Her question hits me like a slap, and I reel back. “N-no. I tried to call my hus—I mean, partner, but he didn’t answer.” The panic that’s been slowly circling slams into me, and for a brief moment, I feel exactly like I did three years ago. As though I’m screaming for help and no one is listening. Seth is God knows where, not picking up his phone. My friends are not emotionally equipped to deal with this situation, even after all of their therapy. Helplessness batters at me like an accusation.You’re not strong enough. You can’t do this.
“I can,” I whisper out loud. “I can do it.”
“Uh, Ashlin?” The woman’s tone turns questioning. “Do you have any family?”
Family. I almost cry with relief.
“Yes.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to give her Dad’s name, but for some reason, I don’t. “Harley. My sister-in-law.”
“Okay. I’m going to put you on hold, and I want you to call Harley and ask her to meet you at Sunrise Hospital.”
Part of me relaxes. She’s giving me instructions. Right now, that’s exactly what I need.
“If she doesn’t answer, let me know, okay? I’m here for you, Ashlin.”
“Thank you.” She puts me on hold, and I find Harley’s number, my fingers moving more surely now that I have a task to accomplish. When she answers, I clutch my chest against another wave of emotion.
“Harley, thank God.”
“Ash, are you okay?”
“No.” I whimper. “Something has happened. An ambulance is coming to get me. Where are you? Is Seth there?”
In the distance, I hear the murmur of another voice. Male. Seth?
“Shit, how bad is it? I’m at Dev’s place,” Harley replies. “We’ve just been for our run and were about to hit the gym, but we’ll come to the hospital instead. Don’t worry about Seth; I’ll get a hold of him.”
The bathroom door bursts open, and a paramedic hurries inside.
I swallow. “Gotta go. See you soon.” I hang up. “I’m bleeding. Is my baby going to be okay?”
He hustles over to me, and another paramedic follows behind with a stretcher tucked under her arm.
“We’ll do what we can, but you’re our top priority,” he says as his partner places the stretcher on the floor. “Let’s take care of you first, and then we’ll check on the baby. Can you lie down for us?”
“Oh, I can walk.”
His expression tightens. “Please, we’d prefer you to lie down. It’s safer that way.”
That’s all he needs to say to make me comply. Suddenly remembering the woman still on hold, I gesture to my phone.
“We’ll deal with it,” the female paramedic says. “You just hang in there.”
“My purse,” I said. “It’s still in my classroom.”
“I’ll ask one of the other teachers to get it for you. Don’t worry.”
I close my eyes as they carry me out, ignoring the exclamations of surprise from my colleagues, and the interest from students as we pass by. I can’t deal with them right now. I’m not even sure I can deal with myself. Forget being a strong woman. I was delusional. I’m frightened and alone, just like I always was.
24
Seth
“You and I both know Leo had nothing to do with drugs,” I argue for the tenth time, furiously clicking the lid of my pen. I’m having a circular conversation with the promoter of the fight Leo is supposed to participate in this weekend. “He’s taken a test and he’s clean.”
“I don’t know what to say, Seth. It’s going to take a while for the taint of the arrests to leave him. People will wonder.”
“Let them fucking wonder.” My pen snaps in two and I drop it in disgust. “It’s not his fault he was training with cheaters.”
