Page 16 of Beneath the Mountain Sky

Raven squeezes my hand as soon as the door closes behind the doctor. “So, you don’t remember where you were or how you ended up in the river?”

I shake my head and glance up at Killian. “The last thing I remember was the Memorial Day Festival…last year.”

Her pale-pink lips part as she gapes at me for a moment, then whips her head toward him. “Oh, my God.” She clears her throat, gaze darting between us almost frantically. “Um…”

Killian offers her an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

Anyone else might have missed the motion.

But I know him too well.

I know his body and how he moves.

I know his moods and how to read them.

I know every inch of this man.

And the vibes he’s giving off now…

Something is very wrong.

Something he doesn’t want me to know.

Something he doesn’t want Raven to tell me.

“Umm.” Raven bristles, shifting nervously on the bed and giving me a tight smile. “Well, I think I can help fill in some of the gaps.”

Except whatever Killian is trying to keep her quiet about…

“What do you mean?” Killian’s deep voice echoes around the room, vibrating with his anger. “You told me you didn’t know where she was when I was looking for her.”

Looking for me?

Raven’s earlier comment about Charleston flickers through my head as she scowls at him. “I fucking lied, Killian. She told me she didn’t want to see you again. I was going to protect my best friend, not help you.”

Protect me from what?

My stomach pitches, and I have to fight to keep bile from making its way up my throat again.

“What are you two talking about?” I start shaking, the fingers of my free hand curling in the scratchy hospital bed blanket and tightening. “What’s going on?”

Tears well in my eyes the longer they don’t answer.

My question just hangs in the air.

Neither Killian nor Raven says a word, both simply staring at each other like they’re waiting for the other to break first—or daring the other one to try it.

Finally, Raven throws up her free hand. “Oh, this is ridiculous, Killian. It’s not like she isn’t going to find out.”

Having them talk about me and my life as if I’m not sitting right here makes me want to scream. “Find out what?”

Raven squeezes my fingers tightly, ignoring the fury radiating off Killian. “Honey, you left town the day after the festival last year.”

Left town?

I look at Killian. “What?”

His clenched jaw matches the granite hardness of every muscle in his body, and he shifts uneasily on his feet, arms still crossed over his chest.