Facade of Love (Yvette Scott and Idris Young)
Chapter 369 I'm The Target

I could not help but snort with laughter at his Ninja Turtle comment. However, the laughter quickly turned sour, and tears began to fall in big, uncontrollable drops.

Idris was right. I had been terrified and in so much pain, but I was used to bottling it up. That is why I seemed so calm when I first saw him.

Now, however...

When he saw my tears, his body tensed, and then he pulled me into a tight embrace. His arms were so wide they seemed to envelop me completely. Wrapped up in his hold, my tears came faster, and I began to sob uncontrollably.

He held me close, his hand gently stroking my back, just like my dad used to do to calm me down whenever he was afraid I would cry myself sick.

It took a while, but after letting out all the fear and hurt, my sobs slowed, and I lay quietly in his arms, my head resting against his chest.

When I finally stopped crying, I heard his deep, gentle voice above me. "Stop being so selfless, Yvette. No matter who you are with in the future, you've got to take care of yourself first, got it?"

My voice was hoarse from crying as I whispered back, "Grandma and Emily are not just anybody to me."

The voice from above was all serious business. "Look, you've got to take care of yourself first before you can even think about helping anyone else."

I bit my lip, knowing there was no winning this argument. I just gave a noncommittal grunt and let it go.

He must have heard the resignation in my voice because he let out a little sigh and gave my back a comforting pat. "We're here at the hospital. Time to get out and get those scrapes checked out." Despite his urging, I didn't budge, not even when he gave me a gentle push.

I could not see his face. I just heard his voice, which was kind of odd, close to my ear. "Yvette, we've made it to the hospital."

I grunted again, still not moving.

He sounded confused. "What's up?"

I tried to hold it in, but eventually, I just could not. Still leaning on his shoulder, I reached out and mumbled, "Hand me some tissues, will you?"

"What's the matter?" His voice was laced with suspicion, and I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment.

I took the tissues he handed over and blew my nose, keeping my head down. When I finally looked up, I caught his look of shock and surprise. Pointing awkwardly at his chest, I mumbled, "You've got a bit of a mess on your shirt."

He glanced down and saw the big, off-color blotch on his black suit. He paused, his lips tightening for a moment before he said with a hint of resignation, "Yvette, you're such a slob."

My lips tightened as my face grew hotter. I had not been paying attention while I was crying, so I had made a mess of his shirt. I knew he was a bit of a germaphobe, which was why I pointed it out right away.

The guilt written all over my face was evident to him, and he let out another sigh. "It's just a shirt. We can wash it later. Right now, we need to get you to the hospital."

He did not wait for a response, stepping out of the car and reaching to scoop me up and carry me in. I sidestepped him quickly and insisted, "I can walk myself."

Sure, I was banged up, but it was all on the surface. Those guys had not done any real damage. It hurt, but I could manage.

This time, I did not pull away. Instead, I let my hand rest in his, and together, we walked into the hospital.

The doctors gave me the once-over. The verdict was that it was nothing too serious. I had a few bruises where I had been kicked, and my face was scraped up, but nothing was broken inside. A little medicine and some rest should do the trick.

The day had started out so great, but it sure did not end that way. We all felt a bit down about how things turned out.

On the ride home, my thoughts kept circling back to the day's chaos at the scenic spots. One thing after another, it was too much to be just bad luck. Clearly, someone was out to get the Youngs. "Feeling hungry?" Idris broke the silence, his voice calm. He gave me a look that was kind of gentle, a softness in his eyes.

I shook my head and got straight to the point. "Any leads on who pulled the stunt today?"

He gave my head a gentle rub and said, "So that's what's been on your mind, huh?"

I just nodded, admitting it without a word, and pressed on. "First Jack's death, now this mess. What's the endgame for the person behind all this?"

Idris's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and he managed a small, cool smile. "They're getting sloppy, showing their hand. It means we're close to catching them."

I could not hide my confusion. "Going after the Youngs like this... an enemy, maybe?"

He looked at me, his gaze steady. "It's personal. They're trying to turn my life upside downmake sure I can't catch a break."

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