Betwixt

The word of a Sheriff against the word of an ex-criminal. Dale had no show.

I fidget with my hospital wristband and shift in my bed, careful not to move my splinted knee. Checking the wall on the clock for the millionth time that day, I will Dale to walk through the door and explain everything.

Mom and Dad left me alone to sleep for a little while, but my eyes won't stay shut. I don't care that I'm exhausted. I need answers.

I didn't want to delve into details with Mom and Dad so spent the rest of the day chatting about the kinds of changes we were going to make at home. We were interrupted several times by doctors and physical therapists explaining about my long road back to recovery.

Just thinking about how much work I need to do to get my limbs moving properly makes me want to cry. I bite down hard on my lip, not wanting to give into the waterworks again.

I glance at the clock. Four o'clock.

"Damn it, Dale, hurry up."

My door clicks open and I glance up with a smile. It fades when I see a shame-faced Adam shuffle through the door. I think I spot a muss of curls in the corridor, but the door closes before I can confirm it.

"Hey, Nicole." Adam fidgets with the zipper on his jacket while he waits at the end of the bed.

"Where's Dale? Is he safe? What happened to him?"

Adam raises his hands, no doubt trying to stop my invasion of questions.

"He's fine. Dad didn't charge him with anything. In fact we snuck in the back of the station and Dad pretended that Dale had been there the whole time."

"How did the deputy not notice?"

Adam shrugs.

"He had a ton of paperwork to clean up. When we got there he was just finishing and going on about wind or something."

I bite back my smile.

"What about the stol... borrowed car?"

"Dale insisted Dad drive him back, so he could return it. He even stopped and filled it up with gas."

How Dale is that? I grin.

"Why did your Dad change his mind?"

"Dale promised not to say anything... about me or my car."

"And your Dad just let him go?"

"I think Dad's going to be watching him pretty carefully."

"He's afraid... and he should be."

Guilt washes over Adam's face.

I shoot him a sharp glare.

"Why are you here, Adam?"

"I was told I had to..." He looks to the door then back at me. "I'm sorry... for what I did."

"You mean being a coward?"

He flushes bright red and looks to the floor.

"You don't know my Dad."

Pity needles its way into my system.

"I know enough. I get why you didn't say anything, but I don't get why you're letting him control you this way."

Adam looks up.

"He nearly made you a murderer."

His lips go white.

"If Dale hadn't been there, what would you have done? Would you have buried me alive, like your Dad wanted?"

"How did you know that?" His white face wrinkles with confusion.

I shake my head.

"Do me a favor, Adam. Tell your Dad where to stick it. This is your life and you don't want to get to the end of it and realize you've actually lived his."

His brows pucker.

"Why aren't you trying to kill me right now?"

"I have a smashed up arm and a splinted leg. It's kind of challenging."

A small grin plays on his lips.

"I mean it, Adam. I won't say anything about what happened, that's your decision... just please use this nightmare for good. I'm not going through all this shit so everything around me can just go back to the way it was. Change has to happen... and not just for me." I raise my eyebrows then lift my index finger and point it straight at him. "And if I ever see you pointing a gun at someone again, I'm go

The smile on his lips grows wider.

"You know when you say stuff like that you sound like her."

"Who?"

"The old Nicky."

I smile back at him, feeling a blush warm my cheeks.

"Get out of my room... and send Dale in, will ya?"

Adam nods and pulls open the door, but Dale is nowhere to be seen. Instead the corridor is crowded with a bunch of familiar faces bustling towards me.

They crowd into my room and surround the bed, all smiles and well wishes.

Trent leans down and kisses my cheek. Julie Peters gives me a wi

I pull it out of her grasp. What the hell is she doing here?

On the other side of the bed Amber and Pe

"Your Mom finally said it was okay to visit." Pe

"We've been asking since they found you and she's kept refusing us." Amber sounds titchy as she gazes at my cast. "Can I sign it?"

She looks around for a pen.

"No." I cover the cast with my good arm.

"What's your problem?"

"Seriously?"

Amber gives me a snotty pout then turns to Pe

"We've been so worried about you." Julie reaches for my hand again. I pull it away.

"You don't say." I give her a cold glare.

"Well of course we were." Pe

"Really. No one knew how I ended up walking home late at night... in the middle of nowhere?" I look at Trent, who much to my delight, is squirming in the designer jeans I bought him.

"Look, we know you've had a really tough week, but there's no need to be bitchy. I mean, it's been hard for us too."

"Hard for you?" I can't hide my shock. "It's been hard... to like text and twitter and come up with a bunch of disgusting theories on what happened to me? Yeah, I can imagine that was really hard."

"Who told you that crap? We didn't do that." Drue shakes his head.

"Dale told me you ran a poll, most people thought I'd run away."

"Fi

"Fu

An awkward silence drops into the room. The group standing around me look tortured as they glance at each other or up at the ceiling... anywhere but where I'm lying.

"Listen, you've been under a lot of stress. You obviously need some time out to pull yourself together."

"You know what, Pe

"Babe..." Trent reaches for my hand, but I whip it away from him.

"You don't get to call me that anymore. We're through. You and Julie can now make out as much you like, guilt free."

Julie's eyes bulge wide and she glances at Trent then looks to the floor.

"What are you doing?" Trent's voice is tight.

"Ridding myself of the bad things in my life."

"What, did they give you psycho pills for breakfast this morning?"

I ignore the jibe with a sweet smile.

"I have a promise to keep."

His face bunches with confusion.

"I don't want you to be part of my life anymore." I glance around the room. "You guys aren't good for me and our days of partying together are done."

Amber lets out a disgusted gasp. Pe