Still Jaded (Jaded #2)(82)

"Thanks." He reached for my hand again.

With our hands intertwined, I sat back and watched television with him. My feet were still on the floor, but I shifted so my forehead was on his pillow, close to him. Corrigan reached up and brushed back some of my hair.

It wasn't long before my eyelids got heavy.

"Sheldon," he whispered.

"What?" I was so groggy.

"Come up here. You can sleep with me." He patted the side of his bed and scooted over.

I snuggled next to him. He tucked me closer and spooned me from behind. Just before I fell asleep, I remember thinking that this wasn't supposed to be how it was… And then I fell asleep.

The next thing I knew, I was blinking awake when a blinding light was switched on.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. Oh goodness. I'm sorry. Go back to sleep." A nurse rushed around the room and a second later the light was turned off.

Before I rolled over and fell back asleep, I glanced at my phone and saw it was blinking. When my hand reached for it, I felt exhaustion through every bone in my body. Then I snapped open the phone and saw the message was from Bryce.Cops called. Call them back. Immediately. Where are you?!

"Oh shit!" I jolted upright.

"What?" Corrigan sat up with me, disoriented. "What?"

I dialed Officer Patterson's number, and a second later she answered, "I'm coming to you. The hospital staff just called me."

"What's this about? What's happened?"

There was a pause. "I'm coming to you. Hold on." Then the line went dead.

"What is it? What's going on?"

He sounded still asleep, but I was wide awake. "Something's happened. Something bad."

Corrigan woke up fast. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It's not you or Bryce. That's all I care about." I sounded strong, but my insides were mush. I just knew that I didn't want to hear whatever Sheila had to say—it was bad. But I couldn't run, not anymore. "I'm going to go. I'm going to meet her out there."

"Why not here?"

"Because…" I didn't have a good answer. I shrugged. "Something tells me that she needs to say this to me in private."

When I reached the door, Corrigan stopped me. "Sheldon."

I looked back.

"Come back and tell me."

"I will."

Then I turned, squared my shoulders, and left for the waiting lounge. It wasn't long before Officer Sheila came through the sliding doors. Her ponytail looked haggard with strands falling out and a few framing her face. Her jeans were ripped and her jacket had blood on it. Her badge flashed bright from where she had pinned it on her belt loop.

No one else was in the lounge. Even the clerk had abandoned her desk.

"What is it?" I stood to meet her.

Regret flashed over her face before it was gone. She erased all of it. She spoke in her professional voice, "Where were you tonight?"

"When?" I swallowed hard. This was not good.

"From the time I saw you till now? Were you with someone?"

I frowned and narrowed my eyes. "I was with, I don't know. I talked with Carolina for a little bit. Then Bryce and I went back to my house until I drove here. I've been with Corrigan since. Why? What happened?"

She visibly relaxed. "You can be accounted for every minute?"

"Yes. Why?"

Her eyes darkened. "Because Grace Barton was found murdered tonight."

THE END