Chapter 2

A female officer, Dana Brooks, removed her uniform jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders.

I barely made it two steps before my vision went black. I stumbled against the wall and grabbed it for support.

Gavin saw me. He pulled Sylvie closer anyway.

"She's shaken up. I'm taking her home."

"I'm the one who was attacked."

His eyes turned cold. "You're safe now. Sylvie might lose her only brother. Nina, could you stop being so selfish for once?"

Then he walked out with her.

At the door, Sylvie glanced over her shoulder. For an instant, triumph flashed in her eyes.

My tears fell before I could stop them.

Officer Brooks offered me tissues, then crouched to pick up my bloodied coat.

"Honey, someone who truly cares about you doesn't need you to die before he takes what happened seriously."

I stared at her. "Sorry. You shouldn't have had to see any of that."

She sighed. "Don't put your life in the hands of someone who couldn't care less about it."

I wiped my cheeks and lifted my phone. A flight-booking confirmation glowed on the screen.

"Don't worry. I've already decided I'm done with him."

After giving my statement, I was taken to the hospital.

I had a mild concussion, two cracked ribs, and a wrist that needed to be immobilized.

Gavin finally showed up the following morning, bringing nothing but a letter asking me to forgive Finn.

"Sign it. If you agree to let this go, he still has a chance to graduate on time."

"You spent the whole night getting him a lawyer?"

"Your injuries won't cause permanent damage. Prison would ruin his entire life."

I tore the letter into pieces in front of him. "He deserves it."

Gavin's expression twisted. He seized my bandaged wrist and shoved me back onto the hospital bed.

Pain shot through me. Blood quickly seeped into my dressing.

"You never used to be this cruel, Nina. He got on his knees and apologized. What else do you want? For him to kill himself?"

He didn't release me until a nurse rushed in.

Then he calmly straightened his cuffs. "I'll have another copy drawn up when you've come to your senses."

My phone chimed.

I glanced at the alert and went cold.

Every cent of the $30,000 in our joint account had been transferred out.

It wasn't a wedding fund. It was the money keeping my father alive. He needed urgent heart surgery, and the hospital required payment toward his treatment that day.

My mother had sold our old family home to help raise it. For two years, I hadn't bought myself so much as a new coat.

Gavin had sworn he'd keep it safe.

"Where did you send the money?"

He avoided my eyes. "Sylvie needed to cover Finn's legal fees and bail. I let her borrow it."

My ears rang. "That's my dad's surgery money! The hospital needs it today!"

"It's only for a few days. Finn's in serious trouble right now. Postponing your father's surgery a little won't kill him."

"Give it back. Now. My father can't wait!"

Gavin rubbed his forehead. "Every time Sylvie needs something, you make your own problems sound worse. Do you have to compete with her whenever I help?"

At that exact moment, my mother called.

She was crying so hard she could barely speak. Dad had taken a sudden turn for the worse. The doctors didn't think he'd make it through the day.

He kept asking for me.

I booked the earliest flight home.

Gavin heard every word of the call, yet he frowned when he saw the ticket.

"Don't use your father's health as a bargaining chip just to make me return the money."

"He's my father. He might be dying."

"He's in a hospital. You can't save him by showing up. Sign the forgiveness letter first, and I'll take you tomorrow."

I slapped his hand away. "We're over. I won't sign anything, and I'll take you to court to recover that money."

Gavin sneered. "There's no breakup stage on our progress chart. Stop threatening me like a child."

The door flew open.

Sylvie threw herself into his arms. "Gavin! Finn says he'll kill himself if Nina won't forgive him!"

Gavin's face tightened. He turned to leave at once.

"I'll deal with Finn first. Your father isn't going anywhere that fast. Don't go running off on your own."

I watched him disappear down the corridor.

Only then did I ask the nurse to start my discharge paperwork.

I was going home to see my dad.