Page 59 of Prickly Pair
“Do you think he’ll die?”
“No,” Mateo said. “Not at all. The neck brace was a precaution. I think he broke a rib or two possibly, and I think he’ll be banged up. But he’ll be okay. You, on the other hand, I don’t know. I don’t think you’re okay at all. I’ve known you for a long time, but you’ve hit the bottom, Austin. You can’t keep living like this.”
“I need to go inside,” I said.
“Yeah.” He didn’t give me my keys, though.
“You don’t need to stay.”
“I’m not going until you’ve eaten in front of me, had some water, and sat down on the couch. And I’d expect everyone to come by to see you.”
“Or no one,” I said. “Since apparently everything thinks I’m capable of hurting someone like that.”
“Levi didn’t think that. I didn’t either.”
“But Evie did.” I closed my eyes. I couldn’t get her expression out of my head.
“Evie heard that one asshole say something awful. She’s probably scared and confused right now. Even June looked terrified. I’m sure Nick will set the record straight. It was an accident. We all know you.”
I didn’t say anything else, but nodded as Mateo got out of the truck.
Why did every muscle suddenly feel so lethargic? I didn’t even want to move. I felt like there were weights tied around my ankles and every single step took a herculean effort.
Mateo opened my door. His mustache dipped with a serious frown. “Should I carry you?”
“No.” I finally got out and followed him inside my house.
Mateo pushed me towards the living room. “Go. Sit. Take your boots off.”
I was numb. Robotic. I did as he asked, but still couldn’t stop replaying what just happened.
It was my fault. It was my fault. And I never wanted something like that to happen, but it fell on me.
Would I ever be able to do anything right?
I wasn’t sure.
I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Evie
Today went downhill fast.
Everything had started on a high note. Waking up next to Nick and Matthew, cuddling, eating breakfast. But then I’d friend-zoned the man I’d been in love with for years and he maybe, according to the crowd that had gathered around Nick, had pushed my sort-of boyfriend off a roof?
I didn't know what to think. June drove so fast, we got to the hospital at the same time as the ambulance. The ER was completely empty aside from us and the receptionist. It smelled sharply of alcohol pads, and the lights were bright and yellow. June held my hand, and my leg bounced up and down nervously as I waited for news.
It couldn’t be true. There was no way.
Seeing Nick on the ground nearly gave me a heart attack. I’d immediately texted Matthew to give him a heads up, then everything started happening at once. The ambulance, the asshole screaming they’d been arguing and blaming Austin for Nick’s fall, everyone whispering as Mateo pushed Austin toward his truck.
As far as I knew, I was the only woman that Nick and Austin would ever argue over. God, I hoped it wasn't true.
There was no way he pushed Nick. There was no way. I knew Austin. I’d known him forever. I knew that he would never do something like that, and yet I'd asked because I had been so frightened that it could have been true.
Fuck.This was a nightmare.
