Turning into the room, all the air leaves my lungs. Savannah is lying on the bed, hooked up to all different kinds of monitors. She looks so weak and helpless, the total opposite of everything she stands for. I swallow down the lump in my throat and press a kiss to her forehead.
“God, Savi. I’m so fucking sorry. I should’ve known you’d confront him. I never should have told you.”
Brady places a supportive hand on my shoulder, and for once, I don’t push him off. “She’s going to be okay.”
“That’s not the point.” I pull a chair closer to the bed and hold her hand as I sit down. “I should’ve been there to protect her.”
AFTER A VERY DIFFICULT phone call with a panicked Delaney, and a half hour interview with an officer asking what happened, Savannah finally starts to stir. Her eyes blink open, and she groans from the light. Once Brady shuts it off, her blue eyes meet mine.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
She smiles tiredly. “Hi.”
Her voice is hoarse, and I can tell by the look on her face that even something as simple as breathing hurts. I wish I could take that pain away—put myself in her place so she wouldn’t have to feel an ounce of it.
Brady sighs in relief when he hears her voice and sees her respond to his face with a smile. “I’ll go get the doctor.”
Savannah looks around for a second before furrowing her brows at me. “Where’s my phone?”
It’s an odd request, but I’m assuming she just wants to keep Delaney in the loop. “Probably with the rest of your things. It’s okay. I called Laney already. She’s on her way.”
She looks as if she’s going to say something else, but the doctor comes in to do an exam. He checks her pupils and the strength in her limbs before upping her pain medicine to something a little more comfortable for her. The second he steps out, the same officer from earlier enters.
“Miss Montgomery?” he asks, and she nods. “I’m Officer Jenson with the North Haven PD. Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions about what happened today?”
I stand, knowing he’s going to ask me to leave, but she grabs my hand. “Can he stay?”
“If that would make you more comfortable, I don’t see why not.” She relaxes, and I sit back down, lacing my fingers with hers. Officer Jenson pulls out his notepad. “So, let’s start with the most important question. Who did this to you?”
“My father,” she answers confidently.
“And what brought this on? Did you two have an argument?”
A humorless laugh bubbles out of her and she winces. “This isn’t the first time he’s laid a hand on me. He’s a drunk, a drug addict, and a horrible human being. The only difference between today and all the times he’s hit me before is that his goal today was to kill me.”
The officer looks startled. “Did he tell you that?”
The moment she nods, my every fear becomes alarmingly real. She could have died today, and I would have been left without her. I already know what that’s like, and I’m not willing to go back to it.
Savannah spends fifteen minutes giving the officer a step by step account of what happened. When he’s finished writing things down, I notice two more officers appear in the doorway.
“What happens from here?” I question.
“Well, we’re currently out looking for Mr. Montgomery, but we haven’t been able to find him yet.” He explains. “So, until we do, there will be round the clock security outside your room.”
Sav’s jaw drops. “It’s that serious?”
“Given your statement, and the extent of your injuries, your father is being charged with attempted murder, and we take that very seriously.”
“Attempted murder?” Delaney shrieks as she comes in. Her eyes narrow on me. “You said she was injured, not almost killed!”
Brady enters behind her. “I tried to keep her in the waiting room. She’s like a freight train.”
Laney looks over Savannah, and she instantly starts to cry. “My goodness, look at you.”
“I’m okay,” she tries, but not a single person in this room believes her.
Going to the other side of the bed, Delaney gives Savannah a gentle hug. “What the hell happened? Your dad did this to you?”
“Yup.” She pops the p, not lacking any bit of her usual sass. “He’s such a standup guy.”
The two of them talk, once again going over the events that make my heart nearly stop. It doesn’t get any easier, no matter how many times I hear it. Still, I constantly rub my thumb over Savi’s so she knows I’m here for her. If I had lost her today, I don’t know what I would have done with myself. I was silly to think that I could ever live a life that doesn’t completely revolve around her, let alone one without her in it at all.
“Uh, Grayson?” Delaney gets my attention. “Why do you look like a walking Halloween decoration?”
I look down and realize that I’m still covered in blood. It’s as if Savannah didn’t realize it either, because her eyes double in size when she sees it. Knowing it’s her own probably makes it so much worse.
“Yeah, man. You should probably change your clothes,” Brady suggests. “Want me to drive you back to your car?”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to leave her alone.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Delaney offers.
I’m conflicted, not wanting to leave her side at all, but they’re right. I glance at Savannah, making sure she’s okay with me leaving for a bit. If she asks me to stay, there isn’t a thing in the world that could pull me from her side.
“It’s fine, babe. Really.”
I kiss her softly and rest my forehead against hers. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she says with a smile, and Laney beams, rainbows nearly shooting from her chest in joy.
Brady says a quick goodbye to Savannah, promising he’ll come back in the morning, and the two of us head out. It’s a quiet trip to the car, but as soon as we get in, he turns to me.
“You know, I still don’t like you. I don’t think you deserve her, and you’re lucky as hell she doesn’t hate you for what you’ve done. That being said, you saved my best friend’s life today, and that’s something I’ll never be able to repay. So, thank you.”
He extends his hand toward me and I shake it. It’s a truce of sorts. A ceasefire. I don’t think he and I will ever be friends, but Savannah means almost as much to him as she means to me, and I respect that.
LATER THAT NIGHT, DELANEY and I are quietly scrolling through our phones while Savannah rests, when Officer Jenson returns. He has a solemn look on his face as he gestures for me to join him in the hall. Laney joins me, and the three of us step into an empty room.
“Did you find the bastard?” I question urgently.
He nods and looks down at the ground. “We did.”
“And? Did you arrest him?”
“No.”
“Why the fuck not?” I shout. “You said yourself her injuries and her statement are enough to charge him! What are you waiting for?”