“Ashley,” Theo cried, dropping to the ground. She pressed her fingers to the woman’s neck, feeling for a pulse. Her skin was cold to the touch, and Theo was almost certain Ashley was dead.

“Come on, Ash,” Theo said moving the woman’s long black hair away from her face. “This is not how your story ends, goddamn it. You’re not giving up, do you hear me? You’re going to fight. Come on,” she urged her friend. “You’re going to live.”

While in Boston, Theo had spent most of her free time taking a wide variety of classes. She learned how to write in calligraphy, she studied the art of self-defense. She took ballet and watercolor courses, and she learned basic first aid and CPR. She dug into her memory bank and tried to fish out the details of that particular class.

Theo lifted Ashley’s chin, then put her ear close to Ashley’s mouth and nose. She couldn’t hear the woman breathing. She placed the heel of her hand on the center of Ashley’s chest, then put the palm of her other hand on top of it. Theo thought back to what her instructor had taught her. He’d had them all sing the lyrics to “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gee’s, explaining that the beat of that song matched the rhythm of compressions needed per minute. She’d found the idea humorous back then, but now that she was faced with an actual emergency, singing the words gave her guidance she found helpful.

“Well,” she sang, “you can tell by the way I use my walk …”

She focused, counting in her head, then stopped and pinched Ashley’s nose with her fingers. She wiped her chin on the shoulder of her sweater, smearing the blood that hadn’t dried against the white fabric. She made a seal over Ashley’s mouth with her own and gave her a deep breath, watching the woman’s chest rise. She did it a second time, then went back to chest compressions. She counted as she sang. Thirty compressions, then two rescue breaths. It felt like she’d been there for an hour by the time she saw the flash of red and blue lights, although in reality, it was less than a few minutes.

Theo continued her compressions and listened to the rescue workers try to open the cabin door. She breathed into Ashley’s mouth and heard the loud crunch of wood as they broke through the cheap lock that must have been turned before Ashley’s attacker had closed the door behind him.

Ashley gasped and Theo stopped breathing for her. The girl started coughing, then reached up and fingered her throat. Theo picked up her flashlight again and saw the bruises Ashley wore around her neck like a garish necklace.

“Ashley, can you hear me?”

“Theo?” Ashley’s voice was weak and whispery.

“I’m right here, Ash. You’re gonna be okay. I’ve got you.”

“T.J.!” Jordan’s voice rang out in the cold stillness of the night.

“I’m here,” she tried to call out, but her throat seemed to clamp down on the words. “Ashley, we’ll follow you to the hospital,” she told her friend as the paramedics came in with a stretcher. Theo tried to stand up, but she’d been kneeling so long, her legs didn’t want to cooperate. She felt strong hands grab her beneath the arms and pull her up. “I have your phone. Do you want me to call anyone?”

Ashley spoke, but Theo didn’t hear what she said.

“Say that again.”

Ashley tried a second time. “Katie …”

“Did she say ‘Katie’?” Theo asked the paramedic.

“That’s what it sounded like to me,” she said.

“T.J., I swear to god, one of these days you’re gonna give me heart failure.”

Theo turned and was against Jordan’s chest, his arms holding her up. She felt the sting of tears, and suddenly, she was drained. The paramedics worked quickly and had Ashley on the stretcher in no time. Theo cried in Jordan’s arms as they carried Ashley out and got her loaded in the ambulance.

“He came to the door. He said he’d slid into a snowbank, and he showed me his phone. The screen was all cracked, and he was bleeding …” Tears streamed down Theo’s cheeks and her legs felt even more like rubber bands. She felt Jordan scoop her up, cradling her in his arms. She nestled her face in the space between his head and shoulder.

“He asked me if I’d let him come in and call 911. I thought he was hurt, Jordan. I just wanted to help …”

Jordan carried Theo out of the cabin. They already had Ashley loaded in the ambulance, the lights flashing brightly against the glass that remained in the cabin’s only window.

“I need to take a look at you, miss,” a police officer said, approaching Theo.

“She’s hurt,” Jordan told him. “There’s blood everywhere.”

“Another ambulance is on the way. We’ll let this one go back down before we send the other one up. The road is almost impassable. It will be just another minute.”

“Is your coat in the Jeep?” Jordan asked Theo.

She shook her head. “There’s a blanket in the backseat. I need my pack.”

The ambulance slowly backed out, trying to find a safe place to turn around. In no time, the driver had maneuvered the vehicle in the snow and was moving away from the cabins. Theo could hear chatter from the radios, and a moment later, an officer draped a familiar looking fleece blanket over her shivering body.

“Is this the backpack, sir?”

“That’s the one,” Jordan answered.

“Here are the keys to the Jeep. It’s still unlocked.”

“Thanks,” Jordan said, pressing the button on the remote.

It wasn’t long before a second ambulance made its way to the cabin. Jordan held onto Theo while the paramedics parked and jumped out, quickly opening the bay doors and pulling out another stretcher.

“Where are you hurt, miss?” one of them asked as Jordan lowered her to the thin mattress.

“I bit my tongue,” Theo answered in a scratchy voice. “And split my chin open.” She thought about the man tackling her from behind and how fast the floor had met her body when she came down. “I broke the window,” she said, moving her arm.

“Look at her neck,” one of the men said, flashing a pen light on her.

“Ligature marks,” the other one responded.

“He tried to choke me,” Theo croaked, feeling the straps tighten as they secured her onto the stretcher. There was more radio chatter, and Theo shifted as the pair lifted her up and slid her inside the ambulance. Jordan shouldered her backpack, then climbed in after her. The driver shut the bay doors and the paramedic began taking Theo’s vitals.

The passage to the main road was bumpy, and Theo’s head throbbed. Once the driver had gotten down to the paved road, the ride became smoother.

“I need to ask her something,” Jordan said. “Is that okay?”

“She’s stable,” the paramedic told him. “You’re good.”

Theo watched Jordan as he knelt down in the very tight space, his hand grasping the stretcher to keep himself from tipping over. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a burgundy velvet box.

“I’ve tried to do this twice, but something keeps screwing it up,” Jordan told her. “Ashley shows up at the house, or Caleb comes home.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I have known you my entire life. I don’t remember you being such a magnet for people determined to do you bodily harm for the first eighteen years of that life, but since you came back to Whisper Creek, you can’t seem to stay out of the hospital.”

Jordan glanced over at the paramedic and saw that the man was smiling. He gave Jordan a nod.

“I can testify to the truth of that statement,” he said. “I’ve taken care of her many times.”

“Thank you for that,” Theo told him. “I really do appreciate it.” She looked over at Jordan. “What are you doing?”

“She’s had a hit to the head,” the paramedic stated. “Otherwise, I’m thinking what’s going on here would be perfectly obvious.”

“What’s your name?” Jordan asked him.

“Tate.”