Saved By You Read Online Free PDF Page A

Scottie?” she asked. I nodded. “I figured you’d change your mind.”
    I shrugged. “I owe him more than nothing,” I said.
    “Want me to come with?” she asked.
    I shook my head. “No, I can do it on my own. I’m going to the hospital afterward if you want to meet me there,” I said.
    She agreed, and wished me luck. I thanked her—I was going to need it.

    Driving the Beater was nothing like driving the ‘Vette, but it was familiar. I’d spent a lot of time in that car, and it had been good to us. There was something comforting about being back in it.
    A thick haze hung over the late afternoon—part of it from the clouds that refused to fade away, and part of it was because of everything that had happened, and everything that was about to happen. I didn’t know what I was going to tell Scottie. I had told myself that I was going to keep it professional and just stick to the facts—but I felt betrayed. I felt like he had intentionally deceived me the whole time, and I was pissed about it. That anger inside me demanded answers.
    The parking lot at the Saloon was sparse when I showed up. There was no sign of Haden’s BMW, either. I didn’t want to deal with any more drama than was already on my plate. I’d dealt with him once already today, and that was enough.
    When I pushed through the door to the dim interior of the bar, I saw the familiar shape of Scottie looming behind the bar. As usual, he was in the process of getting the bar ready to open, and he held a towel in one hand while he wiped a glass.
    “Well if it isn’t the hero of the day,” he said, with a grin. I stared at him with a confused look. “I heard about how everything went with the band yesterday. Good work.”
    “Then you must not have heard everything ,” I said.
    His brow knitted together. “What do you mean?”
    I climbed onto one of the stools opposite him, and gave him a long, hard look.
    “How long have you known who Haden was?” I asked. I didn’t bother to sugar coat it—I wanted a straight answer, so I asked a straight question. The confusion in his face turned in on itself. He sighed a deep breath, regarding me cautiously. “Why didn’t you tell me about him? What was the big secret?”
    He shook his head, and wiped at the glass in his hand. He was silent for a long moment, and I wondered if he was going to answer me at all.
    “It was none of my business,” he said, finally.
    I stared at him, incredulous.
    “That’s it?” I said. “That’s all I get, that it’s none of your business ?”
    He gave a shrug. “Haden made it clear that he was trying to keep a low profile. Wasn’t none of my business, so I kept my mouth shut.”
    Heat built in my chest, and I slammed my hand onto the bar. There was a loud crack, and Scottie jumped back, surprised.
    “That’s bullshit, and you know it,” I said. “You knew something was going on between us—you should have told me.”
    Scottie’s hand went still as he regarded me. His head hung down, and she shook it from side to side.
    “You’re right,” he said, nodding. “I should have told you.” My head cocked forward, disbelieving that he was admitting to it without so much as a fight. He shrugged. “I mean, I was kind of thinking you may have already known—so why even bring it up?”
    “Well I didn’t know,” I said, sharply.
    No sooner had I said it than the door behind me opened. Light flooded in from outside, and Scottie and I both whipped our heads around to see who it was. My gut wrenched when I saw the two men coming in.
    Haden was in front, wearing the same thing I’d seen him in earlier—a tight black shirt with faded jeans. The man behind him walked with a sway in his step. It was like his feet thought the very ground he walked on was privileged for being allowed to support him. His mouth was cocked into a half-smile—it made me feel ill just looking at it.
    Haden’s eyes connected with mine, and his step faltered. He hesitated for a second