“Roe?” My gaze found his.
“Come.”
We climbed into the waiting car and sped away.
Chapter Ten
Chaos greeted us when we ran into the emergency room. Normally packed, weekend nights were a free-for-all, Sunday being no exception. People crowded the room, waiting to be seen, along with anxious family members who’d yet to hear the fate of the loved ones they’d brought in. I rushed to the desk, where a trio of harried nurses assisted people. While my mother and Ezra found seats, I waited in line behind a man bleeding from a roughly bandaged cut on his arm. After he was checked in and told, “Take a seat. A doctor will see you soon,” it was my turn.
“My grandmother was brought in. Either a stroke or a heart attack. Her name is Nettie Friedman.” I bounced on my toes, unable to stay still with all the anxiety pulsing through me. She had to be okay. She had to be. And what the fuck was Ezra doing there?
The receptionist consulted with someone on the phone. “They’re attending to her now. Someone will come to see you when she’s stabilized.” I opened my mouth, but she forestalled my question. “I don’t know anything more than that. I’m sorry. You’ll just have to wait.”
Not surprised, I still wanted to yell that she had to knowsomething, but aware of how overworked she was and the two burly, unsmiling security guards standing behind the desk, I nodded and retreated to find my mother. My gaze connected with Ezra’s as I approached, and for a brief, heartbreaking moment, I wished things were different.
“What did they say?” Still clutching Ezra’s hand, my mother hitched her seat toward me. “Is she going to be okay? Where is she? When can we see her?”
“Mom—”
Shockingly, Ezra cut me off, taking my mother’s hands in his. “I’m sure they’re doing everything they can to make her feel safe and comfortable. When she’s stable, they’ll let us know. Right, Roe?”
Our eyes met, and my heart lurched painfully. “Yes.” My voice caught, and I cleared my throat. “Yes. They’re working on her now, and as soon as they let us, we can go inside.”
“She has to be okay,” my mother whispered as the tears fell. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.” Head bowed, she hurried off to the restroom, leaving me alone with Ezra.
“I’m so sorry, Roe. But she’s a fighter. I’m praying she pulls through this.”
“Thanks.” I cradled my head in my hands, then asked the question that had been gnawing at me all evening, ever since I heard the commotion in the hallway and found him on the other side of my door. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, because you’ve been wonderful, but why are you here?”
Voices rose and fell around us, the loudspeaker blatted out names of doctors, but Ezra had that unique ability to center me no matter the distraction. He reached out a hand as if to touch me, but I shifted away. I was so raw and scared, I feared if I felt his hand on my skin, I might grab on to him and never let go. I’d rather have him think that earlier anger between us remained fresh and alive.
“I’m honestly not sure.”
“Care to explain?” It seemed we’d be waiting for a while to hear about Grandma’s condition, and I still had no idea why Ezra was here.
“After I left your apartment, I ran into your mom and Nettie in the courtyard. We talked for a bit and got reacquainted, and Nettie invited me up for cake.”
Despite my fear and hurt, I couldn’t hold back a smile. “You never could resist something sweet.”
Ignoring my attempt to lighten the moment, Ezra spoke to his clasped hands. “We talked about us.”
“Us?” I repeated stupidly. “There’s no us. In fact, I never expected to see you again after you left.”
“I didn’t either. But they—Nettie, especially—have a way of getting you to reveal shit you don’t want to.”
“Do tell,” I said dryly. “Now imagine living with them.”
A semblance of amusement crept over Ezra’s face. “I have my own personal bulldog, thanks.” The humor fled. “But they repeated what you told me. That you tried to keep in contact.”
My heart, that damn traitor, began to pound. “I didn’t lie.”
Our conversation was interrupted by my mother’s return. She sat next to me. “Any news?”
At the shake of my head, she leaned her head on my shoulder, and I wrapped my arm around her. “We’ll just have to wait. I’m sure they’ll be out soon to tell us something.”
But hours went by, and though I’d made several trips to the reception desk, they had no news for me. At midnight, I slumped in my chair.
Ezra handed me a cup of coffee. “Take it. It’s from the coffee shop downstairs. I wouldn’t subject you to the vending-machine crap.”
