Chapter 31 #2
Then I was confronted with the deluge of communication. I’d been ignoring everybody until I could get myself under control.
Thirty-seven missed calls.
Forty-two text messages.
Twenty-four phone messages.
My heart clenched as I scrolled through them.
Mom, Dad, Little Grandma, Aunt Pattie, Aunt Lettie, and even Glenda had left a message to see if I needed anything.
I’d left a message on my phone saying Graham was going to be okay and that I’d return calls the day after tomorrow. Which was today. I sighed.
The weight of everyone's concern crashed over me like a wave. These people loved me, cared about me, and I'd brought danger into their lives. Graham was lying in a hospital bed because someone wanted to hurt me.
The tears came without warning, great heaving sobs that shook my entire body. I buried my face in my hands, trying to muffle the sound in the nearly empty waiting room.
A gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I jerked upright, my heart hammering. Glenda stood beside my chair, her face creased with concern. She held a massive bouquet of white lilies and pink roses in one arm and clutched a pink teddy bear wearing a “Get Well Soon” t-shirt in the other.
“Joy, honey, I'm so sorry.” Her voice was thick with emotion. “You said that today would be a good day to talk,” she sniffed. “I can't believe this happened.”
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “Glenda, you didn't have to come all the way down here.”
“Of course I did. You're my friend.” She settled into the chair beside me, setting the flowers and teddy bear on the small table. “I feel terrible that I couldn’t be here sooner for you, but I wanted to respect your boundaries. How is he?”
“Banged up pretty badly. Two broken ribs, concussion, dislocated shoulder. But he's going to be okay.”
“Thank God.” Glenda reached over and squeezed my hand. “I can tell how much you love him. He’s your everything, isn’t he?”
“I love him with all my heart.”
She smiled sadly, then looked around the room. “Where is everyone? Ava and Roxie and your brothers?”
I glanced at my phone. “Ava and Roxie went to get breakfast. I pretended to be asleep when they left.”
“They didn't invite you?” Glenda's voice carried a sharp edge. “That's terrible. You shouldn't be alone right now.”
“I didn't want to go. I wanted to stay close to Graham.” I shrugged. “Besides, they still think I'm in his room. They'd probably have a shit hemorrhage if they knew I was alone in the waiting room.”
“Oh. I thought they were being asses. In that case, they do deserve the treats I brought for them.” Glenda's expression brightened.
“I have some scones down in my car in the parking garage.
I made them using your orange and cranberry recipe.
I was really hoping you'd like them. That everyone would.”
The gesture was so thoughtful it made my eyes well up again. “That's really sweet of you.”
“Why don't we have one of the nurses take these flowers and the teddy bear to Graham's room, and then we can go down to get the scones?”
I nodded, grateful for something to do, some way to contribute. “That sounds perfect.”
We found a nurse passing by on the way to the elevator and gave her the flowers. The ride to the parking garage was quiet, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Glenda led the way through the dim concrete space, her heels clicking against the floor.
“I parked way back here,” she said apologetically. “The lot was pretty full when I arrived.”
“No problem.” I followed her past rows of cars, the fluorescent lights casting harsh shadows. “Glenda, when did I give you my cranberry orange scone recipe? I don't remember sharing that one.”
Glenda's step faltered slightly. “Oh, you mentioned it the other day at the clinic. When we were talking about baking.”
I frowned. I had a good memory for my recipes, and I was certain I'd never discussed that particular one with Glenda. “I don't think I—”
“Here we are.” Glenda stopped beside a dark sedan and popped the trunk. “Let me just grab the container.”
I peered into the trunk, expecting to see a bakery box or covered plate. Instead, I found blankets, rope, and what looked like a first aid kit.
“I don't see any scones—”
The words had barely left my mouth when I felt a sharp pinch in my neck. I spun around to find Glenda holding what looked like a syringe, her expression no longer kind or concerned.
“What—” I reached for my neck, my fingers coming away with a small drop of blood. “What did you do?”
“I'm sorry, Joy. I really am. But you left me no choice.”
The parking garage began to tilt around me. My legs felt like they were made of rubber, and I had to grab the car's bumper to keep from falling.
“You,” I whispered, the pieces finally clicking into place. “You're the one who's been—”
“I tried to be patient,” Glenda said, her voice eerily calm. “I tried to give you time to see that we belong together. But you kept choosing him. Even after everything I did to show you how wrong he was for you.”
My vision blurred at the edges. Whatever she'd injected me with was working fast, making my thoughts feel thick and sluggish.
“The flowers. The texts. The—” I tried to take a step back, but my coordination was shot. “You tried to kill Graham.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. It was a fifty-fifty chance. But he lived, so he has nothing to complain about.” Glenda's hands were gentle as she caught my arm, steadying me as my knees buckled.
“Cutting the brake lines was just supposed to delay him, make him late so I could talk to you. Help you see reason. Him ending up hurt or dead…” She shrugged her shoulders.
“That was just going to play out according to fate.”
“You're insane,” I slurred.
“I'm in love. We’re in love. You just don’t realize it yet.” Her voice was filled with conviction. “Soon, you'll understand. Once we're away from all these people who are confusing you, you'll see that we're meant to be together.”
The world tilted sideways as she guided me toward the open trunk. I tried to fight, tried to scream, but my body wouldn't obey. The drug had stolen my strength, my coordination, my voice.
“Sleep now,” Glenda whispered as she pushed me into the trunk. “When you wake up, everything will be different. Everything will be perfect.”
The trunk lid slammed shut, plunging me into darkness.