Page 141 of No Greater Oblivion

“You can’t be serious.”

Karina whips around. “I am being serious. I think I’ve tolerated enough from you over the years.”

“Tolerated…” she whispers.

“But you’ve gone too far this time.” Her eyes are blank as they gather with tears. “I know you’ve had issues with Brent in the past but this is low, even for you. To lie about something so serious⁠—”

“I’m not lying!” Dahlia cries out helplessly. “He told me! I was standing right. There. Diego was with me. He said it in front of us! Brent slammed the car door on purpose.”

“Are you really so desperate for love and attention that you’re willing to blow up my marriage over a lie? Just so you can have the satisfaction of saying you told me so? I hurt my foot. It was an accident. I may never dance again and you’re out here plotting to turn me against my husband.”

Dahlia’s breaths come in short, shaky pants as she struggles to defend herself. “Karina⁠—”

“I coddled you when you were little because your father abandoned you and your mother was dead but I won’t anymore. You’ve gone too far this time, Dahlia. You aren’t worth ruining my life,” she says. “Get out.”

“But—”

“Dahlia.” I grab her coat and put it over her shoulders. “Let’s go. I won’t allow you to stand here while she speaks to you that way.”

“I’m not leaving without her.” She grits her teeth. “I’m telling you, I know what I heard.” She points a threatening finger in Brent’s direction. “And if you don’t speak up, you pathetic fucking coward⁠—”

I grab her hand and pull her close to me, lowering my lips to her ear. “Ni una palabra más. Hay demasiada gente aquí.”

Her fist clenches.

“What are you waiting for? Leave.”

Dahlia’s back straightens. “In the morning⁠—”

“No. I won’t be seeing you in the morning or ever again.”

Dahlia is too stunned to speak. I try guiding her toward the exit but she frees herself from my grasp in a final attempt to talk some sense into her brain-dead cousin. “Please, Kay…come with us. I promise you’ll be okay. We’ll make sure you never have to see him again.”

“The only person I never want to see again is you. I want you gone from this hospital and gone from my life.” Karina’s blank stare burns holes into my skin. “People are watching. Don’t embarrass yourself any further by staying.”

Lettie springs into action then. She gathers up our things—my coat, Dahlia’s purse, Diego’s phone on the coffee table—and gently takes hold of Dahlia’s hand.

“Come on, Dee. We don’t have anything else to do here.”

Karina turns away and the emergency room slowly flickers back to life. The staff return to work, the receptionists pick up phones, and the doctors return to their patients. The nurses around Brent give him a quick once over to examine his injuries, and Dr. Brosnan pulls Lyss aside, likely to discuss what just transpired.

Lettie is able to guide Dahlia away from it all but only as far as several steps because at the last minute, Dahlia turns around and the room falls quiet again.

“The next time he hurts you, because there will be a next time,” she says. “I want you to remember this moment and know you deserve it for the way you’ve treated me.”

This time when Lettie wraps an arm around Dahlia’s shoulder, she follows. Diego trails after them, but I stay behind and wait for the nurses to take Brent into one of the examination rooms to be treated.

Lyss is still with her aunt but the moment we make eye contact, she rushes to my side.

“Stay with her, please”

She nods frantically. “Of course, I was never going to leave. I’ll call first thing in the morning.”

“Make sure her parents know. Dahlia lied and told them Karina went out with her dance company instead. If we aren’t going to be here, then her parents need to be.”

“I will. I’ll do that now.”

Lyss reaches into her pocket for her phone and places a call. Dr Brosnan returns to Karina’s side and takes the handles of her wheelchair, ready to take her away, but I kneel in front of her, blocking her path.