“You walked across the street to get pizza for the three of us and a car hit you. I didn’t know what was going on until I heard sirens and you didn’t come back. God...Kate. When I saw those paramedics, then saw you lying on the ground...I lost it. Completely fucking lost it.”
I suck in a breath from the pain in his voice. I hate that he was scared, and more than that, I’m concerned about how this might have upset Callie. “Where’s Callie?”
“With Kiran. He didn’t really have plans. He just didn’t want to watch Frozen again.” Gavin smiles at me like I’m supposed to know what that means.
“Oh...what day is it?” I question again.
“Friday. You were brought in last night. Why? Is something wrong?”
I take a deep breath as my panic melts away. I don’t remember Kiran skipping out on Frozen but I do remember I went to my apartment to pack my stuff after my last class Thursday afternoon. Whatever is missing from my memory isn’t much. “No. Nothing is wrong. I just don’t remember a car or pizza or seeing Kiran.”
Before Gavin says anything else, a nurse comes in. “You’re awake. This is good news. I’ll alert the doctor. I’m sure he’ll be here in a few minutes to check on you.” With that, she turns and heads right back out the door. Gavin brings my attention back to him by squeezing my hand.
“Do you feel okay?” I start to nod my head but that causes my brain to feel fuzzy.
“I think so.”
“Seriously, Kate? You were hit by a car, now I’ll ask you again. Do you feel okay?”
Gavin’s worried and looks like he’s in desperate need of sleep. “For being hit by a car, I feel rather good.” I place a mega smile on my face to ensure he believes me. “I’ve never been that scared before. Even with all the crap Carly has pulled on me with Callie, I’ve never seen a person I care for hurt while I’m completely helpless.” I reach out and squeeze his hand.
“I’m sorry—” Before I can say more, the doctor comes into the room. “Ms. Reynolds, I’m Doctor Welch. How are you feeling?”
“Fine.” My eyes shoot straight to Gavin, but he’s watching the doctor.
“I reviewed your scans and everything looks good. You had some minor swelling in your brain that was either a result of the impact of the car or when your head hit the pavement. No matter, you are lucky. It was minor.”
“When can I go home?” Doctor Welch gives me a beautiful smile and I swear I can hear a faint rumble come from Gavin. The doctor is young, at least in the standards of doctors but if I had to guess, I would still place him in his thirties, which is way too old for me.
“As long as you’re not living alone I’ll release you today.”
“She’s not. She’s mine. We live together.” My eyes flare at Gavin’s words and I turn my glare in his direction. I can’t believe he just said that.
“Good. Then I’ll go work on your release papers. I’ll write you a script for some pain pills but try some over the counter pain relievers first. Your muscles and body as a whole will feel sore and possibly a little stiff for a few days. Within the next week, make an appointment to see your regular doctor. Otherwise, unless anything else happens, blurred vision, serious headaches or sharp pains, you should be fine to wait.”
“Thank you, Dr. Welch.” I wait for Gavin to say something but he doesn’t and seconds later, the doctor turns and walks out, which has me turning my focus back toward Gavin.
“She’s mine? Are you serious?” I snap out. I tried but failed to take the irritation out of my voice.
“Yes. I saw the way that doctor was looking at you and when he asked you if you lived alone he was trying to find out how serious our relationship is.”
My mouth drops open. “I thought you said when you claimed to be possessive that you weren’t going to be crazy about it. That man is my doctor, not a guy at a bar offering to buy me a drink.”
I suck in a breath and close my eyes. I don’t have the energy to deal with his craziness right now. “I’m sorry. You’re right. But I’m a guy and I can tell when another guy is interested in you. That doctor is young and he isn’t wearing a wedding ring and believe me...if I wasn’t sitting right here he would have asked you for your phone number.”
While Gavin was carrying on, I kept my eyes closed. When I crack one open I hope my harsh look is obvious. “Ms. Reynolds?”
I crack the other one and turn toward the door. “Yes?”
Two police officers come in. “We were told you were going to be released today. If you’re feeling up to it, we can get your statement now, or if you’re not you can come down to the station in the next couple of days.”
“My statement?” I glance over to Gavin then back to them.
“Yes, regarding the accident you were in.”
Right. The whole reason I’m here. “You can take my statement now. However, I should tell you up front that I don’t remember anything.”
“You don’t remember anything?” One of the officers asked like he doesn’t believe me.
“No, I didn’t even know I was in an accident until Gavin told me.”
Both officers look over at Gavin at the same time. “Are you Gavin?”
“Yes.” I swear he puffs out his chest as he said yes.
“And where were you when this accident happened?”
Wait, what? “I was with my daughter in our apartment while Kate went across the street to pick up a pizza. She was gone longer than I expected then I heard the sirens. I ran down and found her after 911 had been called.”
“Why are you treating him like he did something wrong? He didn’t. I crossed the street and was hit by a car. You think because he’s big and has tattoos you can make assumptions?”
All three men in the room look at me. Both of the officers are looking slightly mad while Gavin looks almost in awe of me. “No, ma’am. I actually have a few tattoos myself. I simply asked because the witness at the scene claimed the car that hit you did so on purpose.”
My stomach drops at the same time as Gavin roars, “What?”
Both officers are nodding their head. “Three separate witnesses came forward. The brand of car is up for debate, but all three claim a black SUV sped around the corner once Ms. Reynolds stepped into the crosswalk. By their accounts, it appeared the car swerved to hit her, not to miss her.”
I can feel the acid in my stomach starting to churn. “I think my mother has something to do with this. Leeta Loman. You need to ask her where she was at, though knowing my mother if she’s behind this she probably paid someone else rather than get her own hands dirty.” I turn my face toward Gavin in shock.
I know he hates his mother, but there’s no way Leeta would’ve hit me by accident and definitely not on purpose. I know Gavin hates her but to accuse her of this—in front of police officers, no less—is beyond extreme.
“Gavin,” I say his name in a firm, almost mean tone, causing all three men to look at me. “Come on. I know you don’t like your mother but do you really think it’s possible she’d try to hurt me—possibly kill me?”
He doesn’t hesitate before answering. “Absolutely. That woman didn’t invite you to live with her out of the goodness of her heart because she doesn’t have one. I’m telling you Leeta is evil and I know killing someone isn’t beneath her because sixteen years ago Leeta killed my father.”
The room goes eerily silent. James Loman died in a car accident. My parents talked about James over the years, but my father never hinted around that his death was anything more than an accident. Right now, looking at Gavin, I know in my heart that at the very least, he believes what he just said to be true, and my heart wants to break seeing the pain that is etched on his beautiful face.
“Do you care to elaborate, son?” Gavin takes a second to gather his thoughts. I don’t know. Either way, I can tell it’s upset him to be talking about his father’s death.
“James Loman. My father died in a car accident. The police reports indicate the weather being the main factor for th
e accident, but I heard Leeta, my mother, tell someone that she tampered with his brake lines.”
The other officer clears his throat. “But you have no proof of your claim?”
Gavin’s face drops even more as he takes a deep breath and slowly shakes his head no. Even though I was only a toddler, I was in here the night James died. My father and Leeta herself were supposed to be in the car with James. At least, that’s what my parents told me. Something happened and James left without them—something my mother and I were always grateful for.
“No. Like I said, I overheard Leeta telling someone what she did.”
“I’m not sure there’s much we can do with what you told us...” One of the officers says trailing off with a somber look on his face while the other one looks over toward me. “We are still asking around, but I have to be honest Ms. Reynolds it’s unlikely that we’ll find the driver. We also can’t rule out the fact that it could have been an accident. Something as simple as a teenager texting while driving. Either way, stay sharp and aware of your surroundings, and if you remember anything give us a call.”
Gavin walks around the side of the bed and shakes both of the officer’s hands. “Thank you. I’ll make sure to keep an eye on her.”
Oh no. Gavin was already acting protective before this happened. I can only imagine how bad he’s going to be now.
“Okay, here are your release papers. Sign here and you’re good to go.” My cheery nurse lightens the mood the police officers left behind, but even though we’re packing up and getting out of here, I can’t help but think about the shadow Gavin has cast on what really happened to me. Maybe Leeta isn’t the woman I’ve come to know. Maybe she is this evil person that Gavin believes her to be, but I’m not completely sold that she’s out to actually kill me, regardless of what she did or didn’t do to James. If she wants my stock as badly as Gavin think she does, then I need to be alive in order to sell it to her.
****
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I smile at my own personal nurse. When Gavin brought me back to his place, Kiran was here with Callie. Callie came rushing to me, concerned about what she had seen. I guess when Gavin realized I was the person out on the street that had been hit by a car, he grabbed his daughter and the two of them took off toward me. Thankfully, I appeared to be sleeping on the street—Callie’s words not mine. If I had looked anything like the fighters at The Hill, she would have been scarred for life.
“Yes, I promise I’m fine.” Callie pulls a brush out of the bag she brought into Gavin’s room with her and starts brushing my hair. Feeling her play with my hair relaxes me to the point that I shut my eyes, and I can feel myself drifting off to sleep when she yells, “Daddy, quick. She’s dying.” My eyes pop open as Gavin rushes in with a panicked look on his face, which cause me to burst out laughing.
“That was not funny!” he angrily exclaims at the two of us. I do my best to contain myself.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh, but your face was priceless.” Gavin ignores me and turns to his daughter.
“Princess, we don’t joke like that.”
Callie’s eyes go wide and her lips go pouty. “But, Daddy, I thought she was dying.” My chest instantly feels heavy. I hate that Callie witnessed my accident and the last thing I want is for her to get in trouble with Gavin.
“I was starting to fall asleep. Callie here brushes hair better than anyone I’ve ever met and it felt so good it was putting me to sleep,” I rush out, trying my best to keep a sweet smile on my face.
I swear Callie looks like the cat off of Shrek with her big sad eyes waiting to see if her Daddy is mad at her. “Okay, baby girl. Why don’t you head out to the living room? Frozen is on.”
“Okay, Daddy.” Once she realizes she’s not in trouble, she’s quick to get out of his path.
“Sorry. Really, neither of us were trying to play a joke on you.”
Gavin looks tense and I’m wondering if it’s more than just my accident that has him this way. “Are you okay?”
His head shoots up when he hears my question. “Yes. Of course I’m okay. I wasn’t the one who was hit by a car yesterday.” I reach out and give his hand a squeeze.
“I’m okay. It was just an accident.”
Gavin’s eyes narrow at my comment. “This was not an accident. I’m not sure who’s responsible but I know that much.” At the hospital Gavin seemed to at least consider the idea that what happened could have been an accident, so I’m left to wonder what has changed.
“Do you know something you’re not telling me?” He flinches at my comment, leaving me no doubt that he knows something. “What? Tell me.”
Gavin glances over his shoulder for a second then looks back toward me. “I was talking to Kiran. He told me that Phil drives a black SUV.”
“Phil? The guy Carly’s dating? I ask flatly.
“Yes, he’s Carly’s boyfriend. Or at least they are on and off again all the time. He’s also runs the other place that most of the fights happened at. He hates me for a lot of reasons but the main one stems from the competition I give him at The Hill.” I don’t doubt the fact that this man probably has a lot of reasons to hate Gavin, but would he purposely hit me with his car?
“You really think he’s the one who hit me?” Gavin clenches his teeth as his eyes burn into mine.
“Or Carly used his vehicle. I told you, she’s always been possessive of me. She doesn’t care how many woman I screw, but if she thinks for even a second that I might actually like one of them, she goes out her way to stake her claim.” I keep my eyes focused on his.
“She’s done this kind of thing before?” Gavin leans in closer
“No. I told you I’ve never cared for anyone else before. I’ve gone on a few dates, and the very rare occasion that I’ve asked the same woman to go out a second time, Carly does something ridiculous that ensures they won’t go on a third.”
I suck in a breath. “And she knows we’re dating.”
Gavin scowls. “I told her you were moving in. She called to tell me she was allowing me to have Callie during my scheduled visitation because she wasn’t going to contest me as her father. I thought she might as well know what our plans are, so I told her. I fucking told her the same day that someone hit you with a car that fits her boyfriend’s vehicle.”
He appears to be searching my eyes for something. Forgiveness, maybe? “Gavin if and I do say if, Carly is responsible for what happened it’s not your fault. Whatever you’re thinking, I want you to stop.”
Gavin has almost the same sad eyes I saw on Callie’s cute face a moment ago. “Hey. I mean it.” I give his hand a tight squeeze, but I get nothing. Finally after a few long silent moments, he speaks up.
“If it wasn’t Carly then it had to be my mother. Neither of them would be in your life if it wasn’t for me.”
“That’s not true. Leeta came to Colorado to seek me out. She convinced me to move here. If she’s as evil as you claim then I was in her path before I ever met you. And as far as Carly’s concerned, if she’s that unstable then maybe she’ll somehow get caught and you’ll be able to file for full custody.”
“You could have died.” Gavin is still unsettled and it appears he ignored everything I just said.
“You’re right, but it wasn’t you driving that car, so whatever you’re thinking, please don’t take on the blame.”
“But—”
“No. No buts. You can’t control who your mother is and you met Carly when you were seventeen. I have to admit I’ve questioned what it is you saw in her but you were a teenager. You didn’t sign up for a lifetime of craziness, but that’s exactly what she’s delivered. Either way, what happened is not your fault.”
To my surprise, Gavin leans in and kisses me. The kiss is soft but the heat that we share simmers just below the surface. “Please don’t be mad at me—”
“I’m not. I told you that already,” I blurt out, cutting him off.
“No. I’m talking about in the fut
ure. Until I know for a fact what happened was an accident or until I know what Leeta is up to, I’m going to hover over you more than you’ll probably want. But...please. Don’t get mad at me.”
I want to laugh at how crazy he sounds, but I have a feeling he means every word he just said. “I grew up in an overprotective house. I never understood why my parents felt the need to hover like they did other than I was their only child and they had no plans to have more. Still, to a certain degree, I’m used to it. Just remember I’m also an adult and I won’t do anything reckless.”
I can see some of the tension start to drain from him. “Pay more attention to your surroundings. Try not to go anywhere alone if you can avoid it, and call or text me regularly so I know where you are at all times.”
I answer him immediately. “Fair enough. Now, if it’s okay with you, I’m tired. I think my body is in need of some serious sleep.” His concern is clearly marked on his face.
“Oh, babe. I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re fine. I’m glad we had this talk. Now go watch Frozen with your daughter.” Gavin leans in again and softly kisses me. I almost blurt out I love you, but I stop before the words can form. Do I love him? I think I do. I know I feel more for him than I have for any guy I’ve known before, but it seems too soon to actually say the words. However, when I look into Gavin’s eyes, I think he’s struggling not to say them back to me as well, so I let him off the hook. “Goodnight.”
“Night.” He gives me another beautiful smile before he leaves the room. The events of the last day are blurry, but I know my feelings for Gavin are becoming clear.
I’m willing to admit—at least to myself—that I’m starting to fall for Gavin, but that doesn’t mean I’m not ready to strangle him. The last three days I have been a patient, however I feel more like a prisoner. The only thing he’s allowed me to do without a fight is use the restroom. I’m not even allowed to shower without him standing right outside the door ready to help if I need it, and unfortunately there’s nothing the least bit sexual in the way he’s standing guard. Nope, if anything he barely looked at my naked body while I attempted to shower, and he definitely ignored my pursuit to gain his attention.
Beneath The Lies Page 13
