Chapter 3: The Woman He Always Chose

Michelle remained unconscious for two days.

Kevin spent almost every hour outside the intensive care unit.

He slept in a chair.

He barely ate.

He answered questions from detectives, doctors, and Michelle's parents whenever they allowed him near them.

But the person he wanted to speak to never opened her eyes.

On the third morning, Kevin stood near the ICU window while a nurse adjusted Michelle's medication.

Her face was pale.

Burns covered part of her left shoulder and arm.

A bandage wrapped around her forehead.

The sight still made Kevin feel sick.

He had spent years looking at injuries without emotion.

Now every bruise on Michelle felt like an accusation.

"Dr. Woods?"

Kevin turned.

Detective Aaron Cole stood behind him holding a file.

"Any change?"

"Not yet."

"I'm sorry."

Kevin nodded.

"Did you find Mercer?"

"Not yet."

"His accomplice?"

"We're working on it."

"You said you'd have something by today."

"And we do."

Cole opened the file.

"Security footage from a gas station near Harbor Avenue."

"Mercer?"

"Looks like him."

Kevin immediately straightened.

"Where did he go?"

"We don't know yet."

"Then what good is the footage?"

Cole studied him.

"You're angry."

"Of course I'm angry."

"At Mercer?"

"Who else?"

The detective didn't answer.

Kevin looked away.

He knew exactly what Cole was thinking.

There was enough anger inside Kevin for more than one person.

Most of it was directed at himself.

"There is something else," Cole said.

"What?"

"We recovered part of Michelle's phone."

Kevin's stomach tightened.

"Was there anything on it?"

"Most of the data synced to cloud storage."

"And?"

"We have her outgoing call to you, the farewell message, and several earlier messages."

Kevin closed his eyes.

"You don't need to show me."

"Actually, I do."

Cole handed him a printed transcript.

Kevin stared at the first page.

It was a conversation from three months earlier.

Michelle: Are you still coming tonight?

Kevin: Can't.

Michelle: You promised.

Kevin: Vi needs me.

Michelle: Again?

Kevin: Don't start.

Michelle: I just wanted one evening with you.

Kevin: You're making this bigger than it is.

Kevin stopped reading.

"Why is this relevant to the kidnapping?"

"Maybe it isn't."

"Then why show me?"

"Because Mercer appears to have researched both of you before taking her."

Kevin frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"He knew where Michelle worked, where she lived, what car she drove, and that she was your girlfriend."

"That isn't hard to discover."

"He also knew about Violet Rae."

Kevin froze.

"How?"

"We're trying to find out."

Cole turned another page.

"One of Mercer's deleted messages was recovered from a disposable phone."

"What did it say?"

"Woods will come for the girlfriend. The other woman doesn't matter."

Kevin stared at him.

"He thought I'd come for Michelle."

"Yes."

"He assumed I loved her enough to walk into a trap."

"Apparently."

Kevin looked through the glass again.

Michelle hadn't been wrong about him.

Even a criminal had believed Kevin would choose his girlfriend.

Kevin had somehow managed to prove him wrong.

"We also need to interview Violet," Cole said.

Kevin turned sharply.

"Why?"

"Because she was with you during Michelle's call."

"She had nothing to do with the kidnapping."

"I didn't say she did."

"Then leave her out of it."

The words came automatically.

Protective.

Immediate.

Familiar.

Cole's expression changed.

"Interesting."

"What?"

"Even now, your instinct is to protect Miss Rae."

Kevin went still.

He looked toward Michelle again.

A bitter realization settled inside him.

Cole was right.

Even standing outside Michelle's ICU room, Kevin had defended Violet without thinking.

"Interview her," Kevin said quietly.

"Whatever you need."

Cole nodded and walked away.

Kevin remained alone.

That afternoon, Violet arrived at the hospital.

Kevin spotted her before she saw him.

She wore a cream coat and carried two cups of coffee.

For years, the sight of Violet had made him feel comfortable.

She had been part of his life since childhood.

Their mothers had been best friends.

They had gone to the same schools.

When Violet cried, Kevin fixed things.

That was simply how their relationship worked.

At least, that was what he had always told himself.

"Kev."

Violet hurried toward him.

"I was so worried."

She held out a coffee.

"I brought your usual."

"I don't want it."

Her smile faltered.

"Okay."

"The police want to speak with you."

"Me? Why?"

"You were there when Michelle called."

"But I barely heard anything."

"You heard enough."

Violet lowered her voice.

"Kevin, I know you're upset, but you can't blame yourself."

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't tell me that."

"I'm trying to help."

"You told me the same thing the night she almost died."

"Because it's true."

"No."

His voice was quiet but hard.

"It isn't."

Violet stared at him.

"Mercer kidnapped her. You didn't."

"I know."

"Then stop acting like you caused the explosion."

"She called me for help."

"You didn't know she was telling the truth."

"I didn't even try to find out."

"Because she's lied before."

Kevin frowned.

"When?"

Violet hesitated.

"You know what I mean."

"No. I don't."

"She was always exaggerating things whenever you were with me."

"Give me one example."

"Kevin..."

"One."

Violet's expression tightened.

"Why are you interrogating me?"

"Because I spent four years believing Michelle was jealous and unreasonable."

"She was jealous."

"Was she?"

"Of course she was."

"Maybe she had a reason."

Violet looked genuinely offended.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Kevin laughed once without humor.

"It means I left dinner with her parents because your apartment lost electricity."

"I was terrified."

"You were twenty-six."

"So?"

"You called me at midnight because you thought you heard someone outside your door."

"There could have been someone."

"Your building had security."

"I trusted you more."

"Exactly."

Violet's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you talking like this?"

"Because I'm finally hearing how ridiculous it sounds."

"After everything we've been through together?"

"This isn't about our childhood."

"It always was to Michelle."

"No."

Kevin shook his head.

"It was about boundaries."

"Boundaries?"

"I was her boyfriend, Violet."

"And I'm your best friend."

"I made her feel like those things were competing positions."

"That was her insecurity."

"Was it?"

Violet crossed her arms.

"So now I'm the villain?"

"I didn't say that."

"You're acting like I forced you to come whenever I called."

Kevin stopped.

That sentence landed differently.

Because she was right.

Violet had called.

Kevin had chosen to go.

Again and again.

It would have been easy to blame her.

But the truth was uglier.

Kevin had made every decision himself.

"You're right," he said.

Violet blinked.

"What?"

"You didn't force me."

"Exactly."

"I chose you."

She relaxed slightly.

"Kevin—"

"That's the problem."

Her expression changed.

"I chose you every time Michelle needed me to choose her."

Violet stared at him in silence.

"And now she's in there," Kevin continued, looking toward the ICU doors, "and I don't even know whether she'll want to see me when she wakes up."

"She will."

"You don't know that."

"She loves you."

"Maybe she did."

"Did?"

"Her last message wasn't 'save me.'"

Kevin's voice cracked.

"It was goodbye."

Violet reached for his arm.

"Kev..."

He stepped away.

"Go talk to the detective."

"You're sending me away?"

"I'm asking you to cooperate."

"And after that?"

Kevin didn't answer.

"Kevin."

"I need space."

Violet's face went pale.

"From me?"

"From everything."

She stared at him for several seconds before walking away.

For the first time in twenty years, Kevin didn't follow her.

That evening, Michelle's mother stepped out of the ICU.

Her eyes were red.

Kevin stood immediately.

"Is she okay?"

"The doctor says she's improving."

Relief washed through him.

"Can I see her?"

Mrs. Hart looked at him for a long moment.

"Why?"

The question hurt more than he expected.

"I need to tell her I'm sorry."

"You think that's what she needs right now?"

"No."

Kevin lowered his head.

"But I don't know what else to do."

"Then do nothing."

He looked up.

"What?"

"For once, Kevin, don't make Michelle responsible for making you feel better."

He had no answer.

Mrs. Hart turned back toward the room.

Then she paused.

"She woke up."

Kevin's entire body went still.

"When?"

"Ten minutes ago."

"Does she remember what happened?"

"Yes."

"Did she... ask for me?"

Michelle's mother looked directly into his eyes.

"Yes."

Hope rose so quickly that it hurt.

"What did she say?"

Mrs. Hart's expression didn't soften.

"She asked whether you were here."

"And?"

"I told her you were."

Kevin waited.

His heart pounding.

"Then Michelle said she doesn't want to see you."