Coming Home (Homeward Bound Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

second.
    “If you say so.”
    “Spencer,” he said in a voice so low it was barely audible. He stepped to my side and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, holding me in place. I knew something bad was coming. Something I didn’t want to hear. I also knew Derek better than perhaps I knew myself. Whatever he was going to say next was coming from a good place. “You might be in denial, and you have been for a long time, but you’ve loved that girl in there your whole life.”
    “You’re wrong.”
    “I’m not, Spencer, and you know it. Think about all the women that you’ve been through. All the so-called relationships. Why didn’t they work?”
    “I’m not having this conversation with you right now!” I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to think it. I couldn’t. Right now getting Zoe back on her feet had to be my number one priority. My only priority. I’d be fucked if I needed Derek putting stupid ideas in my already messed up head.
    “Okay, I’ll shut up about it. For now. But one day, you’re going to have to admit it.” With a sadistic smile he pushed past me and headed towards Zoe’s room. “You know you can’t be in here for this.”
    “I know,” I growled rudely.
    The truth was I didn’t want to go in and hear it. But in the same breath I didn’t want Zoe to have to face it alone. She was strong, stronger than everyone I knew, but right now she was like a broken baby bird. Of course I had my own suspicions of what had happened, suspicions that made me grind my teeth and my blood boil, but until Zoe confirmed or denied it, all I could do was hope I was wrong. There was nothing I wouldn’t give to be wrong.
    “Hey Derek!” I called out to his back. “Go easy on her.” The begging in my voice was unmistakable.
    “Wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.” He smiled sadly.
    I watched as my best mate knocked on the door before stepping inside to interrogate Zoe. My Zoe.
    “Shit!” I swore under my breath.
    Stupid bloody Derek and his ridiculous theories. I loved Zoe, I’d never deny that but to insinuate that I was in love with her, well that was just straight out dumb. Or was it? And then as soon as the question I’d asked myself registered, I literally stumbled. I had nothing to do but wonder where that thought came from.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 7
     
     
    ZOE
     
    It took me a moment to place her. It was Nurse Foreman standing before me. She was the cranky old lady who’d worked at the doctor surgery when I was a kid. She’d been the one to poke me with needles giving me my shots. She was the one who’d bandaged knees when I’d toppled from my horse and taken more skin off than I should have. She was the one who’d been there the night at training when I’d fallen over and realised my elbow wasn’t working correctly. In fact, it was anything but. It was hanging out of the socket. She’d strapped it to my body and wrapped me in a towel and sent me to the hospital to have it put back into place.
    And now here she was saving me again. She’d checked my stitches, added more pain killers to my IV line, and lightly poked at my tender ribs.
    After taking my temperature, she sat down on the end of my bed, and explained my injuries. I had broken ribs, ten stitches in my forehead, scrapes on my knees and cheeks. Burns on my ankles and wrists, and a few other injuries that I couldn’t even repeat. Not even in my mind.
    “Zoe, I know you probably aren’t ready, but you need to make a statement to the police,” Nurse Foreman informed me.
    “I…I can’t do that,” I spluttered as unexpected tears toppled from my eyes and down my cheeks.
    Inside my head I was screaming. Fuck no! I wasn’t talking. I didn’t want to relive anything. I didn’t even remember what happened. How could they expect me to talk about it?
    “Zoe, you can and you will. I believe in you. I always did,” she reminded me warmly.
    “Yeah, Zoe!” a deep voice added.
    At the sound of