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As I drive back home, tears streak my cheeks, and I’m hysterical by the time I pull up to the road that leads to the cabin. Stains of Eli’s blood are on the seat, a reminder that he’s fighting for his life right now without anyone there to support him. I pull into the driveway and replay what happened just hours ago as I stare at the spot where they shot him.
When I get out of the SUV, I see the pool of dark liquid on the ground and force myself to look away before I have a panic attack. I can’t stop glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one is around. My paranoia is in overdrive as I walk toward the front door and input my code on the keypad to unlock the door. As soon as I enter, Bruno barks and sniffs me. Chanel is lazily lying on top of the couch and doesn’t even lift her head to greet me.
“Bruno, down,” I tell him. I’m still only in my sports bra and covered in blood. I need to wash up and change. The house feels so empty without him and the fear I have over losing him consumes me while I shower. I can’t stop crying as the hot water covers my skin, and I watch the red water pool to the bottom.
Once I’m in clean clothes and throw up my hair, I go to the sofa and lie there bawling for the better part of the night, hoping Eli will be okay. By the time we arrived at the hospital, he was pale and fading in and out of consciousness. Everything happened so fast that my head is still spinning.
This is the second time in a month that I’ve worried about losing him. My heart can’t handle much more as I sob into a pillow. At some point, my tears dry up, and my stomach growls in protest because I haven’t eaten in hours. I go to the kitchen and throw together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the last few slices of bread we have left. The groceries I brought in earlier are still on the counter, and thankfully, it’s nothing but produce and boxed items; otherwise, I’d have to toss it from sitting out for so long.
I call the hospital with the satellite phone my parents had installed through our internet for emergencies, and right now, I could kiss them for it. When they told me they were getting one installed, I explained how ridiculous the whole idea was because we have cell phones. It’s my saving grace, though I can’t remember anyone’s numbers other than Ryan, Kendall, and my parents’.
I need an update on Eli before I drive myself crazy with worst-case scenarios, and after I’m routed to several nurses’ stations, I find out he’s out of emergency surgery and in the ICU. Since I’m not his spouse or related to him, they tell me they can’t give me much information, but that I can try calling back once he’s in recovery
I’m so unsettled that I don’t even notice I’m pacing until I hang up the phone. The next person I call is Ryan. He answers the phone immediately, and as soon as I hear his voice, I burst out into tears.
“Cami, what’s wrong?” He’s on full alert, and I hate to throw this on him on top of everything else, but I have no choice.
“Eli got shot,” I choke out as I cry.
“What?” He’s nearly yelling on the other line. “Did I hear you correctly?”
“Yes. Two men followed him back to the cabin after he went to the grocery store and held us at gunpoint for our groceries. After they took our phones, one of them shot Eli in the shoulder, then they took off in his rental. There was so much blood, Ryan. By the time I got him to the hospital, he was barely conscious.”
He’s speechless.
“I’m worried they’ll come back for me. I don’t know if I should try to get back into the city or if I should wait for him to be released.” Assuming he makes it out alive.
“I know this might not be what you want to hear but do not come to the city. You’re safer there, trust me. As long as the security system is on, and the doors and windows are locked, no one will be able to break in. That place is like a fortress. I can’t believe this happened. Dammit, Cami. You’re gonna give me gray hair.”
“I know. It was the last thing we expected, and then it happened so fast. I don’t want to call Mom and Dad because they’ll demand I come home or hire a whole SWAT team to guard the cabin. And if I tell Kendall, she’ll drive out here even if I tell her not to. You’re the only logical person I can talk to.”
