I Promise You (Dare, #2) — Chapter no 9

CHAPTER NINE

COLE

DEKE, BENNETT, BECKY, AND I all occupy Austin’s small room.

Shelby told them they could visit for an hour since she’s doing so well.

She’s been awake for most of the day now. Shelby allowed me to stay in the room earlier this morning while she brought Austin out of sedation. Then after Shelby did her assessment, she gave us a few minutes alone.

“Sweetheart?” I ask softly.

Her eyes close, and she whispers, “Cole.”

I swallow the knot in my throat. Now is not the time to be a little bitch.

She’s been so strong. I need to be too. “It’s me, sweetheart.”

“Where …? What …?”

“Shh,” I tell her when she opens her eyes again. “You’re okay, baby.”

Her eyes meet mine, and they instantly fill with tears. “Cole …” She chokes on my name. “I’m … so sorry.”

“Hey.” I drop her hand and take her face in both of mine. “Don’t apologize, Austin! Do you hear me? This was not your fault. None of it was your fault.” I place my forehead against hers. “It’s all mine. And I’m so

sorry,” I whisper. “Please forgive me.”

She begins to sob.

I pull back and rub the tears from her pale and bruised face with my thumbs. “Tell me you forgive me, sweetheart. I need to hear you say it.”

She shakes her head, and my chest tightens. “You didn’t … do this.”

“But I did—”

“It was Kellan.” She interrupts me, then looks around the room quickly as if she feels his presence. Like his ghost is here to haunt her. He won’t.

That fucker is burning in hell. “Cole.” Her wide and watery eyes meet mine again. “Cole, he told me—”

“I know.” I interrupt, giving her a soft smile to calm her fears. I don’t want her to be afraid of anything anymore.

“But he …”

“Shh,” I tell her. “It’s okay, Austin. I know.”

She licks her wet lips and takes in a shaky breath. “Where is he?”

“Never coming back,” I answer, and she closes her eyes as fresh tears run down her face.

She’s doing great. She did eat too many ice chips this morning and ended up getting sick, but Shelby said that was normal. She was able to have soup for lunch and kept that down. Progress. I’ll take it.

“What day is it?” she asks no one in particular.

“The twentieth,” Becky answers, sitting next to her bed.

Austin’s face falls. “What is it?” I ask, pushing off the wall by the

window.

Her eyes meet mine. “Why are you here?”

I frown. It’s like her birthday all over again. Maybe she has memory loss.

I need to ask Shelby about that. “Why wouldn’t I be here?”

She looks up at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost six. Graduation started three hours ago.”

The room falls silent. I go to open my mouth, to tell her some bullshit lie like the school burned down, but Becky beats me to it. Only she tells the truth. “We didn’t go.”

“What?” Austin gasps. “You can’t miss graduation.”

Deke shakes his head. “It was already decided, babe.”

She glares at Deke’s for calling her babe, and he just smirks at her. Then she looks at me. “Cole, you can’t be serious.”

I nod, crossing my arms over my chest. “Of course, we are.” I don’t think the school expected us to show anyway, considering I was accused of murder just four days ago. And the fact that Austin is in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound and Kellan is still missing. Pretty sure they would escort us out if we even stepped foot on school property.

Her green eyes well up with tears, and she sniffs. Shelby told us this would happen. That the drugs they have been giving her would make her extremely emotional. She was not joking. She cried earlier when she applied some Chapstick to her lips while thanking me. You would have thought I was God bringing her lips back to life.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Deke tells her.

“Why would you guys skip graduation?” she asks as if she isn’t important to us. Like we would just leave her. I haven’t left this hospital since I got here, so why would I leave now that she’s awake?

“Because …” Deke answers. “You’re our little sister. Plus, we already put in all the work. We’re getting that diploma whether we show up or not.”

Fresh tears roll down her face.

There’s a knock on the door, and Shelby walks in. “Hey? How are you feeling?”

“A little sore,” Austin answers, wiping the wetness from her face.

Shelby walks to the end of her bed. “I’ll bring you something for the pain. I just wanted to let you know that a couple of officers were just here wanting to talk to you.” Austin’s eyes go big. “But I told them you need your rest and to give you until at least tomorrow.”

“What do they want?” she asks.

“They want to go over what happened and see if you have any information on Kellan’s whereabouts.”

The room falls silent ’cause even though the guys and I haven’t spoken it out loud, the girls suspect we killed him.

She just nods once. Shelby leaves, letting her know she’ll be back soon with those meds. Austin lays her head back and sighs heavily. She’s tired.

She made a lot of progress today and needs some rest.

“Not that I care, but has anyone heard from my father?” she asks. “Does

he know that Celeste is dead?”

Silence fills the room once again.

She slowly sits back up, and her eyes go to mine. “Cole?”

The final dare. She thinks we already killed him. “He’s been arrested,” I

answer.

Her brows lift. “For what?”

“We turned him in for trying to kill Cole.” Bennett finally speaks. “I wiped out everything on Jerrold’s laptop except the evidence and turned it over.”

“Yeah.” Deke nods. “They had him on the news. The police went to his office and removed him in handcuffs. Guess he’s in trouble for some other shit too. They’re looking into his emails and got a warrant to search the house …”

She gasps, and I tilt my head. Why would she be so worried about him?

“Cole, you have to go to my house,” she says in a rush.

I shake my head. “No—”

“Cole.” She interrupts me. “You have to go to my house. I have all the recordings hidden there. What if the cops find what I have on you guys?”

“Recordings?” Becky stiffens.

Deke raises his brows, looking at me. Hmm. I had forgotten about those.

“Right now,” she adds, her green eyes big.

“Babe, calm down.” I walk over to her. “It’s okay …”

“What if they find them?” She repeats herself, and she begins to cry again. “I can’t … I’d never forgive myself if you guys get in trouble …”

She begins to sob.

“Okay. I’ll go.” I don’t want her upset. I want her better and out of this fucking place so we can move on with our lives.

“Right now?” she asks, sniffling. I nod my head. Then she looks over at Becky. “Will you go with him?”

Becky looks like she is about to refuse when Austin looks at all of us.

“Will you give Becky and me a moment?”

“Sure.” I lean down to kiss her forehead and then follow the guys out.

“What do you think she wants to talk about?” Deke asks.

“I don’t know.” I sigh. “She was pretty shaken up about it, though. You can ask Becky when she comes out here.”

He shakes his head. “We’re not speaking.”

“I got that.” It was awkward sitting with the two of them in Austin’s room.

“Still mad at you over Evan Scott?” Bennett asks.

“Among other things.” He sighs, then adds, “It’s over.”

Bennett’s eyebrows rise to his hairline, and I frown. “What do you mean it’s over?”

He looks down at his phone and begins to type. “I wasn’t being cryptic, Cole. I said it’s over.”

The door behind us opens, and Becky exits. She looks at me, then Bennett before looking down at the floor. “I’m ready when you are.”

“I’m gonna head out too. Have a few things to take care of. I’ll be back,”

Bennett says, slapping me on the back. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, man.” I look over at Becky and grab the keys out of my pocket.

“Give me a minute with Deke.”

She takes the keys and then walks out after Bennett, knowing I was dismissing her. I turn to Deke, and he’s still typing away on his phone.

“Writing a novel?” I joke.

His hands pause over the keys, and his blue eyes narrow on me.

Deke is a jokester. That’s who he is. I have a feeling now that he and Becky are over, he won’t be that way for a while. “Wanna talk about it?”

“Nope,” he answers in a clipped tone, then he goes back to typing.

Okay. “Will you stay here with her?” I ask. “I don’t wanna leave her alone—”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He interrupts me before walking back into her room.