Chapter 17

Pure shock left me speechless. I wasn't sure what to do in this situation. Do I wait for Nate to get home, or do I let her in? A yelp and a crash sounded from the kitchen. I immediately turned and ran to check on Penelope.

She was sitting on the floor, hot water and noodles dripped off the counter and down the side. The pasta jar I'd set on the counter earlier was broken on the floor. Penelope put a hand down to help herself up, but immediately she pulled it back with a yelp. I carefully stepped around the broken jar to help her to her feet. Luckily she had her shoes on so I didn't have to worry about her stepping on glass.

Her hand was bleeding.

"What happened?" The CPS worker asked, and it's only now I realized she'd followed me into the house.

Tears were welling in Penelope's eyes, "I tripped."

"It'll be okay," I told her. "Does anywhere besides your hand hurt?"

She shook her head. "I dropped the pot before the water could get me. But then I knocked the jar off."

The CPS worker stepped closer to look at Penelope's hand. "That's going to need stitches, and you'll want a doctor to check to make sure there isn't any glass in it."

"Can you drive us?" I asked the woman.

The drive to the hospital was filled with Penelope's quiet cries. I kept wiping her tears and telling her that Nate would meet us there. I'd sent him multiple texts at this point, but so far no luck getting a response. I wasn't even sure if he'd seen them. If only I had Lou's or Dan's number, they'd make sure he knew. Hannah- she'd be able to get ahold of Nate. I shot off a text to her and then thought about Maria. She could get Lou's attention. The more time I spent with the team, the more I was amazed at how much they supported each other. If one of them did well they all cheered, sure they teased each other, but they were always there with an outstretched hand when one of them needed help getting up off the ice.

We parked at the hospital, and the CPS worker guided Penelope and me into the emergency room. A nurse came to help show Penelope to a hospital bed, but when I went to follow, the CPS worker stopped me.

"You aren't her legal guardian and will have to wait in the lobby."

Penelope's eyes went big. "No, I want her to stay with me."

The CPS worker looked sympathetic, but she stood firm. "I'm sorry."

Penelope was whisked away into a private room, leaving me alone to find a seat in the desolate lobby, awaiting Nate's return. Yet, as the hospital doors swung open, it wasn't Nate who strode in, but Erin. She exuded an air of polished perfection in her black leather jacket and sleek jeans. A brief flicker of surprise crossed her face as her eyes met mine before she briskly marched to the reception desk.

With practiced precision, Erin feigned a sob, and plucked a tissue from the box to dab at her eyes with theatrical flair. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her dramatic display. Ignoring her, I anxiously awaited Nate's arrival.

Moments later, Nate rushed in, his eyes frantically scanned the room. "Where is she?"

"CPS wouldn't let me stay with her. She's in a private room," I informed him.

The gravity of the situation hit him, and his gaze snapped back to mine. "CPS?"

"Didn't you get my texts?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No, Hannah called Coach and told me to get to the hospital."

I recounted the events that lad to Penelope's injury, my voice was laden with remorse. "I'm so sorry, Nate."

"I need to see her," he insisted, his worry palpable.

I offered my support as we waited for someone to show him and Erin where Penelope was. "Absolutely. I'm here if you need me."

Erin was looking at the two of us, a calculating gleam in her eyes. A nurse appeared, and Erin returned to her fake sniffles. She and Nate were escorted back to be with Penelope, and all I could do was wait. I sat and picked at my cuticles. The image of Penelope on the floor replayed in my brain, and I realized the corner of the rug was tipped up. I'd never smoothed that out after tripping on it myself.

If I hadn't been so careless she wouldn't have been hurt. This was all my fault, and I felt like the lowest scum on earth. Nate had trusted me to take care of her and instead, we were in a hospital with CPS investigating. No doubt CPS was doing a check for the custody hearing and I'd probably screwed that up now for Nate.

Time dragged on, the minutes stretching into eternity until Nate finally returned. As I arose from my seat, a wave of dizziness washed over me, and Nate reached out to steady me.

"It's all my fault," I confessed, my voice heavy with remorse.

His brow furrowed in confusion. "It was an accident."

"No," I insisted, placing a trembling hand on his chest. "I should have smoothed down that rug."

"The rug?" His voice was laced with confusion.

"I kicked it up and didn't fix it. And CPS was probably here for the custody hearing, and I've ruined everything."

"You haven't ruined anything."

"I have and you should dump me," I told him, and then all the thoughts came rambling out of my mouth in quick succession. "Well maybe not dump seeing as our engagement is fake. Does that make it a fake break-up? Whatever it is, you shouldn't keep me around. I'm a danger to you and Penelope, and I ruin everything."

"Lia," He used both hands to gently cradle my face, and I stopped rambling.

He tilted my head back so I was staring up at him. His blue eyes were intense, but not in an angry way. He should've been so angry at me, and the fact he wasn't made me feel all the more guilty.

"Dad?" Penelope asked.

We both looked and saw her and Erin standing a few feet away. I didn't know where the CPS worker went, nor did I care. Penelope's face had been washed clean, and there wasn't a speck of the makeup she'd been using earlier. Her hand, on the other hand, had a big patch of gauze and tape covering where she'd been cut.

"Can I go home with Mom?" Penelope asked him.

Another layer of self-loathing was added to the pile of feelings inside me. He was going to miss out on his weekend with her because she got hurt in my care.

"Is that what you want?" He asked, and I knew it must hurt him to say it.

She nodded, and he let go of me to hug her goodbye. He whispered quiet words into her ear, and I saw a brief smile from Penelope. Hope that I haven't ruined their relationship burned bright. Penelope only gave me a short look; she didn't give me a smile or a wave before she walked away with her mom.

Nate drove me home, but we were both quiet during the drive. The silence between us hurt more than I think words would have. Exhaustion hit me like a tidal wave now that the adrenaline rush had dropped. With each passing minute, it got harder to keep my eyes open, and I was grateful that the drive was short to Maria's. Maria opened the door as soon as Nate's truck pulled up outside. No doubt she'd been in the lobby waiting for me. I didn't wait to see if Nate would open my door, I was out of the truck before I could hear him tell me what I already knew.

He's better off without me.

Maria kept her gaze on me and opened her arms for me as soon as I stepped inside the building. She didn't let go as I heard Nate's truck drive away. The small part of me that had hoped I was misreading everything died at the sound. I tucked my face into Maria's shoulder and sobbed. It was only after the first wave of sobs passed that I realized we were still standing in the doorway.

Maria loosened her hold on me. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head no, and stepped out of her hold.

"I made brownies," She said softly, as she guided me to the elevator.

"The super thick ones?" I asked.

"With extra fudge," She confirmed.

"Have I told you how much I love that you stress bake?"

"Only a hundred times" She laughed. "I've got your favorite movie on the TV. I'll go get those brownies, while you get into your PJs."

I didn't argue. I simply went to my room and changed into a pair of leggings and an old t-shirt that's soft from being worn so much. I completed it with a pair of yellow fuzzy socks. I wrapped up in a blanket that's on my spot on the couch and Maria handed me a plate of the most chocolatey brownies ever. She sat down next to me and, using the remote, pressed play.

Somewhere between Elizabeth Bennet hearing Mr. Darcy's insult, and Jane getting sick, I drifted into a fitful sleep, ensnared by dreams tainted with echoes of heartache. Maria's gentle shake roused me from my restless slumber, and she guided me to her room where she tucked me into her bed. I started to protest, but I was so tired words were hard.

"I'll see you in the morning Lia. Try to get some sleep," she murmured, her voice a soothing balm to my heartache.

"Maria?" I asked. My voice trembled with unshed tears, and the ache in my chest threatened to consume me. "Why does this hurt so much more?"

"I don't know, Lia." Maria whispered, her own voice shaking. "But so help me if I wake up and you've caught a plane somewhere."

A fleeting smile graced my lips, the first glimmer of hope in the darkness. "Don't worry. I'm too broke for that."