Daphne
My eyelids flutter open to look around a dim room that is not mine. For a few seconds, I’m confused. Then it comes rushing back all at once—Alora and Micah in that bedroom together, me racing from the house and driving for hours, crying so hard I thought I’d puke. And then, bam, my car was in a ditch, pain radiating through my body upon impact.
I don’t know exactly how it happened. All I remember is trying to turn off my phone. I guess my car went off the road. It had been dark and pouring down rain, and I’d been miserable. Given everything that I do remember about last night, I want to forget the entire evening happened. My heart is shattered. Again.
At a gentle knock on the door, I glance up. Mom smiles and makes her way to my bedside. “Awake already?”
I nod. “Yeah. What time is it?”
“Close to ten. They’re going to let you go home. They didn’t see anything significant in the tests, but you’ll probably be tired and headachey today and sore for a while.”
Breathing deeply, I nod. “Okay. Where’s Dad?”
“He wanted to be here, but he had to open the store.”
I blow some air out through pursed lips.
“Your friends were here last night. And they’re back this morning. They’re out in the waiting room.”
My brows raise. “Who?”
“Scarlett and Max. I think the other two are Beau Danbrook and Xander Grey.”
And, even though I’m not sure I wanted to see him in the first place, my face falls at the missing name. “Not Micah?” I whisper.
“He was here last night, but your dad and I asked him not to come back today, seeing as how you were so upset last night.”
I lift my hand to my head, pressing my fingers to my temple. My head is doing this awful thumping thing, probably from all the crying last night, but maybe also from smacking it on the car window. I close my eyes, willing more tears not to fall like they are threatening to do.
I draw in a ragged breath. “I don’t want to believe what I saw, Mom.”
“I know you don’t. You want to believe the best of him. I can tell you care about him. And maybe you should believe him. It sounded like there was more to what happened than meets the eye. I’m really not sure.”
My brows furrow and my head pounds harder. Sitting up in the bed, I whisper, “I think I love him. But I’m confused and hurt.”
She bites her lip, closing her eyes for a few seconds. When she looks at me again, she sighs. “I want to talk to you about something.”
My brows raise at the seriousness of her tone. Not that me being in the hospital isn’t serious enough, but this feels different.
Pulling a chair up next to my bedside, she takes my hand in hers. “Sweetheart.” She stops to clear her throat. “Daphne, are you aware there is a video circulating?”
My face turns bright red. I know it’s red because I can feel the burn of it in my cheeks. My lips part but I can’t force words out.
Mom squeezes my hand. “I understand it was recorded maliciously—a private moment shared publicly.”
“Mom—”
She holds up her hand. “I get it. You’re at that age, and you’re entitled to some privacy. But I can’t say I love that you’ve obviously had stuff going on and you haven’t come to us for help. Finding out about the video this morning actually made me inclined to believe what Micah told us last night—that what you thought you saw hadn’t really happened. He was, however, drunk when it did, which we weren’t especially excited to hear.”
My lips clamp shut. My mind races. Alora set me up. Again. The truth of it resonates in my soul, and I kick myself for not seeing it sooner.
I realize Mom has gone on talking while I’ve been thinking and I catch only the last few words, which were “out of Rosehaven Academy.”
“Wait, what?”
“We think it’s best if you were away from there—from those people.”
“You want me to transfer back to River Rock.” It doesn’t even come out like a question and my tone is flat and dull. No. Just no.