Page 28 of Modern Persuasion

Fredrick and I had gone back to ignoring each other. We walked around for a few hours letting the rain fall on us. Louisa wanted to be on the water, next to the water, or near the water. She wanted to enjoy her last night in Chicago with her favorite people. Fredrick kept up with Louisa, but Seth lingered behind with me.

"I think I am in love with her," Seth confessed after a while.

"With Louisa, what you see is what you get," I said with a smile. "If you know you love her like this, then you probably are."

"I came to Chicago, so I could spend time with her," he said, but he wasn't smiling. I could see the panic on his face. "In LA, she didn't seem this absorbed with Fredrick. I'm worried and don't know what to do."

I was sure Louisa had told him that we were more than colleagues. I understood he wanted help from me, who knew Louisa like a sister. "I wish I could tell you where her heart lies, but I'm too self-absorbed right now," I said, wishing I could give him more insight.

He looked down as we walked. "I haven't told her why you and Fredrick are so angry with each other. She's really frustrated with the two of you and a bit angry that I won't talk about it."

"Patrick told me you came to spend time with her. If she doesn't know that, what have you been telling her? Why does she think you came with us?"

"Oh, she thinks I'm here to work on scripts with Fredrick. I mean, we are working, but I don't really care that much about the show anymore. When she and I go out together, we have a great time. I think we are connecting. I would leave LA and move to New York to be with her. Then Fredrick's around, and she's completely focused on him."

There was a gust of wind that nearly blew us over. Then we heard Louisa scream and the thunk of her head hitting the ground.

Fredrick said she had been dancing along a low, stone wall. He was trying to get her down, but she was stubborn and insisted she could walk on her own. She had no idea how windy it gets in Chicago, and she was a little drunk. There had been a lot of wine at dinner. The combination of the wet stones, an impaired mind, and a burst of strong wind hit her at the wrong moment. She lost her footing and fell. She wasn't responding, and I refused to let anyone move her. I was afraid she had injured her back. The ambulance was there in less than a minute after I called them. Fredrick and Seth fought over who would ride with her. While they fought, I got in the back of the ambulance and yelled the name of the hospital to the men.

"Follow us!" I said before the paramedic closed the doors and drove off.

I was on the phone with the Musgroves as we drove to the hospital. They insisted they would be there in a few hours. I called Karen at home and told her what had happened. Technically we were on work time even though we weren't working. I didn't know if there would be legal action, but I wanted to cover my bases. She told me to have everyone write down what happened and email their comments to her. She would deal with it in the morning.

At the hospital, I was told to sit in the waiting room. While I waited, I typed out my account on my iPad. I told Fredrick and Seth to do the same before I emailed them all to Karen.

"You're always so calm under pressure," Fredrick said, sitting down next to me.

He slumped in the chair from physical and emotional exhaustion.

"Someone has to be," I said as I composed an email to Christi letting her know about the accident.

"You knew exactly what to do."

I didn't look up but gave him a half-shrug. "First aid certification, Girl Scouts, lifeguarding, and my father."

"You're the type of person who would get first aid training just in case you need it someday."

I didn't know what to say to that but realized I needed to give him my full attention at the moment.

"I'm sorry about what I said yesterday," he said when I met his eyes. "This tour hasn't been that bad. Considering our history, which apparently nobody has told Louisa about, you've been amazing. Did you call her parents?"

"They should be here soon, and nobody in my world knows about our history," I said, bracing myself for a fight.

Fredrick looked at me and rubbed his eyes. "Seth said he's staying with her. Even if she wakes up, they won't let her fly for a few days. It will be just you and me on the flight back to New York."

"I assumed so," I said as my phone rang. "Don't worry, you don't have to talk to me."

It was Christi on the phone, and I walked away to take it in private.

"Is she ok?" Christi asked when I told her everything. "This book tour is cursed!"

I chuckled to myself. "This is why editors don't go on book tours!"

Christi giggled a little. "Now we have leverage the next time they demand one of us go with an author."

"I have to tell you something," I said, realizing this was my chance to clear the air. "I didn't know something until recently, and you deserve honesty."

Christi didn't respond for a few seconds. "Ok," she said, drawing out the word.