Of course, my damn phone.
Quickly fishing it out from my purse side pocket, I gulp in horror as I slide through texts with Mae and Theresa.
The elevator door opens and Dalton swiftly moves me forward. “Do what you need to do, I’ll get us there.”
I don’t know if I respond. I don’t even know how we get to the car. All I do know are the messages in front of me, the roadmap of how my best friend could end up in the hospital in the middle of the night.
2:34 a.m.
Theresa:What the hell is going on?! Trenton tried calling Mae and she just up and left. Is she coming to you? We were just writing and listening to Emmy Tenny.
Theresa:She’s had one or two to drink. Not so much that she seemed drunk to me, but she was a fit of emotion when she left. NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS AFTER 2AM!
2:40 a.m.
Missed call from Mae.
Voice Message from Mae: “Hey Raleigh, I know you’re busy...At least I hope you’re busy. Wink. Wink. You’ll never believe this but the resident low life in my life wants to talk to me. I’m going over there to give him a piece of my mind! Don’t try to talk me out of it, and don’t tell Dalton. I’ve got this. Oh, and I promise I’ll be safe.
2:43 a.m.
Missed call from Theresa
Theresa:She just called me. Going to give him a piece of her mind. I would have gone with her but she says she has it under control???? I pray she got a hold of you or Dalton to go with her. I hate everything about this.
2:46 a.m.
Missed call from Theresa.
3:24 a.m.
Mae:Okay, maybe you should talk me out of this *grimace emoji
3:53 a.m.
Mae:Okay… I sat for a while, I’m just going to head back to my place. I feel kind of bad for leaving Theresa hanging. I’ll text you when I get home safely.
4:18 a.m.
Missed call from Theresa
Theresa:Girl, where the hell are you! I tried Dalton’s cell. Mae’s not picking up. I’m freaking out. She said she was coming back but hasn’t shown up!
4:44 a.m.
Missed call from Theresa.
Now
The messages end there, but three more calls from other interested parties have come through since I got out of bed.
Thank God for Dalton. He sped through traffic and said not a word to me. He has his job and I have mine. Now that I have the information, I need to start acting on it. Slipping a hand across the center console, I rest my hand on Dalton’s thigh and squeeze once, then twice. Knowing he’s right beside me, I try not to dwell on what we might find at the hospital and instead turn to the next call that’s coming in.
After answering to an exec at the label who was mortified that images of the wreck had already surfaced, I quickly shoot off a text to Theresa and then furiously type out a message to Trenton’s manager. He doesn’t deserve my time via phone call, especially since we’re practically drifting up to the ER doors.
My hand hovers over the car door handle. Looking up at the red emergency logo on the door, I feel the tears coming on.
”Raleigh.” A stern voice raises up behind me. “This isn’t your fault.”
