Page 43 (2/2)

"It’s not that simple" Fuck Alex used those exact same words with me once "Alex’s husband did this"

He exhales loudly "Well then, we’ll have hiet her to a hospital"

"He’s Russianfast "Jesus, Jesse How the hell did you get ht now I just need her safe"

"Did this happen because of you?"

I shake my head

"Jesse!"

"I don’t know! Just, please, Dad Please help me" I don’t know if he even hears that last plea, ine so damn loud

"The old tannery How far away are you?"

"Maybe ten minutes"

Those ten minutes feel like an hour I half-expect the entire Deschutes County police force and handcuffs when I get to the run-down building on an isolated side road, abandoned for years A single set of tracks leads me around back, to where the white cruiser sits with a pro toward me

"Holy" He winces as he looks in the backseat

"I know"

"Shut your car off and pull her out Lay her down here" He points to the ground on his way back to his car

I’ue with hiht, gurgling sound slips through her lips and I have to gritout ofin there, Alex Stay with me"

As much as I don’t want to, I lay her down in the fresh bed of snow

"Get out of here, now Take this" He pulls the blanket away from her body

"But it’s cold out here She needs it"

"Does it have your DNA on it?"

Both of ours All over it

My hesitation answers hiht into the garage Bag everything on you, bag the rags, the blanket Everything And stay there Don’t give anyone a reason to pull you over, Jesse Go! Now!"

With one last glance at her, I dive into hts races past me about twenty seconds after I pull onto the main road "You can survive this, Alex," I whisper "You’re strong"

I’ll take whatever’s coe skills aren’t too bad after all" My hand runs throughbefore I got out and now I’

I hear a soft "fuck" slip through Boone’s lips "Bad?"

"Yeah" I don’t want to sayto stick around here for the weekend I’ll be back for work on Monday" It’s the last place I want to be, but I need to face whatever’s co will only raise suspicions "I don’t knohat he knows"

"I’ll keep an ear out Take it easy And I’m sorry I could see how ht now

I hear his unspoken words "Yeah I did Thanks, Boone For tonight" If he hadn’t been there, if he hadn’t called meshe’d already be dead "Watch yourself, too"

I hang up with Boone and a at hands that were covered in Alex’s blood only hours ago, my stomach aoffup the small pool of blood in my backseat Now all I’s could be for her right now I can’t be bla over to help a woood one, an innocent one But every choice I made after thatI could have told her that her e I could have parkedto The Cellar that second night I could have said no to the Barracuda that Viktor dangled in front of as ran out I could have not given her one to the hotel

Soone All because I let a faceless girl kiss ain, maybe it never really mattered, what I did or what choices I made Maybe the truth is that ere meant to find each other A si its way to us, no matter which path I tried to turn down

No s she sparked within h, the truth always finds its way Just like that streas into the woodstove and then fall into the pillows still scattered around it, watching the fla desperately to res she wanted to do to this place to make it her home

She would have been so happy here

"Jesse!"

My dad is crouching besidein the black Oregon skies Nothing but glowing elass in front ofat the woodstove all this tio out

"How is she?" My jaw hurts froh the air, and I hold ainst the answer I expect to hear

"She’s still alive I don’t know for how long I don’t kno, but--"

Air sails froo see her?"

"No, Jesse" He shakes his head to emphasize his point It’s an old habit of his, and that’s when I know it’s serious "She’s still in the OR Yourshe can"

Jesus My ownon her "Does Mom know?"