"It's a miracle really." Dad shakes his head. "They were doing some research for a biology assignment - looking for some sample in the national park and Adam spotted a twisted guardrail. They decided to check it out and stumbled across your body. Isn't that amazing?"
And totally unbelievable.
"The police think you were hit by a car, but they have no way of finding out who the driver was. Sheriff Hutton said he would try to do a search for scraped up blue cars in the area, but he didn't think the chances were very high."
I can feel the wrinkles in my forehead as I soak in the falsehoods my parents had been dished.
"Are you mad?"
I glance at my Dad. His expression is hard, his eyes black with barely quelled rage.
"No. I'm alive and safe. I don't care who hit me... and neither should you."
I reach for his fingers. I can tell his smile is forced, but at least he's trying.
Images of Dale being pushed into the back of a police car assault me. The stolen car. The jail break. He was in juvie for sure. Tears burn the back of my eyes. "Where is Dale?"
"At school."
"What?"
Mom takes my hand and sits down next to me.
"He's been here as much as possible. His parents have had to drag him away several times. I'm sure he'll be by after school."
"But... what about jail?"
My parents give each other an odd look.
"I thought..." I frown and lick my lips. "I thought he was arrested?"
"Dale?" My Dad sits forward in his chair. "For what?"
"For..." I swallow down my sentence and start to wonder about that car ride back to the police station.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
I spend the rest of the day wondering about the car ride to the station. Sheriff Hutton must have changed his mind if Dale walked free, but I thought he'd be frying his backside and serving him up for dinner. We had totally been trespassing, there was no denying that.
The word of a Sheriff against the word of an ex-criminal. Dale had no show.
I fidget with my hospital wristband and shift in my bed, careful not to move my splinted knee. Checking the wall on the clock for the millionth time that day, I will Dale to walk through the door and explain everything.
Mom and Dad left me alone to sleep for a little while, but my eyes won't stay shut. I don't care that I'm exhausted. I need answers.
I didn't want to delve into details with Mom and Dad so spent the rest of the day chatting about the kinds of changes we were going to make at home. We were interrupted several times by doctors and physical therapists explaining about my long road back to recovery.
Just thinking about how much work I need to do to get my limbs moving properly makes me want to cry. I bite down hard on my lip, not wanting to give into the waterworks again.
I glance at the clock. Four o'clock.
"Damn it, Dale, hurry up."
My door clicks open and I glance up with a smile. It fades when I see a shame-faced Adam shuffle through the door. I think I spot a muss of curls in the corridor, but the door closes before I can confirm it.
"Hey, Nicole." Adam fidgets with the zipper on his jacket while he waits at the end of the bed.
"Where's Dale? Is he safe? What happened to him?"
Adam raises his hands, no doubt trying to stop my invasion of questions.
"He's fine. Dad didn't charge him with anything. In fact we snuck in the back of the station and Dad pretended that Dale had been there the whole time."
"How did the deputy not notice?"
Adam shrugs.
"He had a ton of paperwork to clean up. When we got there he was just finishing and going on about wind or something."
I bite back my smile.
"What about the stol... borrowed car?"
"Dale insisted Dad drive him back, so he could return it. He even stopped and filled it up with gas."
How Dale is that? I grin.
"Why did your Dad change his mind?"
"Dale promised not to say anything... about me or my car."
"And your Dad just let him go?"
"I think Dad's going to be watching him pretty carefully."
"He's afraid... and he should be."
Guilt washes over Adam's face.
I shoot him a sharp glare.
"Why are you here, Adam?"
"I was told I had to..." He looks to the door then back at me. "I'm sorry... for what I did."
"You mean being a coward?"
He flushes bright red and looks to the floor.
"You don't know my Dad."
Pity needles its way into my system.
"I know enough. I get why you didn't say anything, but I don't get why you're letting him control you this way."
Adam looks up.
"He nearly made you a murderer."
His lips go white.
"If Dale hadn't been there, what would you have done? Would you have buried me alive, like your Dad wanted?"
"How did you know that?" His white face wrinkles with confusion.
I shake my head.
"Do me a favor, Adam. Tell your Dad where to stick it. This is your life and you don't want to get to the end of it and realize you've actually lived his."
His brows pucker.
"Why aren't you trying to kill me right now?"
"I have a smashed up arm and a splinted leg. It's kind of challenging."
A small grin plays on his lips.
"I mean it, Adam. I won't say anything about what happened, that's your decision... just please use this nightmare for good. I'm not going through all this shit so everything around me can just go back to the way it was. Change has to happen... and not just for me." I raise my eyebrows then lift my index finger and point it straight at him. "And if I ever see you pointing a gun at someone again, I'm gonna kick your ass to Jupiter."
The smile on his lips grows wider.
"You know when you say stuff like that you sound like her."
"Who?"
"The old Nicky."
I smile back at him, feeling a blush warm my cheeks.
"Get out of my room... and send Dale in, will ya?"
Adam nods and pulls open the door, but Dale is nowhere to be seen. Instead the corridor is crowded with a bunch of familiar faces bustling towards me.
They crowd into my room and surround the bed, all smiles and well wishes.
Trent leans down and kisses my cheek. Julie Peters gives me a winning smile and squeezes my hand.
I pull it out of her grasp. What the hell is she doing here?
On the other side of the bed Amber and Penny are gushing while Matt and Drue make useless jokes because they're feeling uncomfortable.
"Your Mom finally said it was okay to visit." Penny smiles.
"We've been asking since they found you and she's kept refusing us." Amber sounds titchy as she gazes at my cast. "Can I sign it?"
She looks around for a pen.
"No." I cover the cast with my good arm.
"What's your problem?"
"Seriously?"
Amber gives me a snotty pout then turns to Penny with a frown.
"We've been so worried about you." Julie reaches for my hand again. I pull it away.
"You don't say." I give her a cold glare.