Crush || DeAndre Jordan {#Wattys2016}

Chapter Twenty Three

Camilla

He was buried a week later. Sadly, there were not many people in attendance besides his family, my parents, and me. I didn't cry. I couldn't. I was still in shock over everything. I couldn't seem to make the pieces fit together in my mind. I kept trying to figure out the moment when my best friend had turned into a monster.

His parents felt horrible, said they had no idea he'd become so deluded. They thought we were dating from the things he'd told and shown them; fake letters, emails, pictures he'd photoshopped of the two of us together. He'd been living on a totally phony relationship with me in his own head. The police profiler told me James was delusional. None of this was my fault. But he was dead now. That felt like my fault.

I'd woken up in the hospital attached to I.V.'s, which had flushed the strong date rape drug James had given me from my system. DeAndre was the first person I asked for. They said he'd been flown by helicopter to a larger facility, but no one would tell me anything. I tried calling his cell phone, but the number was disconnected.

Chris came to the hospital when he heard I'd awakened. He asked me a lot of questions about what happened with James that night. I kept waiting for him to tell me something about DeAndre, but he never did. I finally asked him.

"I can't discuss DeAndre with you, Cami, since this is sort of an ongoing investigation." He looked really sad. "But I promise you'll get answers as soon as possible. You're going to have to trust me, okay?"

I snorted. Trust. Who knew what that word meant anymore?

"Can you tell me if he's alive, at least? He did get shot trying to protect me after all."

"He's alive."

Relief washed through me.

"Is he going to be okay?" I had to know.

He stood and went toward the door. "He was listed in critical condition the last I heard. I'm on my way to see him now. Is there anything you want me to tell him?"

A million things raced through my mind, I love you being the first. "Tell him I..."

Confusion raced through my heart, making me second guess everything. What if he didn't really feel the same? What if it was just an act? He'd pulled away from me so many times. He had to be several years older than me. Could he really be in love with a teenager? "Tell him thanks."

"Is that all?" Chris asked, his eyes full of concern.

"Are you really his uncle?" I wanted to hear the truth about something.

He shook his head. "No. I'm actually his brother-in-law. At least I am until his sister gets ahold of me. She's gonna have my head for allowing him to get hurt. He rubbed his hands over his face. "The whole family is in quite an uproar."

"I'm sorry he got put in danger because of me." The tears began leaking from my eyes without my permission, and I tried to rapidly blink them away. I felt like I was barely clinging on to my sanity by a thread.

Chris came over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it. "None of this is your fault, Cami. Hang in there, okay? I'll have answers as soon as I'm able."

He walked out the door, and that was the last I heard from anyone. The next Monday at school a dozen kids were busted in a giant drug sting. I knew DeAndre had to be alive then. Someone had given them names.