idiot.”
“I just…” Kevin broke from Fawn’s hug and shuffled his feet around. He’d shoved his hands in his pockets, and the imprint of his fists flexing and unflexing showed through his school slacks. “I wanted you two to get back together. I thought if you talked, it would all work out.” He looked at Fawn. “I really like you.”
She sniffled. “I really like you too. But…”
John stood up straight. “But it’s too late for us to mend things. You’ll have to accept that Fawn and I didn’t work out, Kevin. I think you’re old enough to see that, aren’t you?” He waited, and soon Kevin nodded. Fawn stood up and turned her back on him. “Thanks for bringing him here, Fawn. I know you’re busy…”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “I jumped to the wrong conclusions.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
He thought he heard a sob, but he couldn’t have. She didn’t care about him that much since she’d run back to her ex. The fact that he’d gone to her place late at night meant…He pushed the thought from his mind, hating himself for wanting her and hating her for making him feel anything at all.
Fawn gave Kevin one last hug, and then she left without meeting John’s gaze or saying another word to him.
Chapter Nine
“Fawn?” Kevin called through the phone.
She yawned and fumbled around for her bedside clock. It was four in the morning. What the hell? “Kevin, is that you? Please, sweetie, it is too early in the morning for another trick. You know your uncle isn’t going to go for it. He’ll be pissed way off.”
“He’s been shot,” Kevin sobbed.
Fawn jumped up and fell out of bed. She untangled herself from the covers and pressed her phone hard against her ear. “Kevin, that’s no joke, and you should never even pretend—”
“It’s true. It’s true. Fawn, he’s going to leave me. I just know it. Just like my dad. He’s going to die!”
Her heart tattooed wildly in her chest. She struggled to keep control, knowing she had to be there for Kevin. “No, that’s not going to happen. Where’s Mrs. Cecil? Is she there?”
“Yes.”
“Let me speak to her, and then I am coming right there where you are. Don’t worry. I’ll be there, Kevin. I promise.”
She got the details from Mrs. Cecil, that John had indeed been shot and was right now in surgery to remove the bullet from his chest. Fawn rushed around her room to throw on some clothes. She sobbed much like Kevin had done on the phone and swiped at her nose every so often. He couldn’t die. He just couldn’t . She loved him so much, and even if they weren’t together, she’d never want something that horrible to happen to him. He deserved happiness.
In less than fifteen minutes, she made it to the hospital in her old clunker and rushed into the emergency room. She knew she looked a trip in ratty old jeans and an oversized T-shirt, but she didn’t give a damn. She spotted Kevin and Mrs. Cecil right away. When Kevin saw her, he raced to her and threw himself in her arms. Fawn held on for a long time crying with him. Maybe a good mother would hide her tears and pretend she was less affected, but Fawn couldn’t bring herself to do it. She and Kevin held hands and wept in the middle of the floor.
When the tears eased, she guided him over to where Mrs. Cecil waited, and they sat down side-by-side. After some time, Fawn drew the courage to ask for more details about John’s condition. “What are they saying? Will he be okay?”
Mrs. Cecil nodded to Kevin who had fallen asleep on Fawn’s shoulder. The older woman handed Fawn a jacket rolled up, and Fawn tucked it beneath his head after extricating herself from his hold. When they had moved out of earshot, Mrs. Cecil explained what happened.
“It was his latest case. A man murdered his wife and then ran. John tracked him down on the Southside in an abandoned house. He had a gun and caught John unaware.” She choked. “He wasn’t wearing a vest.”
“Did they
“I just…” Kevin broke from Fawn’s hug and shuffled his feet around. He’d shoved his hands in his pockets, and the imprint of his fists flexing and unflexing showed through his school slacks. “I wanted you two to get back together. I thought if you talked, it would all work out.” He looked at Fawn. “I really like you.”
She sniffled. “I really like you too. But…”
John stood up straight. “But it’s too late for us to mend things. You’ll have to accept that Fawn and I didn’t work out, Kevin. I think you’re old enough to see that, aren’t you?” He waited, and soon Kevin nodded. Fawn stood up and turned her back on him. “Thanks for bringing him here, Fawn. I know you’re busy…”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “I jumped to the wrong conclusions.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
He thought he heard a sob, but he couldn’t have. She didn’t care about him that much since she’d run back to her ex. The fact that he’d gone to her place late at night meant…He pushed the thought from his mind, hating himself for wanting her and hating her for making him feel anything at all.
Fawn gave Kevin one last hug, and then she left without meeting John’s gaze or saying another word to him.
Chapter Nine
“Fawn?” Kevin called through the phone.
She yawned and fumbled around for her bedside clock. It was four in the morning. What the hell? “Kevin, is that you? Please, sweetie, it is too early in the morning for another trick. You know your uncle isn’t going to go for it. He’ll be pissed way off.”
“He’s been shot,” Kevin sobbed.
Fawn jumped up and fell out of bed. She untangled herself from the covers and pressed her phone hard against her ear. “Kevin, that’s no joke, and you should never even pretend—”
“It’s true. It’s true. Fawn, he’s going to leave me. I just know it. Just like my dad. He’s going to die!”
Her heart tattooed wildly in her chest. She struggled to keep control, knowing she had to be there for Kevin. “No, that’s not going to happen. Where’s Mrs. Cecil? Is she there?”
“Yes.”
“Let me speak to her, and then I am coming right there where you are. Don’t worry. I’ll be there, Kevin. I promise.”
She got the details from Mrs. Cecil, that John had indeed been shot and was right now in surgery to remove the bullet from his chest. Fawn rushed around her room to throw on some clothes. She sobbed much like Kevin had done on the phone and swiped at her nose every so often. He couldn’t die. He just couldn’t . She loved him so much, and even if they weren’t together, she’d never want something that horrible to happen to him. He deserved happiness.
In less than fifteen minutes, she made it to the hospital in her old clunker and rushed into the emergency room. She knew she looked a trip in ratty old jeans and an oversized T-shirt, but she didn’t give a damn. She spotted Kevin and Mrs. Cecil right away. When Kevin saw her, he raced to her and threw himself in her arms. Fawn held on for a long time crying with him. Maybe a good mother would hide her tears and pretend she was less affected, but Fawn couldn’t bring herself to do it. She and Kevin held hands and wept in the middle of the floor.
When the tears eased, she guided him over to where Mrs. Cecil waited, and they sat down side-by-side. After some time, Fawn drew the courage to ask for more details about John’s condition. “What are they saying? Will he be okay?”
Mrs. Cecil nodded to Kevin who had fallen asleep on Fawn’s shoulder. The older woman handed Fawn a jacket rolled up, and Fawn tucked it beneath his head after extricating herself from his hold. When they had moved out of earshot, Mrs. Cecil explained what happened.
“It was his latest case. A man murdered his wife and then ran. John tracked him down on the Southside in an abandoned house. He had a gun and caught John unaware.” She choked. “He wasn’t wearing a vest.”
“Did they
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