“And Billy?”
The name stings.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “He didn’t stand up for me. He let Joey tear me apart. So… I guess I have my answer.”
Clara reaches out and pulls me into a hug.
It’s a fierce, crushing hug. She smells like dirt and sweat and the vanilla perfume she always wears. I bury my face in her shoulder and hold on.
“I’m sorry I called you selfish,” she mumbles into my hair.
“You were right,” I say. “I needed to hear it.”
She pulls back. She wipes her eyes again. She gives me a wobbly smile.
“Okay,” she says. “Truce. But you owe me a spa day when we get out of this. A real one. With expensive wine.”
“Deal,” I say. “And I’ll pay for the manicure you probably ruined punching Joey.”
Clara looks at her knuckles and winces. They are red and swollen. “Yeah, that was stupid,” she says. “But worth it. He has a face like a brick.”
I smile. It’s a real smile. “Come on,” I say. “Let’s go get poked by the doctors.”
We walk toward the tent together. The anger has dissipated, replaced by a fragile truce.
But as we get closer to the command center, I see a figure standing by the entrance.
It’s Joey. He’s smoking a cigarette, leaning against a fence post. He has an ice pack pressed to his nose. His face is swollen.
He sees us coming. He takes a drag of his cigarette, his eyes narrowing.
I tense up. I feel Clara stiffen beside me.
“Just keep walking,” Clara mutters. “Don’t engage.”
I nod and keep my eyes forward, forcing myself to focus on the white tent.
But as we pass him, Joey speaks.
“Running back to the doctors, princess?” he asks. His voice is muffled by the swelling. “Better get used to the needles.”
I ignore him. I don’t stop.
“You know,” he calls out. “Billy might be stupid enough to let you crawl back into his bed, but this town isn’t. You’re not one of us anymore, Sedona.”
I flinch. The words hit their mark.
Clara squeezes my arm. “Keep walking.”
We step inside the tent. Dr. Thorne is waiting for us. He looks annoyed.
“Finally,” he says. “Sit down. We have to monitor the hormone levels.”
I sit on the cot. Clara sits next to me.
I roll up my sleeve for the blood draw.
I try to focus on the doctor. I try to focus on Clara’s breathing.
