Page 38 of The Hero I Can't Resist
I’ve replayed it over and over in my head. Seeing Skyler standing in the kitchen with that asshole’shands on her is something that I’ll never forget. It’s my fault he was able to get close to her. And fuck, he put his hands on her, he fuckin’ hit her. Everything in me wanted to kill him. I should have.
I gently touch Skyler’s hand, wishing she would wake up and I could see her blue orbs looking at me.
She deserves more than me. Seeing the bruise on her face makes me physically sick, but I can’t look away.
I hear the commotion from the hallway, and I stand up as her brothers and sister-in-law pile into the room. Penn, Aria, Miller, Guy, and Ozzy all look at Skyler on the bed with worried expressions. They gather around her, all talking at once. I release my hold on her and back away from the bed, shame filling me. She’s lying there hurt because of me. I should have done better. I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight.
Overwhelmed, I walk out of the room and lean against the wall. I can hear them talking, and Penn explains her injuries. They all talk about taking turns sitting with her and taking care of her. I want to be the one with her, but I lost that right.
Miller comes out of the room, and he looks as if he’s aged ten years. He’s worried. Hell, we all are. “Hey,” he says, looking at me curiously.
I nod, ready for him to hit me. I brace myself for it. I won’t do anything to stop him because I deserve it.
“Thank you,” he murmurs with pain in his voice.
I shake my head and put my head in my hands. “Fuck, don’t thank me. I don’t deserve thanks.”
Miller points toward the room. “She’s alive, Zach. That fucker could have… he could have…”
Miller can’t even say the words. He’s a hard-ass. He doesn’t tiptoe around things, but he doesn’t want to think about his little sister getting hurt.
I clench my eyes shut as the image of a blade at Skyler’s neck flashes into my mind. I can’t unsee it. Or how I walked in and he had her bent over the counter, pressing into her and the pure agony on her face. I let that happen. I let that man touch her.
I open my eyes, and Miller is looking at me like I’m a bomb about to go off. Hell, maybe I am. I can’t just stand here and do nothing.
“Are you all going to be here with her?”
Miller looks toward the room and then back at me. “Yes, but… she’d want you here.”
She would. I know she would, and that makes me feel even worse. I let her down, and she will still say this is not my fault. “I need to go to the police station. I need to make sure he’s behind bars and isn’t going anywhere.”
Miller brings his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll make a call, but I guarantee he won’t go anywhere.”
I start walking backward down the hall. The walls feel like they’re closing in on me, and I have to get out of here. “Don’t leave her by herself. I’ll be back… I just need some air…”
I turn and practically run from the hospital. I don’t stop until I’m outside, and then I bend over, sucking in a breath and trying not to pass out.
The world feels as if it’s spinning, and I walk slowly to a tree and lean against it. I want to leave. I want to run from here as fast as I can, but I can’t. I can’t leave, knowing Skyler’s here in the hospital.
I take a few deep breaths and then pull my phone from my pocket. I call Alex, and he answers on the first ring. “How’s Skyler?”
“She’s going to be okay,” I tell him. She has to be okay. “Are you at the police department? I need to know he’s behind bars.”
“He is. And just so you know, this isn’t his first time. He has a huge rap sheet. Stalking charges, rape, assault… the list goes on and on.”
Fuck, I should have killed him.
Alex continues, unaware of my thoughts. “They’re sending a badge over to you. They interviewed Terry here, but they wanna talk to you and Skyler.”
I look toward the hospital. I can’t let her face this alone. I start walking back. “Okay. Thanks for the heads up, Alex.”
I walk through the hospital, the beeping machines and various voices filling my head. When I get to her room, I hesitate. I’m standing in the hall when I see the policeman walking toward me. I block his path from entering the room. “Let me make sure she’s up for this, okay?”
He nods. “You’re Zach Campbell, right?”
I nod, and he points at me. “I need to talkto you too.”
I hold a hand up, telling him to stay right here, and then I walk back into Skyler’s room. She’s sitting up in the bed, surrounded by her brothers and sister-in-law.
