My Hired Boyfriend (Completed)

46. Made New

I just ask the one question—the only question that matters at that moment.

"Where is he?" My voice cracks.

"Honey, I don't know—" My mom begins.

And suddenly a days worth of the same answers brings me to a snapping point.

Tears are suddenly running down my face and Gwen is leaning over my bed, cradling me in her eyes as I sob pathetically.

My heart hurts more than any stab wound or blow to the head that I've received in the past week.

"He hasn't left your side for the past three days," my father says softly, stroking my hair soothingly. "today he just...he needed air I guess."
Jeremy places his hand on my knee and I look up from my lap briefly to look at his bruised and battered face.

I cry even harder, holding his hand tighter.

"I'm sorry Jeremy. You must hate me and I must've done something wrong for him to leave the way he did and—and—" I exhale a shaky sob, my side no longer being ripped open.

"Shhh," Jeremy murmurs, pressing my hand against his lips. "He's being stupid. He needs time."
Time?

He needed time?

I nearly died.

He nearly died.

He said he loved me so where was he now?

Did me nearly dying make him realize that he wanted someone else to love?

It's only later when I finally calm down enough to stop the heart machine from screaming that Jeremy fills me in on everything I missed.

Addy had gotten the flash drive to the police and the moment I passed out, Coda found me.

Jeremy doesn't say anything else about Coda finding me after my fight with Cordero but the look in his eyes tells me there's more to the story.

After finding me, the police showed up.

Now that they have the evidence, the police have more evidence to put Rick behind bars with a longer sentence and to put Will in jail as well.

As for Cordero—

I killed him.

When Jeremy tells me that, I wait for the guilt to come flooding into my heart.

I don't feel any of it.

I just feel...numb...like I'm in shock.

I stare at my shaking hands and stop talking for a while.

My brain tries to process everything that's happened and my chest begins to tighten and I just want to sleep.

"You should get some rest," Gwen says, recognizing the exhausted look in my face. She twists her coffee cup nervously in her hands. "I need to drop Jeremy off at his hospital room and I'll stay with him for a little bit before coming back to stay the rest of the night with you..." she trails off.

I shake my head, holding her hand. "I'll be okay. You look tired so you should get some rest."
Gwen looks unsure but she really does look exhausted.

"I'll stay with her," my father says quietly, giving me a reassuring smile.

I smile weakly at him, sinking into my bed and burying myself in the covers. I squeeze my eyes shut and to ignore the concerned murmuring of my family.