“It’s my heart,” Riley said through heavy breaths, barely able to get the words out. So many things went through her mind in that moment. Her previous cardiac events had been scary too, but she’d felt invincible and had dealt with her recovery like it was one of her projects, never really admitting what was at stake: her life. But things had changed, and she couldn’t die now. Not when she was finally, truly happy. She had Quinn, she had a home, and she had her family. She could see her future so clearly, so vividly, and that future was threatening to slip away. Most of all, she loved Quinn, and she needed a second chance to tell her that. She couldn’t breathe through the panic and pain that spread through her chest.
“Ambulance…” she whispered, barely mustering the energy to pull her phone out of her back pocket. She held it out for Jane, then dropped it when pins and needles set in, turning her hands numb.
Jane patted her cheek. “Okay, stay with me, Riley. I’m calling an ambulance now. Anything I should know? Would it be quicker if I just drove you to the hospital? I have no idea where it is.”
Riley couldn’t answer. She heard Jane’s voice, but she sounded so far away. Was she walking away from her or was Riley slipping away herself? Opening her mouth to ask the question, no words came out, and Riley’s mind went blank.
67
QUINN
Rushing through the hospital corridors, Quinn couldn’t think straight. She kept asking people for the cardiology department, but the building was a maze, and she couldn’t find it. She’d driven here in a state of panic, most likely picking up some speeding tickets on the way. If only this was a nightmare and she’d wake up and everything would be okay. But despite her confusion, it felt too real to be a nightmare. “You need to come to the hospital,” Jane had told her. “It’s Riley. It’s her heart.” Quinn had been at work when she received the call, and she still had paint stains on her hands and work jeans.
“Please, I need the cardiology department,” she yelled when a nurse passed.
“You’re here. Try to concentrate on your breathing. You’re about to hyperventilate.” The nurse patted Quinn’s arm. “Come with me.” She led the way to the reception desk, which was hidden in a nook around the corner. “Calm down, please, so I can help you. Who is it you’re looking for?”
“Riley Moore. She was admitted about an hour ago.”
“She’s in room seventeen,” one of the other nurses, who had overheard the conversation, said. “But they’re doing some tests on her, and she’s not currently allowed any visitors. You can wait outside her room, though. There’s a seating area and a coffee machine opposite.”
“Is she going to be okay?” Quinn turned to the clerk. “Can you tell me how serious it is?”
The clerk typed something into her computer and squinted as she read the notes on the screen. “We can’t tell you anything until she’s been fully examined, I’m afraid. One of our cardiologists will fill you in as soon as we know more.” She smiled apologetically at Quinn. “Are you family?”
“I’m…” Quinn swallowed hard. “I’m her partner. Her sister, Jane Moore, is already here. She’s the one who called me.”
“Right. Well, if you take a seat outside Miss Moore’s room, we will update you as soon as we have any news.” She pointed to the left corridor when Quinn was about to walk the wrong way again.
“Thank you.” Quinn fought back her tears when she met Jane’s eyes. Jane was sitting in a chair with Mindy sleeping on her lap, and she looked like she’d been crying.
“Hey there,” she said with a sad smile.
“Hey.” Quinn gave her a careful hug so she wouldn’t wake up Mindy. “What happened? How is she?”
“I don’t know any more than you do,” Jane said. “One moment she was fine—or at least, I thought she was fine, albeit a bit tired—and the next she collapsed on the lawn, clutching her chest. She passed out for a little while, but she was completely lucid by the time the ambulance arrived.”
“Was she talking?”
“Yes, but she was weak, and her heart rate was through the roof. I’m a nurse, but for the first time in my career, I panicked because I couldn’t do anything to help her.” Tears trickled down Jane’s cheeks, and she sniffed. “I’m usually so calm in life-threatening situations, but this is Riley, my sister, and I didn’t know what to do…”
“Hey, you couldn’t have done anything. She needed a cardiologist, medication, and intensive care. That’s not something you can give her in the backyard,” Quinn said, putting an arm around her. She was grateful to hear Riley was lucid, but that didn’t take away the knowing feeling of doom in the pit of her stomach.
“Maybe, but it sucks to feel so helpless. She said it was her heart, and to me, it looked like it was her heart, but…” Jane hesitated and narrowed her eyes at Quinn. “Do you know something I don’t?”
Quinn sighed and decided Jane had a right to know, even if it came from her. She was Riley’s sister, after all, and she was terrified. “Riley has the same heart condition as your father,” she said. “She’s on medication, and she thought it was under control. Clearly, that wasn’t the case.”
“Oh my God…” Jane slammed a hand in front of her mouth, causing Mindy to stir against her. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t want you to worry, I suppose. Or perhaps she didn’t want to put an extra burden on you, as she felt guilty for being so flaky. I know that bothered her—that she hadn’t put much effort into your relationship. She’s had a lot of regrets since she moved to Mystic.” Quinn shrugged. “A change to a slower pace of life can do that to people. She had a lot of time to reflect.”
“So that’s why she sold her business…” Jane rested her hand on Quinn’s. “I asked her about it a couple of times, but she kept giving me vague answers, so I drew my own conclusions. I figured it might have been a failed relationship that drove her away from New York.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t have been more wrong.”
“Yes, she had to slow down drastically, and she did. That’s why I don’t understand why—” Quinn stopped herself when a doctor came out of Riley’s room. “Miss Jane Moore?”
“That’s me.” Jane held up a hand. “And this is Quinn Kendall. She’s Riley’s partner.”
He gave them both a polite nod and a smile. “Hello, I’m Dr. Norwich, one of the cardiologists here. Based on her medical history and initial tests, it seems that your sister…and your partner,” he added, turning to Quinn, “Has suffered an episode of ventricular tachycardia. In itself, it’s not normally life-threatening, but as you probably know, Miss Moore’s episodes are far more extreme, and this latest one has, again, left some damage.” He held up a hand when Quinn looked at him with despair. “However, it’s likely she will make a full recovery, and we will do our very best to find out why this has happened again despite her medication. For now, please wait here, or go home and try to distract yourself the best you can. It might take a while. We’ll call you as soon as we know more and she’s strong enough to have visitors, as we need to prevent her from getting overly emotional.”
