42
AMELIA
Tuesday, August 26 | 9:17 a.m.
Being back in the classroom yesterday felt better than I’d expected it to. I had a feeling it was the return to routine and normalcy. When everything was out of control, math wasn’t. It never changed. It was my constant.
Not only was it predictable, it made me feel capable. That was something I desperately needed. I was able to slip into a role I had played for years. It was safe.
I donned the same costume for my remote lecture, took a deep breath before the call went live, then absolutely crushed it.
A good class was exactly what I needed today.
A few students stayed on the call, asking thoughtful questions about the material. I didn’t mind a bit. It would be a few days until I was back on campus for office hours, so it was the least I could do. Besides, students actually engaging with the material was preferable to the weird looks and whispers I had endured yesterday.
My phone buzzed as I logged off the call.
Judah
Have you talked to Joel this morning?
I texted back that he was at PT and logged into my email to start chipping away at my inbox. There were curt well-wishes from fellow faculty that I had worked with for a few years. There were an egregious number of media requests, both from news outlets and from the university. Those went straight in the trash. A few emails from students, with topics that ranged from “I don’t know how to log in to join the online lecture” to overachievers already asking for extra credit.It was only the second day of the semester, for goodness’ sake.
My phone buzzed again and I glanced at the screen, expecting it to be Jude—Judah—replying to me, but it was Joel.
I swiped across the screen to open the text, hoping it was him offering to bring me a treat from the doughnut shop next door to the medical complex.
Huh.I was actually hungry for once.
Jude would be happy about that, especially since he had already made me a full breakfast in bed before he made the drive to New York.
Joel
Just got T-boned. Going to the hospital to get checked out. Please come.
The phone fell from my hand and clattered on my desk as the message sank in. My heart raced as urges warred in my head.
Go immediately.
Stay here. It’s safe.
Call Jude. Wait for him to get here and then go together.
Cole is probably watching Joel.
Someone from the FBI is keeping tabs on Joel.
But he’s my brother. I need to be there.
But it’s safe in here.
It’s safe. It’s safe. It’s safe.
Fuck it.
I grabbed my phone, keys, and purse and ran. Jude would get the notification that I left. Once I got to the hospital and figured out what Joel’s condition was, I’d text Jude and let him know. He was three hours away. It wasn’t like he could get here in a split second.
I yanked open the front door, slammed it behind me, and bolted down the stairs to my car.
