Someone places a hand on my shoulder, making my head snap up.
“Which way did he go, Jamie?” Hayden asks.
It feels like I’m stuck in a trance as I glance up at Hayden, but I manage to point toward the left.
Someone drops down beside me, and when arms envelop me, I know it’s Julian. The relief of having him with me makes my body sag into his.
All I hear is myself gasping for air as my heart pounds in my chest.Chapter 27JulianSitting next to the hospital bed, I can’t tear my eyes away from Jamie. The nursing staff just brought her back from doing a CT scan.
Every couple of seconds, Jamie shivers while a nurse picks leaves and sticks out of her hair, placing them in a bag. Another nurse is tending to the gashes on the back of Jamie’s head while a police officer hovers nearby to ensure the evidence is preserved.
I tighten my hold on her hand.
All it took was three minutes, and I almost lost her.
I’ll never forgive myself.
I’m so fucking sorry.
Unable to say the words to her, I swallow the bitter taste of them down.
Throughout the entire time, the nursing staff is tending to her, Jamie doesn’t say anything.
One of the nurses places a hospital gown at the foot of the bed, and says, “Miss Truman, we need to undress you, and then we’ll put on the gown. Your clothes will go in this bag as evidence.”
When Jamie doesn’t move, I give her hand a squeeze, and ask, “Do you want me to stay?”
She barely moves as she nods.
Worried, I glance at the nurse.
“She’s in shock. The sedative we gave her will help,” she assures me, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.
My eyes go to the police officer, and I ask, “Can we have some privacy?” I can see he’s going to argue, and it makes me glare at him. “You can wait right outside the room, but I insist on privacy while my girlfriend changes.”
Reluctantly, he says, “I want to talk to Miss Truman as soon as she’s changed into the hospital gown.”
I wait for the man to leave before I get up and bending over Jamie, I help her to stand. Once I’m sure she’s not going to fall down, I step to the side so the nurse can undress Jamie.
Before the nurse helps Jamie into the hospital gown, I quickly scan over her body, needing to know she’s not hurt anywhere else.
The moment the nurse steps away to open the door for the officer, I take hold of Jamie and help her back on the bed.
I steal a moment to press a kiss to her forehead and closing my eyes, I whisper, “I’m so fucking sorry I left you alone.”
The words sound… futile.
Sometimes it’s just too late to apologize. The damage has been done, leaving me with the devastating consequences of my actions.
“You can come back in,” I hear the nurse say, which has me taking hold of her hand with both of mine to lend her strength while the officer questions her.
“Miss Truman, I need to ask you questions. Every little detail is important. Can you tell me in your own words what happened?”
Jamie swallows a couple of times, then murmurs in a toneless voice, “The janitor…”
“Henry Little?” Glancing at me, the officer confirms, “Little is employed as a janitor at Trinity Academy?”
“Yes, I’ve already handed his personnel file over to another officer.”
Nodding, he turns his attention back to Jamie. “You were saying, Miss Truman.”
“The janitor… Henry Little…” Jamie seems to drift off for a moment before she continues with a hoarse but stronger voice, “He told me there was a gas leak. We had to evacuate. He banged my head against the wall.”
“Can we go back to before Henry Little approached you. What were you busy doing?”
“I was busy with a piano lesson.”
The questioning continues, and it guts me to hear her repeat her answers over and over again, but I know it needs to be done to help the police catch the bastard.After the officer finished with the questioning, a nurse moved Jamie to a private room.
Rhett and Miss Sebastian come into the room, and Miss Sebastian immediately goes to hug Jamie.
Framing Jamie’s face, Miss Sebastian begins to ask, “What’s your name?”
Jamie frowns, and slurs as she answers, “Jamie Truman.”
Miss Sebastian gives her a tearful smile. “How old are you?”
Jamie blinks a couple of times before murmuring, “Nineteen.”
“Where were you born?”
It takes a couple of seconds before Jamie responds, “Saluda.”
Miss Sebastian lets out a breath of relief, then hugs Jamie again once she’s seemingly satisfied with evaluating Jamie’s memory and concentration skills.
Rhett comes to stand in front of me, and I see the same anger on his face that’s burning inside of me.
“Carter will be here any minute. What did the doctor say?”