Chasing Astrid Malone

35. OH THE THINGS MONEY CAN BUY

Astrid

I woke up in a hospital room, with my mom holding one hand and Tristan holding the other. "Hey, sweetheart. Your safe now, thank God. I'm so sorry baby if I had worked last night none of this would have happened." She wiped her tears away with her free hand. "It's not your fault Mom." I didn't want to see her cry. I looked to Tristan, he looked so tired.

"It was Molly..." He cut me off. "We know, the cops are looking for her now. They suspect she is hiding out with one or both of the guys she was with. We don't know who they were so they didn't have much of a lead to go on." I need to tell them what I know but I'm feeling conflicted about Stephan. He was nice to me and as fucked up as I know it is, I don't want him to be in trouble.

"One of the guys knew you. They thought I was asleep and I heard them talking. When we pulled up to where you were waiting, the guy in the front panicked because you were there. He said he couldn't let you hear his voice." Tristan's eyes were wide and I could practically see the wheels turning in his head. My head pain came back and I reached back to the spot I knew was bleeding last night. Fresh stitches poked my fingers and I winced.

"Excuse me, I'm going to call the officer back and give him that information." Tristan left the room and my mom got that look, you know the look, curious but afraid to ask. I've seen it many times now. "It's ok mom, I'm ok. How is Josh?" I had hoped to get her mind off of me, but it seems Josh was just as difficult of a topic for her.

"He seems to think your Dad is coming. He keeps asking where he is and why he hasn't come. I've told him the truth but he doesn't want to believe me. He doesn't even want me in there anymore. Josh needs to process the loss all over again, and right now he isn't handling it well. Maybe when you're discharged you will go see him?" I nodded at her but didn't have it in me to be honest about what I said to Josh.

Tristan came back into the room and my mom stood up. "I'm going down to the cafeteria to get some breakfast and coffee, do either of you want anything?" I shook my head no. "No thank you, Mrs. Malone." She walked out of the room and Tristan sat on the side of my bed. "You want to scoot over or should I get on top of you? Either way is good for me, you choose." I giggled and slid over.

His warm arms held me and I rolled onto my side, burying my head into his chest. My favorite place. The rhythmic pulse of his heart calming me. "The officer assigned to your case would like to come and ask you some questions, if you want to wait it's ok but he urged me to tell you it's better when your memory is still fresh." He can ask me all the questions he wants, as long as I get to stay like this.

"Depends, will it cut into our snuggle time?" He laughed. "Astrid I'd lock your mom out of here if you want, just to be close to you like this." I smiled into his chest. "It's ok I should talk to him." He rubbed my back through my hospital gown. His hand drifted down to my bottom and he squeezed before rubbing his way up my back again. I wonder if I'll always think of Stephan when someone touches my butt.

I remembered the ransom and needed answers now. "Who paid my ransom?" I put enough distance between us to look up at his face. "I did, but I don't want you to worry about that." I still had too many questions not to worry about it. "How much money did you pay them?" He sighed realizing I wasn't letting it go. "Ten Thousand, but the jokes on them because I would have paid ten times that."

"How did you get that much money? Was it your college fund or something?" He shook his head and looked away taking a deep breath. "I don't usually tell anyone, because having money changes how people treat you. My grandfather left me everything when he passed. My Dad is his only child, and they had a falling out years before my Grandpa passed." I wonder how much his Grandfather left him but that feels impolite to ask, especially after he just bought my freedom.