Instagram is next. Nate posts more pictures of the game and some piece of artwork he’s working on. I heart everything, of course. Nothing else says I’m secretly crushing on you like a copious amount of hearts and emojis.
I toss my laptop to the side, frustrated, when my phone starts to buzz with an incoming call. I look down at the caller ID. It’s Gail.
I let out a loud sigh. I don’t want to talk to her right now. I let it go to voicemail, but she immediately calls again. And again after that.
“Hello?” I say, curtly.
“Where are you?” Gail demands.
“Excuse me? I’m home, why?”
“Because I just got a call from the South Hampton Hospital, Julia’s been in an accident. They called me because I was the last call she made on Friday to ask for a few days off.”
I guess they did go to the Hamptons. “Is she okay?”
“They wouldn’t tell me anything over the phone, but I can’t even go there. I flew out to LA yesterday. Can you check on her, or at least call her family?”
“Yeah, sure, of course. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
I ring Nate, because even though Julia and I are close, I’ve never met her family. I know they all live in Connecticut but that’s about it.”
“Jane? Hey, what’s up?”
“Nate, hi. Are you with Julia?”
“No, why?”
“Have you spoken to her? Gail just got a call saying she was in an accident and she’s in South Hampton Hospital, but they’re not telling her anything else.”
“What? Is she okay? What happened? Where’s South Hampton? Is that in Connecticut? She went to see her family for a few days, maybe they know something. Do you have their number? Is she answering her phone at all?”
“South Hampton is inSouth Hampton, Nate. It’s not in Connecticut. And I’ve never met her family.”
There’s silence on the other end of the line.
I look down at my watch and sigh. “I’m going to catch the eleven fifteen train to Riverhead and get my car from my parents’ house. Do you want to ride with me?”
“Yeah, definitely.”
* * *
It’sthe wee hours of the morning when we finally reach the hospital. Nate and I went from nervous chatter to not speaking to one another at all for the entire ride. I was too lost in my own thoughts as I’m sure he was. Why would Julia tell him she was going to Connecticut if she wasn’t? They’ve been spending every minute together, so why would she suddenly be going someplace without him? Maybe they really aren’t as good a couple as they portray. Whatever the case, none of it should be making me this happy.
By the time they let us see her, they will only allow one visitor in at a time. I take that as a really bad sign and push Nate to go. They’re a couple, more than just friends, they’re lovers—I’m sure she would rather see him than me first. I’m sure she would find comfort in his being here.
I watch as Nate speaks quietly with the doctors in front of her room. He looks confused, and for a quick moment I imagine this being all some big misunderstanding. Maybe someone called Gail by mistake or maybe this was a really shitty prank, maybe that’s why Nate has that expression across his face.
My knee bobs nervously as I sit in the small waiting area. I can’t hear anything that’s being said, and for some strange reason, Nate heads into the room on the opposite side of the hallway. My heart picks up speed; there definitely looks like there’s been a miscommunication of some sort. They must have told us the wrong room number.
Strangely, Nate walks between the two rooms a few times.
I drum my fingers on the armrests of the chair.
I sit there for an hour going out of my damn mind.
Every time he walks out of one room, I stand up then sit back down as he walks right into another. I start to wonder if he’s forgotten about me.
I’m playing solitaire on my phone when he collapses in the sit next to me. My stomach has been in knots for the last few hours and I needed to take my mind off of Julia being so tragically maimed she can’t walk again or talk, just horrible images that flashed over and over in my head.
