Wilde by Abby Brooks

Chapter Twenty-Four

Amy

I ride with Avery in the ambulance. Not a choice I saw myself making, but he’s a wreck. And Leo? I’ve never seen someone hurt another person like he did. I begged him to stop and he wouldn’t listen and I’ve never been so scared. I was frozen. Powerless…

Avery’s nose won’t stop bleeding, no matter how much gauze the medic replaces. His jaw’s swollen to the size of a grapefruit. Even after being given something for his pain, he writhes in agony over every bump or turn the whole way to the hospital.

I’m furious. At Avery. At myself. At…

I never would’ve thought he had the nerve to wait outside my house…

And try to pull me from the car...

Especially with Leo right there...

Even thinking his name has tears wobbling to life. I can’t believe I’m in this ambulance with Avery and not with him…

It’s so wrong.

I just…

I needed a chance to process what happened. Or something. My hands shake as I brush my hair back from my face.

I’ve never seen Leo like that before. He was so out of control. So wild…without that stupid E.

When we arrive at the emergency room entrance, hospital staff rushes Avery off to be X-rayed. And here I stand. Alone. Waiting to hear news about the man I want nothing to do with, while the man I actually have feelings for is talking to the police.

How is this even my life? How did strait-laced, list making, rule following Amy Sinclair end up riding in an ambulance after watching her…what? Boyfriend? The father of her child? The guy she just slept with? The man she’s falling in love with?

Whatever he is, how did I end up watching him beat the crap out of Avery in my dad’s driveway?

Is this a one off for Leo too? Or is this just a normal Tuesday?

Desperate for distraction, I look for a quiet spot in the waiting room, pull out my phone, and brace for a call I really don’t want to make. I bring up Morgan’s contact info, thumb hovering nervously. Is this a text-able conversation?

Hey there. I know we haven’t talked in a while, but my kinda sorta boyfriend just beat up your best friend…

The answer is obvious. I initiate the call and put the phone to my ear.

“Oh my Go—Really? You have real nerve to pop in out of the blue after the way you’ve treated Avery and me.”

“Morg…listen, I know there’s a lot that needs to be said, but—”

“But nothing. Just because you’ve been too busy ruining your life to keep in touch doesn’t mean I’ve been out of the loop. I’ve heard all about the shit you’ve been pulling recently.”

“Morgan, hang on a second. I really need to—”

“No, I will not hang on a second. THANK YOU very much. You bailed on me—on your whole freaking life—without explaining. Any. Of. It. Hell, you barely even said goodbye. Now you think you can just pick up the phone and chat on a random Tuesday? I don’t think so.”

“Avery’s in the hospital!” I blurt, prompting several confused faces around me to peek up from their respective states of stress and worry.

“What?! Oh my God, what happened?” Worry raises Morgan’s voice by several octaves. “Is he gonna be okay? Are you okay? Ames, talk to me.”

“It’s not life threatening or anything, but he’s pretty banged up. They’re taking X-rays now.”

“What happened? A car accident? Do his parents know? Where is he? Tell me so I can call and fill them in on my way.” By the sound of her breathing, she’s running around her apartment, looking for shoes and car keys and whatever else she thinks she needs before rushing out the door. “Besides, it’s a genuine excuse to skip chem lab. Text me the details. I’m leaving in five,” she insists, ending the call before I can argue.

My plan had been to tell her what happened then leave.

I don’t belong here. I belong with Leo.

But knowing she’s on her way, I sit down to wait. It’s not the choice I want to make, but it’s what she’d want. And for some reason, no matter how hard I tell myself I need to leave, I can’t face the thought of disappointing her again.

* * *

A frantic looking Morgan hurries past the waiting room twice before stopping to look in. Her dishwater blonde hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun, while her mismatched sweats and t-shirt say she never really intended to make it to chem lab in the first place.

Seeing her, a surge of relief washes over me, followed immediately by my stomach dropping to my feet in recognition that things between us are broken as fuck. The feeling is like waking up early on Christmas morning and finding Santa placing presents under the tree…only to remember through your sleepy haze that Santa isn’t real, and you’re actually being robbed.

Roughly, approximately, something like that.

I raise my arm and wave, offering a weak smile when she notices. The range of emotions on her face makes me think she just realized Santa was stealing her presents too.

“So?” Morgan drops into the empty seat beside me and lets out a groan. “What the heck happened, anyway? I was so worried I never gave you a chance to answer. And you know it was the first question his mom asked when I called. Apparently, someone from the hospital had already contacted her, but they didn’t have many details.” Finally stopping to take a breath, she leans close to whisper the next part into my ear. “They thought he’d been in a fight.” She sits back and forces a laugh. “Can you even imagine? Our Avery, in a fight?”

I slowly nod my head. “The thing is…”

Her tone drops and her brow raises. “What thing?”

“He was waiting in the driveway when Leo brought me home.” My eyes don’t leave my feet as I explain everything that happened from the moment our car rolled to a stop. I can’t look up. I’m too busy reliving the nightmare of watching them square off against each other while my heart feels pulled to Leo’s. This invisible connection, growing more and more taut the longer I’m here instead of being at his side. I feel our separation like a physical thing.

I shouldn’t be here.

“What the hell, Ames? For real? So this is all because of your tattooed boy-toy.”

The panic rises again, bringing a surge of nausea along with it. “Avery was very much involved—”

“Please, please, please tell me you’re joking.” She looks away and scoffs. “What is it with this guy, anyway?”

“He was standing up for me.”

Morgan crosses her arms over her chest. “Oh. We must be talking about Avery right now. Aren’t we? Because I know you’re not sitting here trying to defend that asshole just because he knocked you up.” Morgan’s volume rises progressively with each word she speaks, heavily emphasizing ‘knocked you up,’ prompting several disapproving glances and groans from the people around us.

The conversation is skidding out of control. I see it happening, I just don’t know how to stop it. “Someone has to defend him. He certainly wasn’t looking for trouble. He was just dropping me off and Avery—”

“And Avery was there to talk some sense into you and this asshole assaults him. I feel like I don’t know you at all anymore. Who is this guy? And how did you get involved with him in the first place? The Amy I thought I knew would never have allowed herself to get mixed up with such a bad influence.”

I open my mouth to tell her she has no idea what she’s talking about, but a wicked voice in my head starts whispering. Maybe Morgan’s right. Maybe Leo is more of a problem than I thought. He’s estranged from his entire family. He’s immature and runs from responsibility, then makes jokes instead of admitting he’s wrong.

Am I in the middle of another mistake?

The more Morgan unloads about Leo, the more confused I become as to why what she’s saying is making so much damn sense.

“Damn it!” I stand, angry at myself for letting any of those thoughts exist, for letting Morgan spew so much anger my way for so long. “If you think Avery has ever been good for me, then you’re not the friend I thought you were.”

There’s so much more that needs to be said, but I don’t care anymore. I’m out the door, my phone to my ear as I try to call Leo. When his voicemail picks up, I try again. And again.

And again.