“I wasn’t told what was happening because I’m not a member of his family. I lied and said I was his roommate and it would take a while for his parents to arrive, so they let me stay so he wouldn’t be alone. You have an amazing son, Mrs. Langhorn.”
She seemed to ignore my comment. “His cardiologist called us. Where are Brooke and Kyle?”
“Betsy, don’t be like that.” I turned to see a man who looked a lot like Avery approaching us.
He stepped closer and extended his hand. “I’m Leon, Avery’s dad. You’re Avery’s boyfriend, right?”
My face flushed. “Did he tell you about me?”
“No. I just had a feeling that any man who would sit in an ugly waiting room for hours when the doctors told him nothing had to believe my son was very important.”
“Heisan amazing man, just as you said. Please, Mr. Rose, take a seat. Someone should be out here to talk to you and Mrs. Rose in a minute.”
I reached into my coat pocket on the chair next to me to retrieve Avery’s wallet and phone, handing them to his father. “The paramedic said there was a special circumstance and that’s why they brought him here. The police officer who responded tothe 9-1-1 call gave me his wallet, and I grabbed his phone from the counter of my kitchen before I left to come here.”
Leon opened the wallet and looked at Avery’s license before pulling out another card. “Thank god he had this with him. He refuses to wear the medic alert bracelet or necklace. Says he doesn’t want people feeling sorry for him.”
Leon shoved the card back into the wallet and handed Avery’s things to his mother. She opened it and unzipped a little pouch on the inside, dumping a little plastic bag into her palm.
“At least he has these with him. Does he have his medicine at your house, or does he not spend the night? He’s told us nothing about you.”
What the hell kind of meds did Avery require? I mean, we’d only hung out a few times and had only just had sex for the first time earlier that day. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with the guy, but so far Avery hadn’t said a word to me about any health issues.
“I’m sorry. Is there something about Avery that requires him to take certain meds? You see, we’ve only been on a few dates. Did he tell you he was in an accident after Christmas?” Now nothing made sense.
“An accident? Where?” Leon asked. Betsy stared at me as though I’d just pissed in her cereal.
“That’s when I met Avery. He borrowed his roommate’s car to go to Virginia to spend Christmas with you. It started snowing the day after the holiday, when he was on his way to Baltimore. A semi jackknifed on the icy highway, swatting Avery’s—or Brooke’s—car off the road.
“I was on my way home and saw the tracks the car made when it went off the road. I found him down at the bottom of the incline and I was able to get him out of the car. He refused medical treatment on the scene because he said he was fine. I took him to his apartment and then drove him back to thescene a few days later so he could arrange for Brooke’s car to be towed.”
Betsy wept while Leon paced. Something occurred to me that I hadn’t thought about. Maybe whatever was wrong with Avery was the reason why he kept saying he could talk to my dead sister? Maybe it was a delusion due to a medical condition? Was there something I’d missed?
“God, that’s so like Avery. He wants to prove to everyone that he doesn’t need any help. He’s always been stubborn since he was a little boy. He told me he nearly got run over by a damn firetruck before Christmas because he crossed outside the crosswalk without looking both ways. He even laughed about it.” Leon shoved his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants and shook his head.
I remembered being at lunch with Steve one day and seeing a guy nearly run down by a fire truck. Had that been Avery?
Cardiologist...Why did that word keep circling my mind? Did Avery have a heart issue?
“You said his cardiologist called you. Why does Avery have a cardiologist?”
Betsy’s angry glare sent chills down my spine. “You don’t know? Avery didn’t... Do you even know my son at all?”
“Betsy, this is a hospital. Keep your voice down,” Leon snarled.
“I know him, and I love him.” My temper reared its ugly head, which wasn’t going to get me anywhere.
Just then, the door opened and a doctor came into the lounge. “Betsy and Leon, I’m sorry we’re meeting this way again.”
Betsy held up her hand. “Can we go to a quiet room. I’d rather not have my son’s personal information shared with a total stranger.” Her cold glare sent a shiver down my spine.
The doctor glanced at me. “I was told he came in with Avery.”
“He’s just a one-night stand. Let’s go,” Betsy insisted.
Before I could open my mouth to refute her claim, she was out the door. The doctor turned to Leon. “Do I need to get security?” He didn’t add “to bodily remove this man.”
I grabbed my coat. “No need. I’m going.”
