Nothing else is written.Memphis knows how important Nora is to me and one of the few she chose to let in her life in any capacity.Yeah, she has always been the life of the party and always made friends wherever she went in the world.To be let into her world is something else entirely.Memphis knew some of her secrets and was allowed to spend time with her when she wasn’t partying or having a good time.He’s seen her in her pajamas with a face mask on as we watched chick flicks on the bus.
“Miss, there’s a baby locked in the car here.Can I sit with him?He’s screaming really bad and I’m worried he’s going to get sick,” the person asks me as I finally pull my attention from Nora to see an older woman standing next to us with a phone to her ear.“The ambulance and police should be here any minute.”
I hear sirens in the distance as I try to focus on what she’s said to me.Bridger.He’s in my car and upset.I look around for my key fob as the woman sees what I’m doing.She bends down and lifts it from the pavement near me and presses the unlock button.I watch as she opens the door and sits down next to Bridger.His screams shatter the single piece of my heart that was left and I can’t move to get to him.My eyes go back on Nora as her hand falls to the ground and I know they won’t be able to save her.It’s too late.
My sobs start becoming worse as cars and an ambulance soon surround us.Cops rush up to us and drop to their knees next to where I’m holding my best friend.
“Miss, we’re going to need you to let go of her.The paramedics need room to maneuver and we have some questions for you,” an officer says as I keep my eyes locked on Nora’s limp body.“Miss ...”
Before I can say or do anything, more people surround us and Nora is taken from my arms.I watch as she’s loaded on a stretcher and the paramedics start to perform CPR on her.It takes two officers to help me off the ground as I try to focus on what’s happening around me.On anything but my best friend as she lays lifeless in front of my eyes.Slowly, everything starts to come back in focus as I turn and rush to get to my car where Bridger is slowly starting to calm down.The lady holding him hands him over to me as the two cops remain at my side.
“We’ll follow you to the hospital, Miss,” one of them says as they watch me hold the baby boy close to my chest while my tears soak his shirt and hair.
I nod my head in response as the woman gets out of my backseat and I barely hear her start to talk to other cops.Her words don’t register in my mind as I fasten Bridger back into his car seat.I find his pacifier and give it to him before backing out of the door and closing it.The lady hands over my key fob as I watch Nora get loaded up in the ambulance.
“Can you drive?”a female officer asks me as I turn to look at her.
“Y-Y-yes,” I respond, stammering the one word because my sobs are so hard I can barely breathe.
“We’ll follow you as you follow the ambulance.”
Getting in the driver’s seat of my car, I turn on the engine and wait for the ambulance to pull out of the parking lot.I focus on the road in front of me as we speed through town to the hospital.There isn’t a single second of the drive I remember as I park and grab Bridger from the back.This time I leave him in his car seat as I slowly make my way in the waiting room of the emergency department.The officers are already waiting for me when I walk in and take a seat on one of the hard chairs.I know they’ll have questions for me, but I don’t want to answer anything.The only important thing right now is Nora and how she’s doing.I refuse to hope she’s going to survive when I witnessed her take her last breath.Getting my hopes up will only shatter what’s left of me when I get horrible news.
Chapter Nine
Ice
WORK HAS BEEN crazyas hell for the last few days.I don’t know what’s going on, but it seems as if every single time I turn around there’s another problem.The girls are getting hurt when they rehearse during the day.Bambi is still causing problems and friction between the dancers.My alcohol supplier tried to pull the same damn move and not deliver to us because I supposedly didn’t pay.I’ve lost my shit more times than I can count when I’m usually too calm and can hold myself back from swearing when I’m at work.There’s a time and place for curse words and that’s not when you’re at work.That’s one of the many lessons my grandpa taught me when I was growing up.He was the first person who heard me swear and laughed his ass off at me.I think I was six at the time and almost got kicked in the side by a horse when I made a dumb move.Today, I wasn’t able to hold back and I lost it on everyone.
The one who got the brutal brunt of my rage was the asshole at the liquor supply company.I went off on him like never before because they’re lying and trying to blame their fuckup on me.Once again, I sent them a picture as proof that I paid the invoice when the last shipment of alcohol got delivered and then he promised to send it out immediately.This is the last time this company will try to fuck me over.I’m not going to play this same game on a weekly basis because they mess up and try to blame the customer for it.I’ll find someone local who wants my business and won’t play juvenile games.
“Ice, Baby, why don’t you let me help you relax before we open the doors,” Temptation says, strutting up to me as she reaches out and runs her finger down my chest.
“Don’t.Fuckin’.Touch.Me,” I grit out between clenched teeth as I try to turn away from her on the bar stool where I’ve been sitting for the last twenty minutes.
Reaching out, I brush her hand away from me.Temptation pouts in that way she thinks is sexy as hell but really makes her look like a fish opening and closing its mouth.She flutters her eye lashes at me and runs one of her hands down her side in a desperate attempt to make me look at her.I don’t.Temptation has really started to push the boundaries and I’m ready to fire her ass.She doesn’t know how to leave guys alone when they have no interest in her or climbing into bed for a quick fuck.
