by Gia Riley
"Yes, and this is Sophie's boyfriend, Kipton Keller."
"Nice to meet you both. I wish this was under different circumstances. Sophie is pretty bruised up, as to be expected, but she doesn’t have any broken bones. Her vitals are strong."
“The officer said she wasn’t awake. What’s going on?”
“Upon arrival she was unconscious, but has woken up. I checked her medical records, and it’s not uncommon for someone with her concussion history.”
I breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that there’s no permanent damage, but I need more. "What did he do to her?" I'm not sure I even want to hear the answer to my own question, but for my own piece of mind, I need to know what I’m walking into when I see her.
"She was struck in the face several times. There are lacerations to her cheek as well as her brow. She has a bruised jaw that will make it hard for her to eat for a while. Her ribs on the right side are bruised, but not broken. We’re managing her pain, and will be keeping her overnight for observation.”
"Did he touch her?" I pray the doctor understands what I'm asking because I don't have it in me to break it down for him.
“No. There were no signs of a sexual assault.”
I nod my head, unable to express my relief. "Can we see her now?"
"Yes. The authorities will want to question her as soon as possible though. Follow me."
The doctor leads us down the hallway, and back into the treatment area. Sophie's room is manned by a security guard. It freaks me out when he stops us at the door like we’re the criminals. I get that he’s there for protection, but I’m not the one he has to worry about.
Once we’re both cleared, we open the door to her room. She’s the only one in this area without a curtain.
The sight of her looking so peaceful, yet so mangled scares the shit out of me. She looks so small in the bed with white sheets up to her waist and her hospital gown drowning her tiny body. There's an IV in her right arm connecting her to a metal pole with a bag of clear fluid suspended from the top. Little white patches are stuck to her chest that light up the monitors next to her bed. One shows her pulse and another her heart rhythm. The rest, I have no idea what they're doing, but as long as they stay steady, I'll listen to the beeping all night long if it means Sophie’s okay.
Coach pulls a chair over to the side of her bed, holding her hand in his. "Beauty," he whispers with emotion lacing his voice. She doesn’t move, her eyelashes resting peacefully on her cheeks. I pay attention to the rise and fall of her chest, making sure each breath follows the last. I can’t take a thing for granted despite what the doctor told us.
I should give Coach time with his daughter, but I’m too afraid to take my eyes off Sophie. She wouldn't be laying here if I'd gotten to her house when I was supposed to. If I wouldn't have been stuck in a never-ending meeting about shit that could have waited until Monday. Instead, I’m stuck in this sterile room with the only part of my life that truly matters looking more battered and bruised than I prepared myself for.
Coach wipes a tear from his cheek as he mumbles through a prayer with his eyes closed. When he finishes, he draws the sign of the cross on her forehead with his thumb. One of his tears falls on her gown as he leans closer to kiss her cheek. When he’s finished, he clasps me on my shoulder with a solid squeeze of support. It’s his silent permission to take care of his daughter while he’s gone.
"Sit with her, Son. I need to take a walk."
"I will." I watch as he leaves the room even more somber than when he entered. Alone with Sophie, I take careful steps closer to her. Her beautiful porcelain skin is covered in purple bruises with stitches lining her eyebrow.
I stare at her, too afraid to touch her, but desperate to be close to her. Moving the chair aside, I sit down on the edge of her bed and fight with myself. She’s not broken, but each mark on her skin infuriates me. “Beautiful, I’m here,” I tell her softly. When she doesn’t open her eyes, I take her hand without the IV into mine. I link our fingers together to form an unbreakable bond. I’ve never loved someone as much as I love her.
As her hand warms in mine, her eyes slowly flutter open. She blinks three times before focusing on me. “Kipton.” She winces as she says my name, and I worry I’m hurting her. I try to drop her hand, but she holds on tighter. “My mouth is so dry, can I have some water?”
“I’ll get you some.”
“Have I been asleep long? The pain medicine is making me so sleepy,” she asks, as I pour water from a pink pitcher into a plastic cup.
“No, baby. Not long.” I hand her the water and guide the straw between her lips. “Small sips. The doctor said your jaw is bruised pretty bad.” Along with the rest of her.
She finishes her drink and hands the cup back to me. “Rest, Sophie. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m okay. If I close my eyes I can’t see you. And I’ve missed you so much.”
I stare at every mark on her as she speaks. The way her stitches move every time her expression changes makes me want to throw shit. And the slit across her cheek still has some dried blood near the cut. It must not have been deep enough for stitches. “God, Sophie. It kills me to see you like this."
She reaches up to fix her hair. The stretching aggravates her ribs enough that she puts her arm back down. “I look like hell. I’m sorry.”
“You’re still the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” I pause as my throat tightens, but I force myself to swallow around the pressure building inside of me. “I’m sorry I let you down. I’m done with it all. All I need is you.” I lace my fingers with hers and the first thing I notice is her missing ring.
The nurse walks in to check her IV, making her wince again when she adjusts the part going into her vein. "My ring? Where’s my ring?”
The nurse pauses to look at her ring finger. Calmly she responds, "It's probably in police custody. I’ll take a look around for it. They may want it as evidence.” The nurse turns to me, a small smile on her face. “Did you give it to her?”
“Yes, it means a lot to both of us.”
“I figured it was special. I’ll do my best to track it down.”
"Thank you."
Evidence. It's a reminder that the guy who did this to Sophie is still out there. If I find out who he is, I’ll fucking kill him—that’s a promise.
DESPITE THE STINGING IN MY eyebrow from being stitched up, it doesn’t compare to the agony in my ribs. A deep breath is like trying to run the mile in record time. My lips are as dry as sandpaper, and opening my mouth far enough to wet them sends white lightning all the way from my ears to my neck. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear my jaw was broken. Even my cheekbones are swollen. They’re inflamed just enough to put pressure on my eyelids.
But I’m alive.
Blaine has robbed me of my happiness many times, but he’s never gone this far. The scariest part is—he’s capable of more. A hot tear slides down my cheek as the reality of what I’ve been through washes over me.
"Sophie?" Kipton ducks his head to look into my eyes.
I blink my eyes a few times, bringing the foggy room into focus. "Where were you? You weren’t there, Kipton.” It hurts so bad to talk. The movement of my jaw causes a clicking sound in my ear. Even my teeth ache. Despite the pain, I clutch the blanket and get every word out. There’s so much I need to say to him.
He brushes his knuckle against my swollen cheek. "Beautiful, I’m so sorry I let you down."
“Do you still love her?” I choke out. He pauses, seemingly surprised by my question. In my mind it’s completely valid.
“No, Sophie. I never loved her the way I love you, and I never will.”
That’s the right answer, but it doesn’t explain why he chose to omit information. He doesn’t get to pick and choose what he tells me. “Then why did you lie to me at the cabin? I heard her voice when you answered the door.”
He exhales a shaky breath of his own. “You heard that? Why didn’t you say anything?”
/>
“As much as it killed me, I was too scared to call you out—in case she meant more to you than I do.”
He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Twice more he tries before I hear actual words. “I thought I was protecting you.”
“From what?”
“From my past. From her. All of it. I didn’t want you to worry when there was no reason to.”
“If there’s no reason to worry, why did she answer your phone today?”
He runs his hand over his five o’clock shadow. The past twenty four hours have worn him down. “I swear to you, Sophie. I didn’t even know she had my phone. I left it in the office when I was picking up my mail before the meeting.”
I nod my head as much as I can tolerate. “Cara hates her.”
“I know she does. I’m not very fond of her myself. Not after the shit she pulled.”
“Like what?”
“Can we talk about her another time? Right now all I’m worried about is you.”
I shrug my shoulders. I’d like to know more now, but I guess this isn’t really the time or the place to hash it out. I’ve been lied to enough times to know he’s telling me the truth.
“Sophie, I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
“I’m okay.” Kipton takes my hand in his. His grip is so light I can barely register his touch. I keep my body still, but angle my head toward him. My breath hitches when I see his eyes shining with unshed tears. “Do they have him?”
His brow furrows. “He got away. I’m sorry, baby.”
“They didn’t catch him?” From the look of disappointment on Kipton’s face, I know they haven’t.
“Not yet. They’re going over the footage from the surveillance tapes now. We’ll figure this out. I won’t let anyone get away with doing this to you.”
“I don’t want you near him. He’s too dangerous.” I always knew in the back of my mind my past and present had the potential to collide. Now that they have, I want to separate them more than ever. I would die if anything happened to Kipton because of me.
“Beautiful, do you know who did this?”
“Yes.”
Instantly his eyes brighten. “Let me get the officer. You have to tell them so they can arrest him. They need to know who to look for.” He stands up and is halfway to the door before I realize I have to stop him.
“No! Stay here with me.”
He walks back to my bed, and the puzzled expression on his face makes me feel like shit. He doesn’t understand it’s not that simple. If I tell the authorities about Blaine, it could make this ten times worse. There’s no doubt in my mind Blaine will retaliate. But if I keep the truth hidden, there’s a chance he will disappear and never come back.
“Sophie, you can’t keep this inside you. What are you scared of?”
“Everything,” I admit as more tears fall down my cheeks. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
“It’s not up to you.”
He stands up and rubs his temples with his fingertips. I’m giving him a headache. He’s the only one who matters to me, and I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep him safe—even if it means putting myself in jeopardy.
“Sophie,” he pleads. “Let them do their job. Let them help you.”
“It was Blaine,” I whisper. Maybe once he knows the truth he will see why I can’t tell anyone.
“Blaine,” he says through gritted teeth. “I thought that fucker was in jail.”
"They let him out," I choke out between a sob.
Kipton climbs into my bed next to me, careful not to put any pressure on my aching body. "What else, Sophie. Talk to me so I can make this better."
"You can’t make it better. Not if he’s still out there."
“That’s why you have to tell them the truth. All of it.”
I know he’s right, but I’m so conflicted. I’m damned if I do, and damned if I don’t. Neither choice will take any risk out of the equation unless they find him before I leave this hospital. Blaine being behind bars was the only thing that helped me sleep at night—the only reason I stayed safe.
Now he’s back with a vengeance.
"He could have killed you, Sophie. Look at you. Look at this.” He waves his hand around the room, reminding me of where we are and how I got here in the first place.
“I’m scared, Kipton.”
He holds me tighter, and I rest my head on his shoulder. “You’re shaking. Please, calm down.”
“He could be in this hospital waiting to get to me.”
“I won’t let anyone near you. There’s security outside your room. You’re safe.”
“I don’t feel safe.”
The nurse is back to check my vitals and while she doesn’t make a comment about Kipton being in my bed, he gets up anyway. “Stay.”
"I'm just giving the nurse more room to work, beautiful. I'm not leaving you."
She has the blood pressure cuff around my arm, pumping it to the point of pain. “That really hurts,” I tell her. I groan when I’m positive my arm is about to explode.
Kipton’s by my side the second he hears me. “Stop this thing, it’s hurting her,” he demands.
“I’m finished. Sorry for the discomfort, Sophie.” She scribbles on her clipboard oblivious to Kipton’s death stare. "The officers would like to speak with you. They’re in the hallway with your dad."
“So he knows?”
“Yes,” Kipton tells me. “He was in to see you, but you were asleep. He went for a walk after that.”
I nod my head. I can only imagine how hard it was for him to see his daughter beat up in a hospital bed. Now that I’m awake, I want to make sure he’s okay. “I want to see my dad before the police.”
“I’ll get him,” the nurse offers, as she tucks her clipboard under her arm.
Within five minutes, my dad is by my bed along with two officers. Kipton still has my hand, refusing to let go of it for even a second. Four sets of eyes are on me, and while I was nervous before, I’m petrified now.
“Beauty, this is Officer Jones and Officer Anderson. They need to know everything that happened.”
“Okay.” My voice is timid. Already I’m worrying about saying or doing the wrong thing in front of them. They’re here to help me, but right now, they’re inspecting me like this was somehow my own fault. It doesn’t give me the encouragement I was hoping for.
“Will you start at the beginning, and tell us what happened?” Officer Jones asks. She removes her hat, and sets it on the window sill. Without it, she instantly becomes more human—approachable even. Her eyes soften as she moves closer to my bedside.
I worry the words I’m about to say will come back to haunt me—that Blaine will end up hurting me even worse for opening my mouth. But I deserve to live my life without the fear of him popping up unexpectedly. “I don’t know where to start. Parts are a little fuzzy.”
“Do you remember how you ended up outside the bar?” She asks.
I think back to the line in the hallway, and how I had no idea Blaine was in the bar. He literally came out of nowhere. “I went to the bathroom, and that’s when he found me.”
“You were alone?”
“Yes. Cara was at the table waiting for Drew.”
“You said someone found you? Do you know who it was?”
I nod my head that I do, but saying his name is even harder than I thought it would be. Confessing the truth could make my life ten times worse than it already is.
“Sophie, tell them what you told me,” Kipton whispers encouragingly.
I know that if I don’t confess on my own, he’ll do it for me. So with a shaky voice and trembling hands, I let it out. “It was my ex-boyfriend, Blaine. From Ashland.”
My dad stands up abruptly. The wooden rocking chair he was sitting in slams against the wall behind him. “There must be a mistake.” He faces the officers. “Blaine went to jail for assaulting her. He was very abusive on more than one
occasion. There’s no way he could be out of jail already.”
She asks me a few questions about Blaine, and I give her as much information about him that I can remember. I’m not sure how much help an old address will be to them.
“I’ll run a report on Blaine, and let you know what I find out. Excuse me.”
Kipton squeezes my hand. “You’re doing great, baby.” He leans in and kisses my temple.
I worry what will happen once he hears the details of the attack. What if he doesn’t look at me the same way once he knows the truth? What if he can’t handle the details at all?
“Just rest for now, Sophie,” Dad tells me.
I take the time Officer Anderson is away to rest my sore jaw. But as I close my eyes, all I can picture is Kipton leaving me. He has a job now—a future he’s excited about. All I bring to the relationship is baggage—lots and lots of baggage.
Before I can run another worst case scenario through my mind, Officer Anderson returns looking grim. “Blaine was released on Monday. I’m afraid it only took him a few days to find you and violate the terms of his parole.”
Jake. He’s been keeping Blaine informed all this time. These past two weeks I was being watched and had no idea. He didn’t turn up at the grocery store out of pure coincidence. He knew where I was because he was following me. He didn’t ask me out because he was interested in me. He asked to find out my plans for the weekend—so he could easily follow me to Shooter’s.
“Are you okay, Sophie? You look like you saw a ghost.”
“Blaine wasn’t working alone. A guy in my class—Jake. He was with Blaine at Shooter’s.”
Kipton recognizes the name instantly. “The guy who asked you out?”
I nod my head. “Yes.”
“Motherfucker,” he curses.
“Hold on a minute.” Dad holds his hand up in the air. I can tell how confused he is. “One thing at a time. Let’s start with the release. Why weren’t we informed Blaine was out of jail?”
“Mr. Evans, Sophie should have been notified, but my guess is the documentation hasn’t reached her yet. It may have been sent to her in Ashland instead of to her Alabama address. I’ll have to check into this.”
