I open my mouth, and my breath goes shaky, so I close it again. Then I try once more. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“Me, too. You have no idea.” She pushes out a half-laugh and wipes under both eyes with her fingers. “Look at us.” She glances quickly at the male guard, then back at me. Without thinking, I move my hand a few inches across the table. She does the same. Our fingertips don’t even touch yet, but the guard shifts his weight against the wall.
“No touching, ladies.”
“Of course.” Carla pulls hers back and gives him a look that, in any other circumstance, would have made me snort.
“We weren’t even close.”
“Hands flat.”
We both put them back. I press my palms down again. She does the same.
“They searched my bag three times. I half expected a strip search before I got back here.”
A small huff that wasn’t really a laugh comes out of me. She looks at me properly now.
“How are you, Robyn? Really. Don’t give me the brave doctor face. I know it too well.”
“I’m okay.” I hold her gaze and try to make my voice steadier. “Okay as can be expected.” I draw in a breath. “I have legal representation now. They appointed someone yesterday, and the firm she’s with sent a senior lawyer in this morning. They’ve been with me for hours. I have a bail hearing the day after tomorrow.”
“That’s great.” She sighs. “So you might get out?”
“Maybe. They don’t think it’s a sure thing. The case against me is…it’s pretty bad, Carla.” I swallow, and I feel my eyes start to fill again. “If this goes to trial and I lose, I’m looking at years and all for something I didn’t do.” A tear slides down my cheek before I can stop it. I tip my face up to the ceiling and blink. It doesn’t help. Another goes down.
“Oh, Robyn.” Her voice has gone soft. “I’m so sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” I tell her.
“I know you didn’t do this. And it isn’t just me,” she says, leaning forward as far as the chair allows. “Everyone at the hospital feels the same. Patel cornered me yesterday, so worked up I thought he was going to give himself a stroke. Lena cried in my office. Brody offered to give a statement. The list goes on. Even Mrs. Trenton from billing is wearing your name on a little badge under her cardigan, like some kind of one-woman protest. We are all rooting for you. Every last one of us. You are not alone in this.”
I don’t bother trying to stop the tears now. They roll down and drip off my jaw, and I let them.
“Tell them thank you.” My voice is a little shrill. “Please. Tell everyone.”
“I will.” She nods hard. “Listen to me. The truth is going to come out. It has to.”
I want to nod and tell her that of course it will. The words won’t come. I want to believe it. I’m trying so hard to believe it.
“I hope so,” I finally manage.
“What can I do? Tell me. Anything. There must be something I can do.”
“You’re here. That means the world.” My voice goes thick.
“I cannot believe Ridge did this to you,” she says. Her voice has dropped lower. “He is the biggest dickhead. I’m so sorry, Robyn. This is all my fault. I’m the one who told you to enjoy what time you had with him. I’m the one who kept egging you on and telling you he was good for you. I encouraged it. Every step of the way.” Her chin wobbles. “I’m so sorry. I was wrong. I?—”
“Stop right there, Carla.” My voice is steady. “You didn’t know. There is no way you could have known. He fooled all of us. He fooled me, and I was the one sleeping with him. If anyone should have seen through him, it was me. I didn’t. And there’s a part of me that…” I shake my head, looking down at the table. “At least I understand why his behavior was off. And that note he left… He felt guilty. I just couldn’t see it for what it was at the time.”
Her whole stance turns rigid. “He was at the hospital this morning.”
“Oh, and um… How did he look?” The second it’s out, I want to grab it back. I want to take it and stuff it down.
Why would you care how he looks?
Carla gives a small, tight shake of her head. “He looked fine, Robyn. Totally fine. Like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t put you in here. Like he hadn’t ripped your life apart and walked off humming. Bastard!”
“Right.” I look down at my hands.
