68
RILEY
Tears trickled down Riley’s cheeks when she heard Jane and Quinn talking to Dr. Norwich in the corridor again after five long hours of waiting. She’d missed them both more than she’d worried about herself. Once again, she was in a cardiology wing, but this time, she wasn’t alone, and she was so grateful to be alive.
It wasn’t stress that had caused her heart to go into extreme arrythmia. Tests had shown she was low on electrolytes, magnesium specifically. She’d been taking medication for heartburn, which had led to hypomagnesemia, and as her heart was already sensitive, that had triggered an episode of ventricular tachycardia. The good news was that she was going to be okay, and her heart would likely repair itself as long as she stopped taking heartburn pills. She vaguely remembered doctors telling her to watch out with certain medication, but the heartburn pills had seemed so innocent that she hadn’t given it a second thought.
“Babe!” Quinn walked into the room, and she was crying. “Babe…can I hug you?” she asked, glancing over the wires attached to Riley’s chest and the tubes and IV going into her wrists.
“Yes! Come here.” Riley clumsily spread her arms and embraced Quinn when she bent over and brushed her cheek against hers. With that embrace, all fears of uncertainty she never knew she had were erased as she wallowed in a cloud of comfort. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Quinn lifted her head and wiped her cheeks. “Babe, I was terrified I was going to lose you.” She hesitated, meeting Riley’s eyes and carefully taking her hand. “I can’t lose you. I love you.”
Riley stared at her for a beat before she too, started crying. “I love you too,” she said, feeling her words deep in her core. She felt so much love for Quinn, and she’d felt it for a while. “I love you,” she said again. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
“Don’t you dare, I need you.” Quinn cupped her cheek. “How are you feeling?”
“Not too bad. Just tired and achy.” Riley closed her eyes and leaned into Quinn’s touch. Something was going against all rules of life because, despite her physical discomfort after nearly dying, she’d rarely felt happier. Quinn loved her, and that filled her with such warmth that nothing else mattered. “I assume Dr. Norwich filled you in?”
“He did,” Jane, who had just witnessed their intimate exchange, chipped in before she looked from Quinn to Riley and back. “You guys are so sweet together. I totally get it now.” She walked over to Riley and kissed her forehead. “How are you feeling, sis?”
“Okay. Glad to still be here.” Riley smiled widely. “They’re keeping me for a few days to monitor me and make sure my magnesium levels go back to normal, but if everything’s okay, I can go home soon.”
“I’ll stay here with you, if they’ll let me,” Quinn said and held up a hand when Riley was about to protest. “No discussion. I’m not leaving your side.”
Tears burned again at the corners of Riley’s eyes, and she nodded. “Thank you.” She shifted her gaze to the door, then looked at Jane. “Where’s Mindy?”
“She’s in the corridor.” Jane checked her drip and continued as she studied the screen next to Riley’s bed. “She fell asleep, and the clerk offered to look after her for ten minutes. I wasn’t sure if seeing you like this would traumatize her, so I thought it might be best to keep her out.”
“Do I look that bad?”
“No, not at all. Just a lot of tubes.” Jane smiled as she looked her over. “So, this isn’t your first time, huh? I wish I’d known. I’m a nurse, for God’s sake. If I’d known you had heart problems, I would have never let you take those heartburn pills.” She took Riley’s hand, careful not to interfere with the tubes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Riley shrugged. “At first, I didn’t want to bother you because I’d neglected our relationship. And then when I finally saw you again, we were having such a nice time that I didn’t want to ruin it with a serious conversation. You’re a worrier, and you shouldn’t be worrying about me.”
“But Iwantto worry about you, and I want you to share what’s going on in your life. Isn’t that the whole point of rebuilding our relationship? Sharing stuff? What if I was going through something difficult? Wouldn’t you want to know?”
Riley winced because her sister was right. “Of course I’d want to know, but I don’t feel like I deserve your support,” she finally said through sniffs. “I wasn’t there for you when you went through your divorce, and I didn’t realize how lonely you must have felt until I was all alone myself. I’ve neglected you and Mindy, and I’m so, so sorry…”
“Don’t be. The past is in the past, and today we’re starting over. Clean slate, okay? No looking back.” Jane gave her a sweet smile. “And talk to me about whatever is happening in your life, good or bad. Will you do that for me?”
“I promise I’ll talk to you,” Riley said, feeling the heavy weight of guilt lifting off her shoulders. She’d never noticed how heavy that weight was until it evaporated. “But that’s it. That’s the whole truth. My heart is the reason I sold my company and moved to Mystic. As you know, my condition is generally not life-threatening providing I take it easy and live a healthy life, which I do.”
“Then I hope you’ll continue to take care of yourself. Hopefully, this was just a one-off, so stay away from those damn heartburn pills.” Jane had fallen into nurse mode, and it was sweet to see her like that. Riley could imagine her at work, talking to her patients in the same stern and pressing manner. “I’m glad Quinn is living with you. At least she can keep an eye on you.”
“Me too.” Riley looked at Quinn lovingly and was instantly caught in her gaze. She couldn’t have escaped if she’d wanted to.
Clearly aware she was crashing a moment, Jane straightened herself. “Well, I’ll take Mindy back to the house and Quinn will stay here with you. I want to make sure everything is tidy and ready before we take you home. I’ll cook you some healthy food and prepare a comfortable seating area outside where you can relax and sleep whenever you feel like it.”
“That’s so sweet, but I swear I’ll be okay,” Riley protested. “Last time I was discharged from the hospital, I felt fine and went straight back to work.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not happening this time.”
“She’s right,” Quinn said. “You’re going to rest, recharge and repair that beautiful, kind heart of yours.” She brushed a hand through Riley’s hair and kissed her. “I’ll get you some lunch now. The hospital food looks awful. What do you feel like?” She continued before Riley had the chance to answer. “You’re not allowed phones or iPads in here, but can I get you some magazines?”
69
QUINN
