“He was trying to protect you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“That worked well.”
Tobias looked away.
“He was collecting evidence.”
“Then the crash happened.”
I shook my head again.
“Why pretend you were paralyzed?”
“Because I saw Victor at the hospital.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Two days after the crash.”
“He came to visit.”
“He stood beside my bed.”
“He thought I was unconscious.”
Tobias swallowed.
“He told someone on the phone that one Mercer was dead.”
“Then he said he would handle the other one later.”
My skin crawled.
“You?”
“I thought he meant me.”
“So you pretended?”
“Not immediately.”
He looked down at his legs.
“My injuries were real.”
“I fractured my pelvis.”
“I damaged nerves.”
“For months, I truly couldn’t walk.”
“But eventually?”
“I recovered more than anyone knew.”
“How much more?”
“Enough.”
“Tobias.”
“How long have you been able to walk?”
He hesitated.
“Thirteen years.”
I hit him again.
Not as hard.
“Thirteen years.”
“I know.”
“You watched me push your wheelchair.”
“I know.”
“You watched me redesign my house.”
“I know.”
“You let me believe…”
My voice broke.
He looked at me.
“Rosalind, if Victor learned I could walk, he would know I remembered.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It made sense then.”
“You could have told me.”
