ACCIDENT?
LUKE
The tension was thick, and I was doing my best to stay cool. Sarah had been relentless all afternoon–her bikini, her smirks, and her constant attempts to drag me into a conversation I wanted no part of. Josh’s absence wasn’t helping.
I was halfway through mentally replaying some plays from practice when Sarah’s voice cut through.
“Hey, Luke, could you grab me one of those pool noodles from the pool house? I want to stretch in the water,” she said, sweet as sugar, her tone like nails on a chalkboard.
I glanced her way, trying to keep my irritation in check. “Can’t you get it yourself?”
She tilted her head, pouting. “Fine. I’ll get it myself,” she said, her voice lilting with annoyance.
Good.
That’s when I heard the crash.
It was loud enough to make me freeze, and my heart jumped
throat. A second later, Sarah screamed.
into my
“Shit,” I muttered, spinning around in the pool and swimming to the edge. I got out and walked up to the pool house.
The scene inside the pool house stopped me cold. Sarah was
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on the floor, her leg pinned under a fallen shelf. One of the metal poles had bent awkwardly, trapping her. Blood wast smeared on her shin, and she was clutching it, tears streaming down her face.
“Jesus, Sarah,” I said, dropping the noodle and crouching next to her.
She winced dramatically, her voice thick with panic. “It fell–I tried to grab the pool noodle, and the whole thing just tipped over. My ankle… I think it’s broken.”
I reached for the shelf, yanking it up and tossing it to the side. The metal pole had cut her leg, but it didn’t look deep enough to need stitches. Still, she was trembling, her face pale as she cradled her foot.
“Can you move it?” I asked, grabbing a towel from a nearby chair and pressing it to the cut.
Sarah whimpered and shifted her foot slightly before crying out. “It hurts so bad! I don’t think I can stand on it. I can’t even feel my toes. Luke, something’s really wrong.”
I sighed, trying to stay calm. “Okay. We’ll wait for Josh to get back, and then-”
“No!” she interrupted, her voice rising in panic. “I can’t wait! Luke, please, I think something’s seriously wrong. I need to go to the hospital now.”
Her wide, tear–filled eyes locked on mine, and I bit back a curse. “I’ll call an ambulance,” I said, reaching for my phone.
But before I could dial, Sarah grabbed my wrist with both hands,
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her grip surprisingly strong. “Please, no!” she pleaded, her voice trembling. “I don’t want to go back to the hospital alone–not after what happened in Indonesia. You know what that place did to me, Luke. Please, please don’t make me do this alone.”
Her mention of the island hit like a gut punch. I clenched my jaw, my stomach twisting. The last thing I wanted was to reopen that chapter of hell, but her wide eyes and shaking hands made it impossible to ignore.
I groaned, shoving my phone into my pocket. “Fine. I’ll take you. But don’t think I’m carrying you all the way into the ER. You’ll have to figure something out.”
Sarah sniffled and nodded, her lower lip quivering. She tried to stand, her hands gripping the couch for support, but her legs buckled, and she plopped back down with a dramatic gasp.
“Luke, I can’t,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “It’s too painful.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, muttering every curse I could think of under my breath. “Alright, hold still,” I said, leaning down and scooping her up.
She gasped, wrapping her arms around my neck, her head resting against my shoulder. “Thank you,” she murmured, her voice soft.
I didn’t respond, too busy focusing on keeping my temper in check as I carried her out of the pool house.
The sunlight hit us as I stepped outside, and I made a beeline for my truck.
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“Josh is going to wonder where we went,” I muttered, opening the passenger door and setting her down on the seat.
“I’ll explain,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “You’re such a good guy, Luke. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
I slammed the door harder than necessary, circling to the driver‘ s side and climbing in. As I started the engine, I couldn’t help but glance her way. She was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, but there was something off about her expression–something that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Whatever game Sarah was playing, I wasn’t about to let her win. Not this time.
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