Page 17 of Pedal to the Metal

“Because she’s your daughter. Vivienne knew," she says lastly before turning on her heels and rushing towards the doorwhere Connor is waiting patiently still holding me in his arms. “We need to get to the ER now!” Farrah tells Connor.

Chapter 11

Jagger

Even though there were races planned for tonight I knew I wouldn’t see Londynn. Connor had called to ask me what he should wear to some family dinner with Farrah and Londynn’s parents. I had never really seen Connor be into a girl enough to be willing to go to a family dinner, but he seemed happy, so I didn’t give him hell over it. After helping him I made my way to the shop until the races.

Londynn had been on my mind a lot since the other night at the gym. I felt my guard coming down when I was around her and I was beginning to look forward to seeing her at the races. Tonight, would be a change for me but I’d go because if I didn’t Bowie and Ace would give me hell.

The races were busy, but the usual hype and tension were missing. No Ryce meant that it would be a pretty calm night. My brothers and I beat all of Ryce’s douchebag friends. After the races I went with Bowie, Ace and Kynlee to JamesTown. Bowie was being unusually quiet, but I didn’t want to press the matter because he had a short fuse most days. Things with Ace and Kynlee seemed off as well. This whole night felt weird to me. I left JamesTown within an hour and went home. As I walked through the door, I heard Axell and Sadie talking in the kitchen. Just before I rounded the corner, I heard Sadie tell Axell, “I’m really worried about Londynn. She seemed so shaken up this afternoon when I saw her. Being forced to have dinner with her parents and Ryce isn’t good for her.”

Axell sighed, “I know you worry about her because you care about her, but all of this is up to Londynn. You can’t fix her life for her; she has to stand up to them herself.”

“I know” Sadie said sounding defeated.

I had been having my suspicions that Sadie knew Londynn from more than just the races, I had even asked a couple of times, but Sadie had denied it. Sadie was friendly with everyone, but you could always tell when she really knew someone. Hearing her and my brother talk about Londynn just confirmed those suspicions. I walk into the living room and clear my throat. Sadie turned around with a wide-eyed startled look and Axell looked like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “So, how do you know Londynn?”

Sadie looks back at Axell before he shrugs and tells her, “He’s bound to find out.” He lays the dish towel on the counter before leaving us alone. Sadie puts the last plate in the cabinet then walks over to me and holds out her hand. “Keys please?”

I hand over my keys and follow her out the door to my car. She slides in the driver seat, and I walk to the window, “What are you doing Sadie?”

“I’m answering you question, now get in.”

I chuckle, “How is you driving my car going to answer my question?”

She shrugs, “You’ll see. Now get in because I’ve been dying to drive this car since the first day you got back, and I will leave without you.”

I jog around and slide into the passenger seat. It’s not that I’m worried about Sadie driving my car because Axell was the one that helped her learn to drive. Sadie can drive just as well as any of us James boys. No, I’m worried about what I might find out about Londynn. We drive in silence until Sadie pulls into a parking lot for a building called Spirit Rehab facility. , “I don’t need rehab Sadie.”

She gets out of the car, and I follow. “I know that Jagger. This is where I work," she tells me as she motions to the large white building that looks more like an office building than a rehab. Although they must get a killer view because they are allby themselves at the end of a road right on the beach. “I’m a private nurse here. I’m a nurse to 4-6 patients a day. I deal with just those patients. Spirit thinks that it helps when the staff is familiar with the patients. If I only deal with a few patients, then I can learn them better. This is where I met Londynn almost four and a half months ago.”

I knew Sadie was a nurse, but I didn’t understand what Londynn had been doing in a place like this. “So, was Londynn working here?” I ask her and the only response I get is a shake of her head for no. “Volunteering?” Again, nothing but a shake of her head. “Okay Sadie I’m going to need you to speak now.”

Sadie turns to face me. “Londynn was a patient here. Actually, she was my patient here.”

Londynn had been in rehab but what for. None of this made sense. Maybe she had just been like Farrah, a party girl that had gotten out of control. Then again, I wasn’t even sure what Spirit treated here. “What do you guys treat here?”

Sadie shrugs, “A little bit of everything. Drugs, alcohol, eating disorders mental disorders, anxiety, depression and suicidal.”

Wow! That didn’t narrow my list down at all really. They literally did treat a little bit of everything. I needed more information than this. “Sadie, that’s not a lot of help, I’m going to need some more info here.”

Sadie shakes her head no. “Jagger, this is my job and with that comes confidentiality but even if it didn’t, I still wouldn’t tell you. That’s Londynn’s to story tell, not mine. She gets to decide who and when she tells it. But know this it wasn’t for anything really bad. However, she is vulnerable, and I just want you to be careful with her.”

I couldn’t believe Sadie had driven me all the way across town to basically tell me nothing. I could tell Londynn was vulnerable it was obvious by the way she kept those walls uparound her. No one keeps walls up that high unless they’re vulnerable. A thought occurred to me then, “You think I’ll hurt her or be bad for her," I tell Sadie.

“Actually, I think just the opposite. I think that someone like you could be great for Londynn.”

“Someone like me or me?” I question Sadie.

“You in specific but if not you then someone like you.”

I shake my head and listen to the waves crashing onto the shore for a bit before asking Sadie, “Why?”

“Because underneath that badass exterior you’re a good guy. You fight for the people you love, and you push them to be the best versions of themselves. You also don’t smother a girl. I think someone with your strength, intelligence and heart is exactly what Londynn needs.” Sadie turns around and heads back to the car. By the time I reach it she’s already behind the wheel with it running.

When we get home, I tell Sadie thank you but I’m not sure for what since I didn’t really learn anything. I tell her good night then head home to take a really long, really hot shower. I stand under the steady stream of water until it turns cold then climb into bed. A couple hours later I’m still awake with all the possible scenarios running through my head. I sigh and shut my eyes, trying to force myself to sleep.

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