Chapter 9
Anne shuddered, tamping down another wave of nausea while sitting in the cold sterile room staring at the machines and tubes that were connected to her daughter. Grace was slumped in sleep in the chair beside her. Spencer sat in the chair next to Emily’s hospital bed bent forward and resting his head on the metal railing. Four a.m., almost six hours since Spencer had called to give them the alarming news about Emily passing out at a bar. Arriving at the hospital in fifteen minutes, the scene awaiting them was even worse than they feared.
The emergency room doctor regurgitated mumbo-jumbo about her respiration being severely depressed, causing cardiac arrest... doctor-speak for “she quit breathing and her heart quit beating.” Why would a healthy twenty-four-year-old’s lungs and heart quit working? Drug overdose. Probably a combination of drugs and alcohol. Doctors restarted her heart and hooked her up to a respirator.
Then came the infuriating questions. Did Emily have a history of drug and alcohol abuse? Did she have problems with depression? Had she ever been hospitalized for drug or alcohol use? How much alcohol did she consume on a weekly basis?
But when the doctor recognized Steven, her words in Emily’s defense were suddenly more plausible. Yes, it was possible someone put something in her drink. Blood and urine samples were sent for analysis and the doctors performed gastric lavage, fancy words for pumping out her stomach. Steven insisted they call the police.
Charlie called on Emily’s phone, returning Emily’s earlier call. “If I had only answered my phone, I would have made her leave that place. I didn’t hear it ring, and I didn’t realize she’d called me until I got home. I should have talked her out of going in the first place.”
Anne felt equally guilty. “It’s not your fault, Charlie. She told me about it, too. She wasn’t interested in being talked out of it. For some reason she was determined to go out with this guy.”
“Mom, she wouldn’t have listened to you. But I might have been able to talk her out of it. I figured it was too late, since she didn’t call me until right before she left.”
Charlie booked a flight to New York in the morning. She insisted on coming, saying Emily would come for her.
Anne was emotionally and physically exhausted, but tried to hide the fatigue and the returning nausea from Steven. He was in power mode, ordering everyone around and using his considerable influence to make things happen. He was like a dictator—a well-meaning dictator, but a dictator nonetheless. If he suspected she wasn’t feeling well, he would send her home or simply check her into the hospital. She had no chance of winning an argument with him right now.
Steven marched into the room, surveying the surrounding scene.
Spencer stood, keeping his hand clasped around Emily’s limp one. “What happened? What did you find out from the police? Did they talk to Denning?”
Steven’s jaw muscles clenched. “Yes, they talked to him. They don’t think he did it. It wasn’t long from the time Becca sent you the picture until Denning called Grace. In his statement, he claimed she was acting really drunk when they were leaving. He said she complained about feeling bad, sat down, and passed out. They never even left the bar.”
“He was still a jerk. He didn’t even stay with her until we got there. He left her passed out on that chair.” Spencer released Emily’s hand, pacing with long strides while he pulled at his hair.. “I should never have left her there. She’s too na?ve, and I thought he looked like a sleaze. But, I was so mad she lied to me.” He paused beside Anne’s chair. “That guy didn’t even know where she lived—she barely knew him. What was she doing anyway? Why would she go on a date with him?”
“I don’t know, Spencer. She’s normally mature and sensible. But every once in a while, she gets caught on some tangent. When that happens, she gets really stubborn, and no one seems to be able to talk sense into her.” What could she say to soothe his obviously raw feelings. “I hope you’ll give her a chance to explain... when she wakes up.”
He moved back to Emily’s side, gently lifting her hand while turning to face Steven. “If it wasn’t Denning, then who was it?”
“Denning swears she had a cup of coffee and a glass and a half of wine. He said she was perfectly fine until after she started drinking the second glass of wine.”
Anne said, “I can’t even believe she started a second glass. She usually has a strict limit of one, and that’s if she drinks anything at all.”
“She seems to have broken a number of her normal rules for this guy,” Spencer remarked sullenly.
Steven continued. “But the tests showed an extremely high level of this drug in her system. If it was all in the second drink, and she only drank half of it, someone must have spiked it with a huge amount of this Rohypnol. We’re lucky she only drank half of it. And the doctor said she probably won’t remember much—the drug gives you amnesia.”
“Spencer?” Anne pointed her chin at Grace, still sound asleep in her chair, with her head cocked at a strange angle. “Why don’t you go home and take Grace? You’ve done so much.”
“Yes, Spencer.” Steven moved to grasp his shoulder. “The doctors tell me you probably saved her life with the CPR in the taxi.”
He slumped into the chair beside Emily, shaking his head miserably. “No. I could barely remember what to do. I don’t even know if I got any air into her lungs, and I couldn’t get enough room to do the chest compressions the way I needed to.”
“You did the best you could, and she’s probably alive because of you.”
“But we won’t even know if she’s okay until she wakes up.” His eyes dropped to his lap. “I was so mad, I wanted to drop her off at her apartment. I thought she was drunk. It was Grace who said it might be something more. It was Grace who made me call you.”
Steven glanced at her contorted form. “Then we’re thankful to Grace as well. But you really should take her home and get some sleep.”
“No, thank you. I want to stay until Emily wakes up. I have to. I can’t leave until I see her awake.”
Steven opened his mouth to object, but Anne caught his eye and silently bid him to her side. She whispered in his ear, “Let him stay. He needs to stay. Let’s send Grace home.”
Nodding, he roused Grace and guided her half-sleeping form down the elevator to be driven home. Meanwhile Spencer kept his bedside vigil with his head on the bedrail and his hand firmly clasping Emily’s. Steven returned to the room and collapsed into the chair beside Anne. She reached out to grab his hand and squeeze it.
“Thank you. I’m glad I’m not doing this by myself. I’m glad we have you.” With a weak smile she added, “Welcome to fatherhood.”
He heaved a heavy breath. “I don’t much care for this hospital stuff. Between you and Emily, it’s becoming way too frequent for my taste.”
“Mine, too. When did they say she’d wake up?”
“They can’t be sure. It doesn’t usually progress all the way to cardiac arrest like hers did, so they have a hard time predicting.”
Anne felt fresh tears forming and blinked hard. “But she will wake up, right? And they don’t think her brain went without oxygen?” She saw Spencer raise his head, hanging on Steven’s reply.
He paused, obviously thinking carefully before he spoke. “The doctors refuse to make promises, but it’s very unlikely she’ll have any permanent damage from a single incident. On the other hand, she’ll likely be very confused, and she’ll probably have a really bad headache and nausea. And that can last up to forty-eight hours.”
Anne swallowed hard. She wanted assurances not probabilities.
He said, “Look, I know you don’t like that answer, but it’s the best one I’ve been able to get. At least she’s breathing on her own now. That’s a good sign, and she won’t be terrified, waking up on a ventilator.”
“You’re right. I need to be thankful for every positive thing instead of worrying about the things I can’t change.”
She felt his eyes looking her over. “I know you’re exhausted. We all are. You won’t be able to stay up here all day tomorrow. Not unless you want to end up in the hospital yourself.”
“But I have to be here for her.”
“You can stay until she wakes up. But then I’m sending you home so Connie can take care of you.” Squinting his eyes, he added, “And don’t think I’m unaware you’re already feeling sick. I should probably check you into your own room.”
As Anne was formulating a counterargument in her head, Spencer stood to lean across the bedrail. “She’s moving, and her eyes are blinking. I think she’s waking up.”
* * *
Emily had never felt sosick in her life. Her head pounded, and a blinding light assaulted her eyes. She struggled to open them, but it hurt too much. She could hear voices, vaguely familiar. Someone squeezed her hand. A heavy fog dragged her down. She willed herself to wake up. Her eyes squinted open slightly. Was that Spencer? Where was she? What was wrong with her? Why didn’t her body work right?
She blinked her eyes open again. Her mother’s face floated into her vision. Why was her mom here? Where was she? Turning her head to the side, millimeter by millimeter, she saw Steven and Spencer. Both wore frowns. Her mother’s voice was in her ear.
“—hurt anywhere? How do you feel?”
She drifted into oblivion.
* * *
Prying her eyes open,she felt a hand squeezing hers and gazed up into her mother’s eyes.
“What happened to me?” her voiced croaked. Her mother held a straw to her lips. Cool water soothed her parched throat. “Thanks. My head hurts.”
“You don’t remember anything?”
“No… Wait...” Her mind struggled to retrieve the muddled details. “I’m in the hospital. Was Spencer here?” She gazed around the empty room.
“He was here. Yes, he stayed until you woke up.”
“What happened to me?”
“You remember going to a bar with Asher Denning?”
The painful details of the evening trickled into her head, driving salty tears to pool and drip down her face. “Oh Mom, Spencer was there. It was awful. I knew I shouldn’t have lied to him. I feel terrible.”
Anne’s face was grim. “I wish now I’d tried to talk you out of it.”
“But he was here? Is he mad at me? What am I saying? Of course he’s mad.” She wiped her damp face with the back of her hand.
“He saved your life.”
“What? How did he do that? What happened?”
“Try to remember.”
She forced herself to replay the uncomfortable evening in her mind. “He saw me and left at the very beginning. He was with Grace. She tried to warn me, but it was too late.”
“Then what happened?”
“I stayed with Asher and met a couple of his friends and listened to music.”
“What did you drink?”
“Uhmm, a café mocha. And then Asher bought me a glass of wine. I was so stressed I decided to drink it. But I didn’t feel any better.”
“When did you call Charlie?”
“Oh yeah. I went to the bathroom and called Charlie, but she didn’t answer. How did you know I called her?”
“She called back. She’s on her way here.”
“She’s flying here? And I almost died? Was there a car accident?” She ached all over, but she didn’t feel like anything was broken.
“You drank something with drugs in it.”
“What? Who put drugs in my drink? Asher?”
“We don’t think it was him. What happened after you called Charlie?”
“There was another glass of wine on the table when I came back. I knew I shouldn’t drink more than one, but I was feeling so depressed I drank some anyway. And then I remember feeling sleepy. That’s it. That’s the last thing I remember. What happened?”
“You evidently passed out, and Asher called Grace to come take you home.”
“Why didn’t Asher take me home?”
“He didn’t know where you lived.”
“Oh. That’s right.” She cringed. “And Grace came to get me?”
“Grace and Spencer came to get you. Apparently, Asher was already gone. He left you there, asleep.”
“Wow—great guy. I sure can pick ‘em.”
“You wouldn’t wake up, so Spencer called us when they had you in the taxi. They were taking you to the hospital when you quit breathing.”
“I quit breathing?”
“And your heart stopped, too.” Tears were rolling freely down her mom’s face. “And Spencer did CPR in the back seat of the taxi until they got to the emergency room.”
Emily suppressed a sob, as she clung to her mom. “I really almost died?”
“Yes, we nearly lost you. But Spencer probably saved your life. And then he sat beside you all night, holding your hand. Waiting for you to wake up.”
“I thought I saw him for a minute. I thought I imagined it.”
Anne shook her head, sniffing. “No, you probably saw him when you first woke up. But once he knew you were okay, he left. I... I don’t think he wants to talk to you. He was pretty hurt.”
“That’s okay,” said Emily. “I don’t deserve him anyway.” She turned her head away, tears dropping onto her pillow.
“Emily... Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, I don’t. I really don’t. I really want to go to sleep and wake up and find out this was all a bad dream. Talking about it makes it seem too real. I... I almost wish he hadn’t saved me.”
“Emily! Don’t ever say something like that!” Her mom’s voice was angry and frightened.
“I don’t mean it that way. I’m not wishing I were dead, but I don’t feel like facing my life right now.” She turned her tear-streaked face back to her mom and took her hand. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m too much of a chicken to ever actually kill myself.”
“The important thing is you’re alive. You simply need to make better decisions from here on out. And I won’t let you down again.”
Emily opened her mouth to protest, but her mom interrupted. “No. I should have spoken up and read you the riot act when you told me about your lie. I didn’t say anything, but next time, I’m speaking the truth no matter what.”
“I’m a big girl, Mom. I made that choice all on my own. But yes, I hereby give you permission to tell me the next time I’m about to make a huge mistake, even if it makes me angry.”
Anne pushed a curl off Emily’s face and tucked it behind her ear, just like she used to do when she was a little girl. “How do you feel?”
“Pretty much like I’ve been run over by a dump truck.”
“Okay,” said Steven as he swept into the room, “I hate to break up this party, but Emily needs to sleep, and you...” He kissed Anne on the cheek. “You need to go home to sleep. Connie’s already there waiting for you.”
“Connie?” Emily groaned. “Does she know? I guess she does. She probably hates me. I’m sure Grace does. The whole family probably does. That’s good. I deserve it. You should hate me, too.”
Anne and Steven exchanged a meaningful look. Steven said, “I think hate would be too strong a term. No one hates you. Disappointment would be more accurate. But the main thing everyone felt was fear, and now we feel relief. And we feel those things because we love you.”
Emily shook her head, refusing to let herself off that easy. “Have you both been here all night?”
“Yes, you gave us quite a scare.” Steven leaned over to kiss her forehead.
“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry about everything. I can’t believe I was so stupid. I know not to drink something that’s been sitting on the table when I wasn’t there. I’m that stupid girl I always despise in the movies—the one who does stupid stuff and gets herself in trouble. I hate that girl.”
“Charlie will be here soon,” said Steven in an effort to cheer her up.
“Ughh! Charlie will never let me live this down. I was way more irresponsible than she’s ever been.”
Anne chuckled. “I’m afraid you may be right about that. Once she gets over almost losing you, she’ll probably hold this over your head for the rest of your life.”
Emily moaned. “And I’m missing work. I never miss work. I had something I really needed to finish today.”
“Work will wait. Although I hear your boss is something of a tyrant.” Steven winked at her.
“She’s usually a lot harder on herself than any boss,” Anne remarked.
“Well, do me a favor,” said Steven. “Cut yourself some slack here. You’ve discovered you aren’t perfect and you actually make mistakes. I know from experience that’s a hard lesson. Forgive yourself. Learn from it and move on. And you’ll find yourself much more forgiving when others are less than perfect.”
Emily nodded at Steven. But she knew she could never forgive herself. She would do everything possible to make up for her mistakes, but she would never let herself forget. And she would never quit punishing herself. If she did, she might make another mistake, and it might be worse than this one. Look how many people she’d hurt by her reckless actions. She didn’t deserve to be happy.
“Thanks, Steven. Thanks, Mom. You guys go home and sleep. I’ll be fine. I’m planning to go to sleep, too.”
“Are you hungry?” asked Anne.
“No,” she said emphatically. “I don’t think I’ll ever be hungry again.”
Anne chuckled. “I know the feeling, Sweetie. We’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Charlie will see you,” corrected Steven. “Your mom won’t be back until after five.”
“When will I get to leave here?” asked Emily. “I don’t want to spend the night.”
“I don’t know,” Steven said. “It’s possible you’ll get out today or it might be tomorrow. You’ll do whatever the doctor says. Right?”
“Yes, I won’t cause any more trouble.”
* * *
Spencer tried to sleep.He was so exhausted he thought he’d sleep all day. But when he closed his eyes, he saw images of Emily in his head. Her surprised face when he saw her sitting with Asher Denning. The picture of her with her eyes closed leaning against him, tucked inside his arm. Her limp body as he tried desperately to give her CPR in the back seat of the taxi. Her helpless form with wires and tubes coming out of her and a machine pushing air into her lungs. Her frightened eyes when she finally woke up with no idea what had happened.
He’d waited all night to see her wake up, but he couldn’t bring himself to stay and talk to her. He didn’t want to hear her meaningless apology. Oh, he was certain she would apologize. She was certainly sorry this had happened. She hadn’t meant for Spencer to see her with Asher Denning. She hadn’t meant to swallow a drug-tainted beverage. She hadn’t purposely stopped breathing. But she’d made a conscious decision when she went out with Asher. She’d chosen him.
Grace had told him about Denning. He knew he was an art teacher. He knew Emily had only met him once, that she hardly knew him He was older and artistic, blond and handsome. He had an English accent and all the girls in his art class were hot for him. He was smooth and sophisticated. He was obviously a weightlifter. He was the polar opposite to Spencer. So, Emily had made her choice. It hurt, but he’d learn to live with it. If only she’d been honest with him. He was humiliated to find out the way he did.
Spencer gave up on sleeping and went into the office instead.. At least he could keep his mind occupied and not think about how much he was hurting. His phone buzzed again. Becca continued to call and text, over and over. He was sick of her. He wasn’t sure, but he suspected she’d known Emily would be at the Green Scene last night. He glanced at his phone, expecting to see Becca’s name again. But it was Candace. Finally, she’d gotten the nerve to call him. He answered quickly before she could hang up.
“Candace?”
“Hey, Spencer. I got all of your messages. I’m sorry, but I just got them. I’ve been in Mexico since Monday night. I guess you’re not a Facebook friend, or you would have seen my posts. What’s up? What’s so important?”
“You went out of town on Monday and just got back today?”
“Yes. Me and Sherry and Brianna. Why?”
“Becca said you might be at the Green Scene last night.”
“Really? She must have forgotten I was in Mexico, but she knew I was there. She even posted several comments on my pictures. Why? Was I supposed to be there last night?”
“Do you know anything about a picture that was in the NYC Word on Tuesday?”
“You mean Monday? The one I called you about?”
“No, I mean the one on Tuesday. A different picture.”
“No. I admit I usually read it, but I didn’t read it this week. What was it?”
“A picture of the Gherrings, taken when she was coming off the hiking trail last Saturday.”
“No way! Becca put that in the paper? Did she put any of the others in? She took quite a few. I promise I didn’t know she was planning to do that.”
“You saw her take the picture?”
“Sure. You mean, when we were standing around waiting for them to come back to the parking lot? She took several pictures.”
“That’s interesting. She denied it and suggested you must have taken the picture.”
“I can’t believe it! We’re not really close friends, but I thought I knew her better than that. I promise I didn’t take it. I don’t know how to prove it was her, but I promise it wasn’t me. I felt really bad for Mrs. Gherring. So was the paper right? Is she sick?”
He sighed. “Well it’s old news now, but she’s actually pregnant and having a difficult pregnancy.”
“Pregnant—oh, that’s crazy. She’s kind of old for that, isn’t she? I mean, I’m happy for her and all. She was brave to even go on the hike. Listen, Spencer. I didn’t take that picture. I hope you believe me.”
“Sure, Candace. Thanks for calling me back.”
“You’re welcome. I really am sorry it happened. And the Gherrings were so nice to give us a ride to the hike. By the way, are you going on the overnight hike this weekend?”
“I’m not sure. I was planning to, but I’m awfully tired.”
“Same here. I only got back from Mexico a few minutes ago. Do you know if Landon’s going?”
“I don’t know, but I think so. Look Candace, I need to get back to work.”
“Okay. See ya.”
Spencer hung up the phone. He wasn’t sure whom to believe. But he was beginning to think it really might be Becca. At this point, it didn’t seem to matter. He planned to have nothing to do with Becca anymore. In fact, he could take care of that problem right now. He pulled out his phone and blocked her number. Feeling a sense of relief, he started concentrating on his work. Despite his fatigue, he poured himself into his project, enjoying the respite from his painful memories. Perhaps there was life after Emily Best.
* * *
“Hey, Sister.”Charlie’s gold eyes studied Emily from a close perspective. “I’ve been waiting hours for you to wake up.” She smiled. “Well, maybe only about five minutes. But, you slept right through some really loud humming and several throat clearings. Eh-hem!”
“What time is it?” Emily croaked.
“Almost two o’clock. How do you feel?”
“Better than before. My head feels a little better, and I’m not dizzy. But I still feel nauseated.”
“We’ll give you something for that,” said the nurse who entered the room to take vital signs.
“No, I don’t want anything. I really don’t like taking any medicines. They mess with my head.”
“Okay, but the medication would make you feel less nauseous. And I’m also authorized to give you something for pain.”
“I’m not hurting anywhere,” Emily lied, anxious to avoid taking pain medication. “And I don’t really feel that queasy, either.”
The nurse tsked behind her teeth. “Okay. I won’t give you any meds. Let me know if you change your mind.”
“Can I go home?”
“You want to leave already?” asked the nurse. “You just woke up at five a.m. The doctor hasn’t seen you yet, has he?”
“Maybe he came while I was sleeping.”
The nurse shook her head as she checked the patient notes. “Nope. He hasn’t come. But your vitals are fine. It’s possible you could get dismissed today.”
“Can you ask the doctor to come? As soon as he can?”
She chuckled. “I’m betting you’ll see the doctor pretty quickly. You’ve been designated a priority one. Everyone likes to keep Steven Gherring happy around here. He was evidently on a rampage last night.” Then she leaned in as if to tell a secret. “But I’ve seen him come up here and visit with the kids on the cancer wing he built. He’s really a sweet man even though he sometimes looks really stern.”
“Yeah. We’ve seen that side of him more often than not,” agreed Charlie.
“Well, I’ll send a message to the doc and see if he’ll get up here to see you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate your help.”
When the nurse left the room, Charlie said, “So... Let me make sure I have the story straight. My smart, sensible, conservative sister decided to go on a date with an older guy she hardly knew. And she ended up drinking something with drugs in it and almost killed herself. Does that about sum it up?”
“Please, Charlie. I was technically dead less than twenty-four hours ago. Can’t you cut me some slack?”
“Hmmm.” She held her chin, tapping a finger on her lip. “Let me think. What would my dear sister do if the circumstances were reversed? Hmmm... No, I don’t think I can cut you any slack.”
“I would too cut you slack.”
“When I tried that ski jump and broke my wrist, you lectured me on the slope before they even strapped me onto the sled.”
“That was one time—”
“When I wrecked the car, you yelled at me before you even asked if I was hurt.”
“But you weren’t hurt.”
“I could’ve been. You didn’t know.”
“Fine. You might as well yell at me. I’m so angry with myself I can’t stand it. I admit it—I was really stupid.”
Charlie leaned over and hugged her fiercely, blinking back tears. “I’m mad, too. And I’m mad at myself I didn’t hear your phone call. I could’ve lost you. What would I do without my sister?”
“I don’t know, I think you’d be better off.”
“First of all, the drink. Don’t you know—”
“Yes, I know. I know I should never drink something that was left on the table. But, Asher was there. I would’ve thought he’d watch it.”
“For all you know, he did it. You don’t even know him.”
“The police don’t think he did it. But you’re right—I didn’t know him. I was... I don’t know... I was flattered, I guess. All the girls liked him, and he picked me. At the time, it seemed really great. I was blinded by his petty star status. I can’t believe it, now.”
“So, tell me about Spencer. I know he was there. I know he saw you. Steven told me, despite everything, Spencer ended up giving you CPR and saving your life. So, what’s the deal? After all that, you don’t like him? You still want to be friends—nothing more?”
“No... I... That is, yes. I like him. I really do. But, it’s too late. I finally realized it, but it’s too late. I was so awful. I lied to him, and I hurt him.” She turned her head away. “I don’t even think we can be friends, now. And I’ve probably lost Grace as well.”
“You haven’t lost me yet,” said a voice from the doorway. Grace’s face appeared around the door. “I was eavesdropping. I could apologize and say I’m sorry, but it wouldn’t be true.” One corner of her mouth kicked up in a smile. “You know how nosey I am.”
“Hi, I’m Charlie. You must be Grace. Have you come to help me yell at my sister?”
“Absolutely.” Grace moved to stare down at Emily with her arms on her hips. “It’ll be so much more fun to do it together.”
Emily felt tears welling up. “I’m so sorry. You have every right to hate me. I know I do—I hate myself.”
“Oh, no,” said Grace. “You will not feel sorry for yourself. No one hates you, and you know it. If you’d seen my brother last night, you’d know he doesn’t hate you. Crying while he gave you CPR. Sitting by your bed for hours holding your hand. Quite the opposite—I think he’s in love with you.”
“He can’t be,” Emily declared. “He’s too good for me. Even if he does love me, I don’t deserve him—not anymore.”
“Last night, I was inclined to agree. But my opinion is subject to change. It all depends on what you do next.”
“But, it’s too late. I saw his face. I hurt him. He thinks... I mean, he knows he can’t trust me. He knows I lied to him. I don’t even think he likes me anymore, and I really can’t believe he loves me.”
“Oh, I think you’re partially right,” said Grace. “I don’t think he likes you right now. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you.” She paused while her words sunk in. “So the question is... What are you going to do about it?”
* * *
Spencer came homefrom work and ate dinner while watching a movie. Then he took two Benadryl and went to bed early. He congratulated himself on finishing his Friday without thinking about Emily. Well, not too much. Maybe he did wonder a bit about how she was doing, but he refused to call her. He wouldn’t lower himself. If she needed someone to check on her, she could get Asher Denning to do it.
His phone rang, and he felt a flash of disappointment when he saw Grace’s name rather than Emily’s on the caller ID. He pushed that emotion down, concentrating on his anger.
“Hey, Gracie. How are you? Did you get some sleep?”
“I did. I slept ‘til eleven o’clock. What about you?”
“Nah. I couldn’t sleep, so I went to work.”
“You haven’t slept at all?”
“No, but I’m going to bed now. So, I’ll make up for it.”
“Now? At seven o’clock?”
“Yeah. I’m already in bed.”
“So, uhmm... I went up to the hospital this afternoon.”
His heart sped up. How was she? Was she in pain? Was she sorry? Did she even remember what had happened? He spoke slowly, careful to keep the emotion out of his voice. “Oh. That’s good, I guess.”
“Uhmm... Do you want to ask me anything? Or would you rather not know?”
Of course he wanted to know, but he needed to make a clean break. He couldn’t bear being hurt any more. No, it was better if he didn’t know anything. The less he knew about Emily, the better.
“No. I don’t think I want to know. It’s... It’s too hard to think about her. I can’t handle it—not anymore.”
“Okay. I understand. But, Spencer—”
“Look. You can still be friends. I just can’t.”
“So, it’s impossible now? I mean, what would it take for you to give her a second chance?”
“I don’t know. I guess...” He laughed harshly, “I guess if she suspended all of her rules and did something dangerous to be with me, like she did for that Asher Denning guy. Maybe that would mean something.”
“Spencer. You don’t really want her to do something stupid again. You know she’s really sorry—”
“I don’t want to hear it, Gracie. Look. I love you, but I don’t want to talk about her right now. I’m going to sleep, and I’m going on a really long overnight hike tomorrow. When I come back on Sunday, I hope I’ll be okay enough to stand seeing her at work on Monday. That’s about as good as it’s going to get for me.”
“Okay. I understand. Will I see you for Sunday night dinner?”
“Sure. I’ll be there. I told Momma we’d cook hamburgers on the grill.”
“See you, Spencer.”
“Bye, Gracie.”
* * *
Emily couldn’t hearwhat Spencer was saying to Grace, but she got the gist of it. Grace hung up the phone and turned wary eyes to Emily.
“He doesn’t want anything to do with me, does he? I told you, Grace. I hurt him too badly.”
“Emily, I think he just needs time. He said he’s going to bed early, and he’s going on an overnight hike. He’s a physical guy. He needs to work out his anger. He’ll probably be better by Monday.”
“Oh right. Earlier, you were telling me I should call and talk to him or go see him. Now you’re telling me he might be better by Monday.”
“He was angrier than I thought. I think it’d be better if I talk to him at family dinner on Sunday night. I can feel him out and help you plan a strategy for Monday.”
“What did he say, Grace?” Charlie asked. “What did he say when you asked him what it’d take to give her a second chance?”
“He was only spouting off.”
“It was something impossible, wasn’t it?” asked Emily.
“He didn’t mean it. He’s just mad about Asher. He said something about you breaking rules and doing something dangerous to be with him. But it doesn’t make any sense, and he knows it.”
“I would do it,” declared Emily. “I would do something dangerous for him.”
“Maybe we could stage something dangerous. Like, you could jump out and push him out of the way of a bus or something,” Charlie said.
“No, I’ve got a better idea,” laughed Grace. “What if we string up a tight rope between two buildings, and you could walk across and bring him some life-saving medicine?”
“I’m glad you two can laugh.” Emily pouted.
“Cheer up,” said Charlie. “You’re alive to fight another day. The Sister I know would never give up.”
“We’ll figure something out,” said Grace. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I’m beat. Someone kept me up really late last night.” She chuckled as she gave Emily a goodbye hug. “Hang in there, okay?”
“I’ll walk you out, Grace,” said Charlie. “Hopefully, Emily will get to go home tonight. And Steven promised to get us tickets to a play tomorrow night. Maybe you could come.”
“Actually, that sounds fun. As long as seeing me won’t be a sad reminder for Emily,” she teased, glancing her direction.
Emily forced the corners of her lips upward. “No. I’m so relieved you’re forgiving me for being stupid, I promise I’ll be happy to see you.”
“And you’ll try not to lose hope about Spencer?”
“I’ll try.” But in her heart, she was already fighting a sense of despair.
By the timeEmily had been released from the hospital and returned to her apartment, she was already formulating a strategy. She couldn’t wait until Monday. Spencer would go on that hike and spend two days working her out of his system. She had to do something. He’d said he wanted her to break her rules and do something dangerous to be with him. If she went on that overnight hike, it would prove something. Wouldn’t it? He knew she didn’t like camping and sleeping on the ground. Hiking and camping weren’t really dangerous, but it was definitely way out of her comfort zone. Surely, he’d be at least slightly impressed, especially if she went the day after she got out of the hospital. Maybe he’d at least give her a chance to apologize.
She began to plan the details. She couldn’t show up at the beginning of the hike with the whole group. If he saw her, he might simply refuse to go on the hike. He might walk away, never giving her an opportunity to prove herself. She had to find out where they were camping and meet the group there. All she had to do was start an hour behind them. She’d call Becca. Becca would know where they were camping. It was summer, so it wouldn’t be very cold. She could get by with a lightweight blanket since she didn’t own a sleeping bag.
How to keep her family from worrying? Hmmm. She could convince Charlie to sleep upstairs with their parents, telling her she wanted to sleep as long as possible tomorrow—until noon. She could leave a note, telling them she was going to meet Spencer on the overnight camping trip. They’d be angry, but not too angry. They’d all be glad she was going to be with Spencer. And he’d be out of cell range, so they wouldn’t find out she hadn’t gone with the whole group. When she met up with Spencer at the top of the mountain, he’d have to listen to her. He’d see she was willing to do risky things for him. She could apologize. And maybe, just maybe he’d forgive her. It was her best chance and one she was willing to take. She picked up her phone and pushed a few buttons.
“Hey, Becca?”