lot of blood.”
“No! You’re not going to hurt him!” I yell out in despair. But he’s already hurt. Mr. Gibson— “He’s—He’s out there! In the pool! He’s trying to kill us!” I scream out hysterically. I try to pull Hunter closer. I need to get him to safety. Frantic tears pour in waves down my face. Two hands dig under my arms and clutch around me. I fight him off, but he doesn’t allow it, forcing me to let Hunter go.
“Shhh, you’re safe. You both are. Let us take care of you. No one is going to hurt you anymore.” His words slowly register, and I blink away the tears. I stare up at a man in uniform. It’s then I realize the pool is filled with police and paramedics.
“You…you’re here. He’s…”
“You’re safe.”
A woman kneels, speaking softly to the man. “Sir, she’s bleeding pretty good on her head. We should probably get her mouth and nose checked out as well, and her shoulder looks dislocated. She needs—”
“No, he needs help more. Help him. Please. He can’t die.”
Hunter can’t die.
Chapter 18
Catalina
Forty-eight hours later. . .
Everything hurts. But the doctor said that’s to be expected when someone goes through what I have. My shoulder was the worst. Due to all the excessive movement of my shoulder while it was dislocated, I’ll need surgery to repair the torn muscle tissue. I also have two cracked ribs and some torn muscle from when he tackled me to the ground, which was close to a lung. A concussion from when he knocked me over the head in the garage, and let’s not forget my broken nose or when he punched me in the mouth, which caused my teeth to cut into my lip. Real beauty queen right now.
The doctor said I’m lucky to be alive.
I’m not so sure I feel lucky.
I attempt to sit up because my throat is dry and sore and wince at the discomfort in my neck. Even underwater, Mr. Gibson had a good enough grip on me to injure my windpipe and leave a nasty bruise.
“Hey, don’t move. I got it.” Hunter, who is in no better shape than I am, reaches over for the pitcher of water and pours me a glass. “Here,” he says, trying to hold the straw but struggling because he only has one working arm.
“You need to go back to your own bed.”
“Not a chance. You saved my life. In more ways than one. I’m sticking this out.”
I stare at him as if I’m annoyed, but truthfully, it’s only to hide my guilt. He thinks I saved him by coming back for him. In reality, I ran and left him to die. “I’m not your hero, Hunter.”
“Definitely not a hero, Stray.” I attempt to swat at him but groan at the sudden movement of my shoulder. “Shit, you okay? I didn’t mean it.”
“I know you didn’t. It’s just…I’m the one who caused all this. I don’t deserve nice words or kindness. I deserve for you to hate me. Look at me with disgust—”
“Cat, stop.” He grabs my hand with his good one, the other in a cast because he took a bullet to his arm. “This isn’t your fault. You didn’t ask for our teacher to go psycho on you. That’s on him.”
But it is on me, and I don’t think I’ll ever feel different. I attract trouble. If I just told someone at the first signs of trouble, none of this would have—
“You’re in your fucking head. I can see it. I can tell when my stubborn stepsister is down on herself.”
“Would you knock it off? That doesn’t make me feel any better. Not only do I attract psychos but step siblings. A real winner I am.”
Hunter chuckles, but his smile fades when I feel the pressure of his hand over mine. “I think you’re fucking brave. And strong. I think the people around you have no idea how special you are. And I think the people who don’t see that can go to hell. I also think if I could change how we met, I would do it in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t trick you or force you. I wouldn’t deceive you into sleeping with me. I’d do it the right way and show you I’m a fucking decent guy with a fucked-up head and an untrusting heart. And I would warn you I’m not a good person but hope you would give me a chance anyway.”
I stare back at him, my eyes filling with tears. “How can you like me? After everything I’ve done, how can you—”
“You’ve survived a lot, Cat. I know a survivor when I see one. I’ve been there. Feeling alone. Desperate. Angry. Those feelings weren’t on me. They’re on the people who were supposed to shield me from such emotions. Same with you. You need to stop blaming yourself. You deserve so much better. We both do. And maybe after all this, we can do it together—”
I don’t get to respond. Detective Hallstead, the lead officer on our case, walks in. “I figured I’d find you in here. How are you two feeling?”
Hunter lets go of my hand and sits back in his chair. “We’re amazing. How else would anyone feel after being attacked and almost murdered by a psychopath?”
“Hunter…” I warn.
“Are you here to tell us you’ve found him?”
A question that has been lingering with us for the past forty-eight hours. The pool and surrounding rooms were swept for Mr. Gibson’s body that night, but he was never found. “We’re doing everything we can. We have an APB out. His name and face are plastered all over the news, along with a no-fly list. If he’s alive, he won’t get far.”
“Clearly, he has, if you haven’t found him. He could be out there waiting for her,” Hunter barks.
“You both have officers outside your door and at your parents’ house. If he tries to come near any of you, he’ll be caught.”
William and Mom got away with minimal injuries. Per their statement, Mr. Gibson jumped them when they attempted to leave. When they came to, they were tied up in the garage. The police concluded he had planned to return to the home and dispose of them but never got a chance.
When they got free, William was able to call the police, but that’s not what saved us. Hunter did. When Mr. Gibson took off after me, assuming Hunter was as good as dead, Hunter rushed up and dialed 9-1-1 from the desk phone before racing out to stop him from reaching me. Thank God they traced the number, finding suspicion in the late-night call coming from a school, and sent a team over to check it out. If they hadn’t, who knows what would have happened to us.
“We’re doing everything we can. I just wanted to let you both know. Also, two other girls have come forward. It seems your teacher had quite the following of young, eager students willing to do what it took to get a good grade.”
My body is racked with chills at the disgusting news. Hunter reaches for my hand to comfort me.
“You both did a brave thing. I hope you know that. We’ll be in touch.” At those parting words, he nods and disappears.
Silence fills the room until I can’t take it any longer. “What happens now?”