He tried again, this time weakly, as if he understood her need not to be medicated. ‘It might help you relax.’

‘No drugs,’ she repeated. ‘Will you sit with me?’ Only when he rested beside her again, her hand once more engulfed in his, did she allow the weight of weariness and exhaustion to drag her under, to lull her back into sleep, trusting Nick would still be here when she woke… or if her nightmares returned.

Chapter Forty-Three

Sunday, May 26

It was after midnight before Alyssa and Cord left the hospital. She’d been right in that they hadn’t been able talk with the girls since they’d been asleep – or at least resting – but they had commandeered a conference room where she and Cord met with the families. Nick had come in briefly before dismissing himself in fear that Rachel would wake to find him gone. Becca Marshall and Faye Harrison’s parents were still on the road driving in from out of state, but they’d been able to join them on the phone. The questions they asked were as difficult as the answers Alyssa and Cord had to give.

This morning, when she arrived back at the hospital, she’d been mildly surprised to see Mr. and Mrs. Otis, who had been glaringly absent last night. No matter how angry or annoyed at their daughter, Alyssa simply couldn’t fathom them not wanting to be here, especially when they knew what had happened to her. The same could be said for Jersey’s dad.

Whatever their reason for not being here last night, at least The Otises were here now. However, within moments of spotting them in the waiting room, Alyssa realized they were in a heated argument with their son. Or to be more accurate, Mrs. Otis was involved in the confrontation with Nick; Mr. Otis stood slightly off to the side, arms crossed over his chest, his head swiveling back and forth as if he were embarrassed to be in the middle of this. Alyssa wondered if it was because he knew some of the doctors and nurses around here, or if it was something more than that.

They still hadn’t noticed her approach when Mrs. Otis’s hissed exclamation reached her ears. ‘She has done this to herself, Nicholas! How are we expected to feel sorry for her when she dresses like she does and attends these parties like some kind of trollop? Her actions are an embarrassment to your father and me! What do we tell our friends?’

The color that suffused Nick’s face was not one Alyssa could describe, and if he wasn’t careful, she thought the vein would explode from his temple. Danger leaked from his pores as he clenched his teeth and leaned down to address his mother. ‘You are the most vile person I know, and as much as I loathe the very idea of you being in the same room as Rachel, this isn’t about what I need or what you want. It’s about Rachel. So, I’m going to tell you what you’re going to do, and you’re going to do it because if you don’t, you can’t imagine the type of embarrassment that’ll rain down on your head. I will personally see to it that I ruin you in front of all your so-called friends.’