Page 105 of Use Me

“I was so scared,” Ashtyn confessed.

I looked over to see tears in her eyes and grabbed her hand, lacing our fingers. “You can’t get rid of me that quickly, Cupcake.”

“I don’t want to get rid of you.” She rolled her eyes.

“I know. I was joking. You know that’s what I do. Everything’s okay.”

At that moment a man and woman, both wearing suits, walked into my room. “Good morning, Mr. Cole. I’m Detective Coulson, and this is Detective Bailey. How are you feeling?”

Okay, that question was going to get old fast. “Drugs are working,” I stated honestly.

Ashtyn slapped my arm—the one that wasn’t stitched up. “Rhys!”

The detectives chuckled. “Ms. Valor,” Coulson spoke, “It’s good to see you again. And I have to say it’s good to see you’re in good spirits, Mr. Cole.”

“Please, call me Rhys, and honestly, I’ll be in better spirits if you tell me you’ve caught the fucker.”

“I wish we could,” Bailey stated, “but we’re here to get your statement and to see if you know who shot you.”

“Yes, I know. Corey Fucking Pritchett.”

“That’s what Ms. Valor told us. We’re following up.” Bailey looked over at Ashtyn.

“Saw him with my own eyes as I stared down the barrel of the gun.”

“Do you know why he shot you?” Coulson asked.

“We’ve known each other since high school,” I started and then proceeded to explain everything from how he used to beat me up, how he and Ashtyn dated, what happened New Year’s Eve, and then my phone call with him. I also told them what he said before shooting me.

“Okay. Well, like I mentioned earlier, we wish we could tell you that he’s in custody,” Detective Bailey stated.

“How have you not caught him?” Ashtyn asked.

Bailey continued, “We haven’t been able to locate him.”

“He’s on the lam?”

The detectives laughed at my use of the word. “We just haven’t been able to locate him yet,” Coulson replied. “He didn’t come home.”

“Did you go to his work?” Ashtyn asked.

“We’re heading there next,” Coulson stated.

“He used to work the late afternoon shift.”

“We’ll find him,” Bailey stated.

They fucking better.

I was released from the hospital a day later. My parents and sister had come to visit me as well as Kenny, Jett, and Clark. No one could believe that this was my reality. I couldn’t either, but what scared me the most was that Corey was still missing.

The cops came back the morning I was released from the hospital to give us an update and to see if we’d heard anything. We hadn’t and explained that Ashtyn had blocked Corey’s number. When they asked if she would be willing to unblock his number, I felt as though I might lose my shit. All we wanted was to be left alone, and it seemed that being together was a deadly combination.

Ashtyn unblocked his number in hopes he’d call, but to me, the only solution I could come up with was that we needed to buy a house stat and get far away from where Corey knew Ashtyn lived. Even though she wasn’t living there, she was only across the street, and if we wanted to walk to Judy’s or lunch or whatever, there was a chance Corey could come out of the shadows and strike again.

I couldn’t let that happen.

I knew he could have access to get either one of us on the way to and from work, just like he’d tried with me, but we were going to do one thing at a time for now and get everything settled.