Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Adalyn
I left the shop with a feeling of not only disappointment but sadness. I hoped I would find the information I needed to find Mary. I had nothing else to go on, so my only choice was to get rid of the ring once and for all.
I walked around the city for a bit before calling an Uber and heading back to the hotel. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings as I looked down at my phone, trying to find somewhere close by to dispose of the ring, when I found myself in the middle of the busy street. I heard the screeching sound of brakes, and then someone grabbed me and pushed me out of the way, sending us both to the ground.
“Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish or something?”
The second my mind processed what had just happened, I looked over at the man who saved me and wished that car would have hit me.
“It’s you. The woman from the restaurant last night.”
“Wow. I am so embarrassed,” I spoke.
“Oh, my God. Are you okay?” A woman ran over to me.
“I’m fine,” I spoke out of sheer humiliation. “Are you okay?” I looked over at the man.
“Besides ruining a five-thousand-dollar suit, I’m fine.”
“Harrison!” The woman snapped. “Honey, what were you doing just walking in the middle of traffic like that?”
“I wasn’t paying attention. This is my first time in New York and?—”
“And you think you can walk out in the middle of traffic and everyone will stop for you? Maybe that’s how it works wherever you’re from, but not here. These people, especially the cab drivers, will run you down to get where they need to be.”
“Harrison, that’s enough. I think she’s in shock. Can you stand?”
“I don’t think so. I twisted my ankle, and it hurts really bad.”
“Then we better get you to a hospital and have it checked out,” the woman said.
“No. I’ll be fine. I’ll put some ice on it when I get to my hotel. Can you please help me up?”
The man and woman took hold of my arms and helped me to stand. The moment I tried to put pressure on my foot, I screamed in pain. “Oh, God.”
“We’re taking you to the hospital. Harrison, pick her up and carry her to the car.”
“No. Really. I’ll be fine. I just need to get back to my hotel and rest it.”
“Obviously, you’re not fine. So be quiet. Please,” Harrison said in an irritated tone as he picked me up.
I was in pain, and I wasn’t tolerating his attitude.
“No. I will not be quiet, and you will not tell me to do so. I’m sorry I inconvenienced you and ruined your five-thousand-dollar suit. Nobody asked you to swoop in and save me. I do believe I told you last night to stay as far away from me as possible.”
“So, you do have a death wish? You’re lucky I have quick reflexes, or you would have been roadkill,” he spoke as he put me in the back of his limo.
“What?” the woman asked as she sat next to me. “Last night? Harrison, she isn’t?—”
“Yes, Athena. This is the woman I was telling you about from last night.”
“Oh, my God. We were literally talking about you two seconds before you walked into the street.”
“Why were you talking about me?” I cocked my head at Harrison.
“He was telling me how the waiter spilled his tray of drinks all over you. By the way, I’m Athena. And you are?”
“Adalyn Banks.”
“Is there anybody we can call? Are you here with someone?”
“No. I’m here alone.”
I rubbed the back of my head because it was throbbing in one spot, and when I pulled my hand away, there was blood on it.
“You’re bleeding,” Harrison spoke. “Did you hit your head when we fell?”
“I must have, but I don’t remember. It all happened so fast.”
The limo pulled up to the curb of the emergency room, and Athena ran and grabbed a wheelchair while Harrison picked me up and carried me to it. Because my head was bleeding, they immediately took me back to a room, and I could hear Athena’s raised voice coming from the hall.
“She is our sister, and we need to be back there with her!”
“Then why is her last name different? She said she’s single.”
“She’s our half-sister by a different father, hence the different last name!” she shouted as she and Harrison walked into the room. “For the love of God. I will have them all fired.”
Harrison looked at me and rolled his eyes. I couldn’t help but let out a light laugh.
“The two of you don’t need to stay. I’m sure you’re very busy.”
“You’re right. We are very busy. We have a business to run,” Harrison spoke.
“Harrison! We can stay with her until we hear what the doctor says. I’ll call Jeremy now and tell him.”
Athena walked out of the room and left me alone with him.
“You know. You really need to be more careful,” he said. “Judging by what I saw last night at the restaurant and today, I think you’re right about you being cursed with bad luck. Why are you here in New York, anyway? And why are you alone?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. So, let’s leave it at that. In fact, I have one more thing to do, and then I’m out of this godforsaken city.”
Athena walked in, and the doctor followed behind. He checked out my ankle, took a few x-rays, and glued my head wound shut instead of putting in stitches.
“It says in your chart you’re from Seattle,” the doctor said.
“I am, and I’m only here in New York for a couple of days.”
“Are you traveling alone?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’m admitting you and keeping you here overnight for observation in case you have a concussion. Plus, the nurses will keep your ankle iced, and we’ll set you up on a pain med pump that you can use whenever you’re in pain.”
Could my life get any worse? I needed to get rid of that damn ring ASAP. Not only was I stuck in this damn hospital, but I would also be stuck with a mega bill because I didn’t have insurance. Why did I have to pick up that ring? I had to hold back the tears that were filling my eyes. There was no way I would have a breakdown in front of Harrison and Athena.
“Well, now that you’ll be staying overnight, I guess it’s time for us to go,” Harrison said as he looked at his watch.
“Don’t worry, Adalyn. I’ll come by later and bring you some dinner. You don’t want to eat the horrible food here,” Athena spoke as she placed her hand on mine.
“Thank you, but you don’t have to do that. I’ll be okay.”
“Not another word about it,” she spoke as she grabbed her purse. “I’ll see you later.”
As Harrison began to follow her out the door, I stopped him.
“Harrison?”
“Yes?” He turned and looked at me.
“Thank you for not letting me become roadkill.”
“You’re welcome. Take care of yourself, Adalyn Banks,” he spoke with a soft smile.