Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Eventually they came to take her for an x-ray and wouldn’t let me go with her.
“Rumi Thomas,” Gram said, the first words she’d spoken in hours. “You let them take that girl to get her x-ray. She’ll be back in ten minutes.”
“I’ll be right back,” Nova said, leaning her head back against the pillow as they wheeled her out of the room.
“You haven’t used both names in years,” I muttered after she’d gone.
“I haven’t had to,” Gram retorted. She got to her feet. “She’s here, honey. She’s safe, and she’ll heal.”
I closed my eyes and tried to force down the rage that had risen up like a tidal wave the minute I no longer had Nova beside me. He could’ve killed her. He almost fucking did. One more blow to the head and Nova could’ve been lying in the basement of the hospital. A corpse.
And I’d had no fucking clue. I’d been absent. Stubborn. A complete asshole.
“Come on back,” Gram whispered, wrapping her arms around me. “Come on, bud. You can keep it together a little longer.”
My entire body heaved as I tried to draw air into my lungs.
“Rumi,” my mom called, coming in the door.
“He’s alright,” Gram said, still holding me. “He just needed a minute.”
“I’m fine,” I murmured, straightening. “What’s up, Ma?”
“Your dad and the boys are here,” she said.
“About fuckin’ time.”
“They’ve been here a while,” she replied. “But I knew you weren’t going anywhere while Nova was in here, so I didn’t bother you.”
“They askin’ for me?”
“I think you should probably talk to them,” she said softly. “I’ll text you the second Nova gets back.”
“How’s Bird?”
“He’s good,” Mom said, smiling softly. “Burst eardrum—which hurts like a bitch and is why he was so dizzy—but he’ll be fine. He’ll heal.”
“Not sure how you heal from that.”
“You do,” Gram said softly, rubbing my back. “They will.”
I kissed my mom on the head as I left and went searching for the doors to the waiting room. What was it with every hospital that was set up like a goddamn maze? When I finally found an exit sign, I went through it and found the entire front lobby full of Aces members and their women.
I plowed through them, ignoring the questions on how Nova and Bird were doing as I looked for my dad and the rest of the old-timers. The women could update them. I didn’t have time to chitchat when Nova would be back from her x-ray at any time.
“Hey,” my brother said as I found their little huddle outside.
“Thought you were with Bird?”
“I just came out,” he said, glancing over my shoulder at the hospital. “Mom and Titus were in there when I left.”
“Rumi,” Dragon said, nodding at me.
“What the fuck happened?” I blurted, looking around at the men I’d trusted my entire life.
None of them looked like they were shocked to be standing in front of the emergency room. I thought about their expressions when I’d gotten to Nova’s. None of them had looked surprised then, either.
“You knew?”
“Rumi,” Gramps growled in warning.
“We knew Samson had been actin’ off,” Uncle Casper said, his arms crossed over his chest. “Losin’ his temper over stupid shit. Forgettin’ things.”
“Asked Ash about it,” Dragon continued. “She said he was fine at home. Asked Nova—she said the same.”
“So you just ignored it,” I said in disbelief.
“We didn’t,” Casper replied. “We kept a finger on the pulse and we watched.”
“Well, you weren’t watchin’ close enough.”
“Where the fuck were you?” Brody asked snidely. “Nova’s best friend doesn’t know shit? Come on.”
I didn’t even respond. My hands were in fists, and I was going for his face without a single thought.
“Stop it,” my uncle Will ordered, wrapping me up in a bear hug before I could reach Brody.
“Fuck you,” I yelled at Brody.
“No, fuck you,” he replied, his voice level.
“You wanna get escorted off the fuckin’ property?” my gramps barked. “Knock it off, Rumi.”
“We haven’t been talkin’,” I confessed as Uncle Will let me go. “I didn’t know anything.”
“Nice timing,” Brody muttered.
“Shut it, Brody,” his dad snapped.
“No fingers to point here,” Dragon said, shutting both of us up. “Except one.”
“Where the fuck is he?” I asked, looking around at their faces. “He in this hospital?”
It was silent for a moment.
“Samson’s dead,” Uncle Grease finally said. “Didn’t even make it out of the trailer park.”
“Good.” The word was out of my mouth before I’d thought it through, but I wasn’t going to take it back. I had a million memories with Samson.
Riding in the back of Ash’s car with Nova and Bird while Samson played with Ash’s hair in the front seat.
Samson’s laughter after I’d tried to do some trick off the rope swing at the river and landed with a painful slap in the water.
Samson, flicking Nova’s ponytail and her smiling up at him.
Bird riding on his shoulders.