28. Carter
28
CARTER
S unny stormed off in a huff just as my phone started to ring. I walked after her, desperate to make her stop and listen to me, and Jackson stepped out of an exam room and shut the door behind himself, planting one of his hands in my chest.
“Hold on man, what the heck?” He glanced at the door and then turned back to me. “Everyone in this place heard you two screaming at each other. What’s wrong?”
I pushed him off me and walked to the door, but Sunny was gone, not a trace of her in sight. “Dammit!” I growled, spinning back around. The phone in my pocket ringing only made me angrier. I yanked it out to see it was Joseph and swiped to answer: “What?”
“Woah, Carter, I just called with an update.”
His patronizing tone reminded me that I was out of control enough to be set off. “I don’t want an update. I want things fixed. Do you hear me? Done. No more updates.”
Jackson pushed me into exam room three and shut the door as I continued to shout profanities at Joseph. I felt like my world was spinning out of control and someone needed to stop it. The anger came out of me so suddenly, I couldn’t contain the explosion. Years of fear and insecurity overwhelmed me as I lashed out.
“And don’t think you’re getting away with this. People could die. Kira Baker’s death is on your hands, Joesph. If you don’t get things straightened out, you’re fired.” I was set to continue spewing threats, but Jackson took my phone and said something into it softly then hung up.
“You’re out of control, Carter. You need to calm down.” His hand, still pressed into my chest, felt like a thorn. I pushed it away and snatched my phone, dialing Sunny’s number.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m fine,” I snapped at him. The call went to voicemail, so I called again instantly. Three times, then four, each time it went to voicemail until it stopped ringing through at all. She’d shut her phone off or lost service, but it was safe to say she’d never pick up even if I kept trying.
“What happened?” Jackson asked me. He stood between me and the exit, making me feel trapped in this tiny room with him. I did the only thing I could think of—pacing the far wall and holding back another outburst.
“Rick told her, Jacks. He told Sunny about GenOne. He told her I’m the owner, and now she blames me for her friend’s death.” Raking a hand through my hair I kept pacing. I couldn’t stand still. It felt like my whole world was falling apart. She just rushed out without letting me explain anything, and I would have. I’d have told her every detail, how my heart and morals always put me at odds with my father. How I refused to be a part of his company until he left it to me in the will. How I’d have sold the entire thing if not for the fact that the profits cared for all these sick people.
“She probably needs time to cool off. She’ll call you. Just give her some space.” His words sounded good, but I didn’t believe him. Sunny was devastated. She rushed out of here like I’d taken her heart and stomped on it, and in a way I had. I’d broken her more than even her best friend’s death had.
“You don’t get it.” I stopped and glared at him. I could feel the heat in my cheeks, the pressure behind my eyes. I was working on a heart attack if I didn’t calm down. “Her friend died because of the drug GenOne makes, Jackson. She blames me for that. She’ll never come around. She doesn’t even know the facts, and I can’t talk to her to tell her.”
Opening my phone, I pulled up her contact information and thrust my phone in his face. “Memorize her number. You call her from your phone. Tell her she needs to listen to me, or hell, just tell her the truth yourself. I need her, Jackson. I don’t want to lose her.” I saw the past two months of my life passing through my memories in a slow montage of pain and heartbreak. We were so good together; this shouldn’t have been happening.
“Sometimes a breakup is just a breakup, Carter.” He pushed my phone away. “We’re not in high school. She’s a grown adult. You have to give her space. If she wants to work it out, she’ll call you.”
“No, I can’t accept that.” I started for the door, but his hand shot out and pushed me back again.
“You’re not leaving this room until you calm down. We have patients to think about.” He pushed me until I backed up to the stool and sat down. “Take a few deep breaths. Try to let this go a little. If you need the day, that’s fine. I can finish up by myself, but I can’t deal with patients who are upset because of your drama.”
I stared blankly at the wall, letting his words sink in. I felt numb, hollow inside as he walked out and shut the door. Every muscle in my body was tense. I craved a drink to calm my nerves. I couldn’t very well just show up at Rick’s house and demand answers. It was obvious he had pushed Sunny to question me, and I was the one who did the damage. I didn’t even think Melanie would have sympathy for me. At this point, all I could do was wait and see if Sunny reached out again. It felt like torture.
The only thing worse than waiting was not knowing if she would ever call me. I had finally connected with someone, only for my family lineage to come back to haunt me. I didn’t know if I’d make it. Losing Sunny felt like losing Hope. But how was I supposed to mourn the loss of someone who was still alive? How was I supposed to go from knowing her so intimately to being a stranger to her again?