Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“She was about to start her sophomore year after the accident. I tried to earn enough to cover her tuition once I recovered, but it was impossible. I fell further and further in debt.”
“That’s not right. She should have been eligible for aid.”
I nodded. “She should, but almost failed out the semester after the accident. She wasn’t doing well after losing Mom and Dad.”
“Of course not. What happened to you the night of the accident? I’m sure you had a hard time mentally and physically.” He brushed his fingers lightly over the scar on my collarbone and the one hidden by my hair.
“I got a serious concussion, and the seatbelt broke my collarbone, but my parents were hurt much worse. They didn’t die at the scene, though. There were weeks of surgeries and attempts to save them before they both succumbed to their injuries.” I closed my eyes and pulled away from him, wanting to curl up in a fetal position. The thought of my parents lying in the hospital, unable to speak or move because they were in medically-induced comas made nausea curl in my stomach.
“It’s okay. I’m here.” Val rubbed my back. I usually wanted to be alone whenever I thought of my parents, but his touch calmed me. “Text your sister and let her know you’ll talk to her later, then tell me the whole story, no matter how long it is.”
I sent a quick text to Ava, telling her that I was working and I would call her back later, then I let Val pull me against him. As he combed his fingers through my hair, I wanted to fall back asleep. That would be a hell of a lot easier than telling him the whole story.
“My sister’s name is Ava, but I guess you know that.”
He smiled. “That’s a lovely name.”
“Thanks. She wasn’t with us on the Cape the night of the accident. She’d been dating a guy long distance. They only had a few days together before he had to leave for summer school, so she stayed home. That’s why she wasn’t in the car. They broke up not long after that, but I’ll always be grateful to him for giving her a reason to stay home. What if I’d killed her too?”
Val took hold of my chin and forced me to look at him. “You didn’t kill them; the driver of the other car did. He was clearly driving like a maniac. And I have a feeling you’re dismissing how tough your own recovery was.”
“We’ll get to that. I’m fine now, and I’m all my sister has. My parents weren’t rich, but we always had plenty. There should have been something to help us, but once their hospital bills were settled by the estate, all their money and property went to charity except their cars and a small sum that didn’t even pay for a funeral. I don’t get why they would have done that. We…we thought they loved us.”
Val’s mouth dropped open. I’d never seen him so surprised, but it was nothing compared to how Ava and I felt when we met with my parents’ attorney. “What did you do?”
“I tried to find decent work, but it was hard, and the bills piled up.”
Val kissed the top of my head. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
“I lost the job I’d had, because it took me so long to recover from the concussion. At first Ava refused to go back to college, but I told her she had to. I would do whatever was necessary to pay her tuition. I kept borrowing as much as I could and ignoring bills here and there, digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole.”
“I’m going to help you. We’re going to make this right.”
I shook my head. “It’s my responsibility. Ava only needs one more year to get her degree. I couldn’t let her drop out when she was so close, so I borrowed the money from your family and used it to pay her tuition and housing fees.”
“Liam, baby, you should’ve told me that to start with.”
“Why? You told me you weren’t running a charity. Why would I think you would care what the money was for?”
He blew out a long breath. “Most of the people who come to us aren’t thinking about anyone but themselves. They want to save their own ass from something they got themselves into. You’ve been hurt, and there’s no one to help you. You want to take care of your sister, and you don’t deserve the financial burden you were hit with. Ava should be able to go to school without it ruining you. I imagine she wants you alive when she’s done.”
“Of course she does, but wishing away the bills didn’t to a damn thing to get them paid.”
“Does she know how you got the money?”