Chapter 32: Ava is responsible.
Dylan rushed into the hospital, his heart pounding. He spotted Erica pacing in the hallway, her face lined with fury and anguish. The moment their eyes met, he hurried toward her. "What happened to her? Is she okay?"
"You are asking me what happened?" Erica snapped. "Why did you leave her alone in the middle of nowhere? Some thugs kidnapped her and..." She trailed off, her mouth twisting in agony and anger. "She was gang raped."
Dylan felt as though a ton of bricks had crashed down on him. A sickening wave of regret hit him in full force. He had promised his friend that he would always protect Gianna, but he failed. He was ashamed of himself. Guilt gnawed at him, twisting deep in his chest.
"How irresponsible you can be!" Erica’s voice cut through his haze of self-loathing. "You didn’t even bother to check on her! Those monsters could have killed her, and you wouldn’t have even known! By some miracle, she managed to escape, but she collapsed on the side of the road, bruised and battered. A couple of strangers found her and brought her here."
Dylan stood there, paralyzed by guilt and horror, his fists clenching at his sides. His mind raced back to the last time he saw Gianna, replaying every moment. He should’ve never left her alone, should’ve made sure she was safe.
Erica shook her head, her expression clouding with disappointment and sadness. "I rushed here as soon as I heard about it."
"Why didn’t you call me sooner?" he hissed, his eyes darkening with frustration.
"Call you?" she shot back with disdain. "Gianna was in pain, Dylan. She didn’t want to see you. But I thought you would at least call her to check whether she had reached home safely. You didn’t even do that."
She snorted derisively. "I thought you liked her," she continued, her tone dripping with contempt. "But you’re heartless. I see that now. You were too wrapped up in your own world to care."