PART 2–CHAPTER 135
LUKE
I leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, Josh pacing back and forth, barely registering in my head. My temples throbbed, the pressure building until it felt like my skull might explode.
A relentless replay filled my mind: Jess, falling. Jess, hitting the ground. Her limp body crumpled at the bottom of those damn stairs.
Josh finally stopped pacing, pulling his phone away from his
ear.
“Yeah. She fell. No, she wasn’t drinking. It was an accident. I’m not drunk!” His tone cut through the haze in my head, and I almost wished I hadn’t heard it. There was a pause, a silence that felt heavy enough to crush me, before he muttered, “Fine. I’ll see you tonight.”
He hung up with a heavy sigh and slumped into the chair beside me, his hand landing on my shoulder.
“It’s nobody’s fault, Luke,” he said, his voice flat, like he was trying to convince himself as much as me. “She lost her balance and fell. I saw it. You saw it. Hell, even Courtney saw it. She’s going to be fine.”
Fine.
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PART 2 CHAPTER 135
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That word was a fucking joke.
“If we hadn’t had that fight…” I spoke slowly. She wouldn’t have. felt like she needed to get out of there. It is my fault. It’s all my fault.”
Josh exhaled loudly, running a hand through his hair as he looked at the exit. I followed his gaze, and photographers were already camped out there. Fuck.
“California’s youngest linebackers leave the club with police and an ambulance,” I growled, “They’ll have a field day with that one.“–
Josh grimaced, leaning back in his chair, his head tilted toward the ceiling like he was praying for this nightmare to end. “My agent’s going to have a rough day tomorrow. Fuck.” He groaned, rubbing his face with his hands like that would somehow erase what had just happened.
At least his agent was a stocky, no–nonsense guy who knew how to navigate a scandal. Mine? Mine was a snake wrapped in a designer suit, just waiting for the chaos to capitalize on.
But I didn’t give a damn about PR crises right now. Jess. She was all that mattered to me.
I needed to know if she was okay. I needed to see her, to hear from a doctor that she would walk out of here, whole and healthy, so I could stop this goddamn feeling gnawing at my insides like a ravenous beast.
“She’s strong, you know,” Josh said quietly after a moment, trying to reassure me. “She’ll pull through this.”
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PART 2–CHAPTER 135
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I nodded, but å storm brewed inside me. Jess might be strong, but she wouldn’t have been in that situation if it weren’t for me. I’d pushed her too far.
I was the one who drove her to the edge of those steps.
I couldn’t get that image out of my head. And now? Now, I was left in this hellish waiting room.
“I can’t believe I let this happen,” I muttered, leaning forward and burying my face in my hands.
Josh stayed silent, knowing there was nothing he could say to fix this.
I must have fallen asleep because the footsteps snapped me out of it altogether. I looked up, my stomach tightening instantly as I saw them–Josh’s parents walking in, followed closely by my parents.
Great.
Just fucking great.
thought you were better than this!”
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