Truly, Madly, Deadly

Truly, Madly, Deadly, Part 3

Ryan was standing at her side again, but this time he appeared to be holding her up. Chloe’s head was bent, her hands pressed to her face. Sawyer could see the blood as it oozed through her best friend’s fingers. She felt herself vaulting across
the room.

“What happened?”

Chloe was crying, her small shoulders quaking with the effort. “Someone, someone—”

“Someone attacked her,” Ryan finished.

“Oh my God, Chloe! Are you okay? Who was it?”

“I’m okay.” Chloe nodded, pulling her hands away from her face. There was a severe gash over her left eye. The blood had already started to congeal over the jagged, puckering skin. Sawyer rushed forward, throwing her arms around her in a quick embrace.

“Who did this to you?”

Chloe wagged her head. “I don’t know. I went out to my car to get a sweatshirt, and someone was out there with the hood open.”

“The hood of the car?” Cooper asked.

Ryan nodded. “It was still popped when I got out there. I heard her screaming and came running.”

“I told the guy to knock it off, you know, leave my car alone, and when he heard me, he turned around and swung.” Chloe’s trembling fingers gingerly touched the blood over her eye. “I don’t even know what he hit me with.”

“And you didn’t see who it was?”

Chloe shook her head. “No. He hit me and took off running, I guess. I barely even remember that. I felt it, then I know I was falling, and then Ryan was standing over me.”

Cooper looked over Ryan’s shoulder out the open door. “You think he’s still out there?”

“Let’s go, man.”

Sawyer reached for Cooper but caught only the tail of his shirt as it sailed past her.

“If he’s still out there, they could get hurt,” Chloe said, enormous tears rollicking over her cheeks.

Sawyer nodded and took the washcloth someone handed her. She pressed it against Chloe’s forehead and guided Chloe to the couch. “I’m going to go see.” She tucked her hand in her pocket, protectively cupping her cell phone. If I don’t see the guys this millisecond, she reasoned, I’m calling 911.

But Cooper and Ryan were standing on the sidewalk, their angry faces illuminated by a slice of yellow streetlight.

“Did you see anyone?”

Cooper shook his head. “There’s no one around here.”

“We found this, though.” Ryan held a tire iron and Sawyer’s stomach lurched when she saw the black-red blood staining
the metal.