Free Folding Hearts by Jennifer Foor Page B

shit and head home. We can take  care of things here . You don’t need any more trouble on your plate.”
    I kept shaking my head. “Hell no! I am not leaving!”
    We pulled up to the hospital and got Miranda inside. Luckily there was no wait and they took her right back. Conner came rushing in behind us and went into the back with her, while me, Van and Colt waited in the designated waiting area.
    Miranda’s mother came running in a while later. She had Izzy with her and approached us as soon as she spotted us sitting there. “What happened?”
    “It was Tucker. He got her alone and jumped her, ” Colt explained.
    “Oh my God! I need to go see her. Can you take the baby for me?” She cried.
    I stood up and grabbed Izzy out of her reluctant arms. I think it still shocked the family that I had a connection to her the way I did. “It’s okay. Go ahead. We have her taken care of.”
    She handed us the diaper bag and made her way toward the triage nurse to be let into the back where her daughter was being cared for. Two hours later, they came back out. Miranda’s face was cleaned up, but it looked so bad. The bridge of her nose was busted open and had butterfly stitches. Her left cheek was swollen and already turning purple. Dried blood was caked over her scalp. Her busted lips were both swelled to double in size. Miranda had a sling on her right arm and walked like she was in pain elsewhere.
    We all rushed to her side, but she never spoke. Her mother took Izzy out of Van’s arms and the three of them made their way to her car instead of Colt’s. I understood, but I couldn’t help but want to make sure she was okay.
    The ride home was quiet, with the exception of Colt and Van telling me I needed to pack up my shit and leave first thing in the morning. They didn’t want the police to know that I had been involved. The plan was to say that I came home a day earlier and had nothing to do with being at the small dive bar.
    I argued with them, but left as they suggested. I was so pissed that I made it home in record time. I was glad that I could kiss Izzy goodbye, but Lucy said that Miranda stayed the night with her mother and I didn’t want to wake them to say goodbye.
     
     
     
     

Chapter 11
    Miranda
    I should have screamed or at least let someone in that bar know that I felt threatened by Tucker’s presence. I should have known that he was going to hurt me.
    For three days my mother stayed by my side and nursed my wounds. Tucker had slapped me before, but it was nothin g compared to the beatin g that he gave me. I had t wo cracked ribs, a broken nose, contusions all over my face and a dislocated shoulder.
    I couldn’t hold my daughter and if I thought the pain of losing her father was bad before, well, knowin’ what he was capable of made me feel so sad for her. I had a family that would make sure she never wanted for anything, but I knew firsthand what it was like to grow up without a father. Not having that in my life caused me to rebel against my mother more than I wanted to admit.
    After three days, I left my mother’s small house and headed to the main house. My mom and aunt argued with me about it, but I needed my space. My shoulder wasn’t better, but I had Lucy to help me with Bella and could manage the rest by myself.
    The truth was that I was tired of bei ng judged. They refused to admit they were doin g it, but I could see it in their eyes. They blamed me for this happenin g .
    Nobody ever considered that all of this might be hard on me. I mean, first I cat ch my no good boyfriend cheating , then he says he wants nothin g to do with our daughter, and finally he beats the sh it out of me in a public parking lot.  How could I not be a bit messed up over all of this?
    To make matters worse, I hadn’t been able to talk to Ty since it happened. Sure, he had been callin g and textin g me like crazy, but after everything I didn’t know what to say to him. I had been ready to throw myself at him that