His fingers on her face were warm, that warmth slowly seeped into her, and Summer gave a shaky nod. She was okay. She wasn't shot. But what about her friend? “Hope,” she said, her voice a faint whisper.
Immediately Luke turned away from her. She wanted to beg him to stay by her side, but Hope could be hurt, she could be dying, bleeding to death at this very moment.
“Hope?” Luke stood and moved a few feet away.
Summer turned her head and saw her friend scrunched up against the side of the sofa, her legs pulled up to her chest, her whole body shaking.
“Hope, I'm Luke, are you hurt?”
“N-no,” Hope stammered. “S-some-someone was sh-shooting at u-us.”
“I know, he ran away when I came running up,” Luke said. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Hope dragged in a long, slow breath. “I'm okay. Summer?”
“I'm all right,” she assured her friend and attempted to sit up.
Luke moved instantly back to her side, pressing a hand to her shoulder to keep her down. “Just stay put till help comes.”
“I'm not hurt,” she reminded him and struggled to sit.
“Not badly, but your knee probably needs stitches.”
Her knee? It didn’t feel like it had been cut.
Managing to prop herself up on her elbows, Summer glanced down at her body. And immediately wished she hadn’t.
A piece of glass was sticking out of her knee.
Blood was pooling around it.
Shehatedthe sight of blood.
Immediately, she felt lightheaded.
Her stomach turned, and she leaned sideways and threw up.
“Summer?” Luke asked, concerned.
“She hates the sight of blood,” Hope said as she came up beside them.
“Can you get a damp washcloth and some towels,” Luke told Hope. Then he turned his attention back to her. “It’s all right, Summer, don’t look at it.”
Woozily, she thought she needed to lie down and sank back against the carpet, letting her eyes flutter closed.
“Just rest.” Luke’s hand began to stroke her hair, soothing her. “I was so scared,” he admitted, “when I heard the gunshots, then saw that someone was shooting at your house.”
“I was scared too,” she whispered. “Why would someone shoot at me and Hope?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out.”
“Here are towels,” Hope said.
Luke rested the damp cloth over her forehead, then wrapped a towel tightly around her leg, just above her knee. Now that what had happened was really starting to sink in, Summer began to tremble. The tremors wracked every inch of her body, and she couldn’t seem to stop them.
“I can't stop shaking.” She opened her eyes and locked them onto Luke’s hoping they could calm her.
“You're in shock,” Luke reminded her. “It will pass.” He took the blanket Hope had brought, wrapped it around her, then carefully gathered her into his arms and pulled her onto his lap.