Before Now (Sometimes Never) by McIntyre Cheryl

Author:McIntyre, Cheryl [McIntyre, Cheryl]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Cheryl McIntyre
Published: 2013-06-01T22:00:00+00:00

***

I wake up to the sound of shouting. A girl screams and I scramble out of bed, stumbling to the window. Three guys are in the parking lot, a girl standing off to the side. She keeps screaming, shaking her head back and forth. I look back to the guys and notice a fourth person on the ground in front of them.

It takes my groggy brain a couple of seconds to make sense of what I’m seeing and then I’m climbing onto the firs escape, yelling for Bree to get Jessie. I have no idea if she hears me or not, I don’t even know if she’s home, but I keep going. The guys look up at me and take off. One of them pulls the girl into a car and they peel out, tires squealing.

My legs are shaking by the time I drop to my knees next to Park. He’s lying limply on his side and I’m afraid to move him.

“Park.” My hand hovers over his shoulder. Fear grips my insides, squeezing them until I feel like I can’t breathe. “Park,” I say again, panic sounding in my voice.

He groans and it sounds wet, like his mouth is full of water. I roll him toward me and gasp. His face is a multitude of colors, the deep red of blood standing out above all others. “Oh, my God,” I murmur. My hands flutter around his head. I don’t know what to do. I look around quickly for something. Someone. Anyone.

“I’ll be back,” I pant. “I need to get help.”

Park coughs, rolling to his side again. He makes a gurgling sound and I run. I push myself up the fire escape and pound on Jessie’s window before pushing it open. The room’s empty, so I crawl inside.

“Jessie,” I scream.

As I make it to the door, I’m met by Jessie and Guy. “What’s wrong?”

“Park.” It’s all I can get out before I’m turning and rushing back to the window.

“What happened?” Guy asks behind me.

“Three guys. They beat the shit out of him.”

“Shit,” he breathes. “Get Chase and Mason,” he instructs Jessie. I don’t hear if he acknowledges him because I’m barreling down the metal stairs. My feet clank along the steps covering all other sound.

Guy skids to a stop and kneels next to Park. His fingers go to his neck, checking for a pulse and I feel like I might throw up. He lets out a visible sigh. Jessie, Chase, and Mason jog over to us. I stoop to the other side of Park and look at Guy. “We should take him to the hospital.”

“No,” Park grunts. He goes into another coughing fit and I take his hand.

“You have to,” I protest. “You could have internal injuries. You’re coughing up blood.”

“Call,” Guy says. I don’t know who he’s talking to, but I hear Mason requesting an ambulance seconds later.

Park’s head lolls to the side and I start to have a meltdown. I think he’s lost consciousness, but I’m not sure and it scares me.

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