AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My phone vibrates again. Pulling it out, I see Larry’s name lighting up my screen. I am about to answer when I hear a lot of shouts from the paparazzi beside me as their cameras click into action and I look up at the commotion.
Harrison is on one knee and passing something to Lilly. I squint to get a closer look and there is no mistake that it is a diamond ring; it is sparkling bigger than the sun. Lilly is smiling and gushing like he is giving her the world, and my stomach drops. I want to run down and rip it from his hand and throw it in the lake. But my feet remain glued to the ground as my heart stops beating. My eyes flick to Harrison, and his face looks confused as he stands and looks around, trying to find me. Our eyes meet as my mind tries to understand what is happening before Mrs. Rothschild stands right in front of me, blocking my view of him.
“Congratulations, my son! I can’t wait for the wedding!” she yells out and cheers, and I stand, stunned, for a moment.
Was he lying to me?Last night when he said that he wanted me, would always be there for me, was he lying? I look at Eddie and Oscar and they look as shocked as I do.
“Beth,” Eddie says, coming toward me. “Take slow, deep breaths,” he whispers down to me, and it is then I realize that I am almost hyperventilating.
“I’m confused. Did Harrison just propose?” I ask, looking up at him, trying to gauge the look on his face to see if this is real or just my nightmare. Eddie looks back down at the scene before looking back at me. Shock evident on his face, but no words confirming or denying.
I take a step to the side and look over Mrs. Rothschild’s shoulder and see Harrison walking toward the photographer with his hands up, his shoulders near his ears, clearly not happy about something.
My phone vibrates again, and I grab it, seeing it is Marci calling this time, and my body stills for an entirely different reason.
Something is wrong.
“Hello, Marci?” I pick up the call, my voice wavering, but walking away from the crowd who are getting noisy with people now starting to yell. I ignore them all, my heart already in my stomach, knowing something isn’t right. The photoshoot at the lake now all pushed to the back of my mind.
“Beth, honey, you need to come. Your father has had a heart attack.” Marci’s voice is panicked through the phone, and my legs are already moving faster on their own accord.
“Oh my god, what happened?” I ask her, panicked, and I can hear people yelling my name from behind me, but I can’t think about them. I need to get to Dad. I look at the cars and see Tom blocked in by others and I know I can’t wait. When I glance up the road, I see a taxi, so I run.
“I’m coming, Marci, I’m coming,” I pant out, running like I have never run before. My heart hurts, I feel like I am going to vomit. I shove my paperwork in my large bag, the contents rattling around as it slams against my body.
“The ambulance has just arrived at the center,” she says, keeping me informed.
“Where are they taking him?” I pant at her as I slip into the taxi.
“The General. Where are you?” she asks, and I can hear panic in her voice as well.
I quickly tell the driver where to go and promise him a big tip if he hurries, which he does. His tires squeal as he pulls away from the curb and drives like a madman in and out of traffic to the freeway.
“What happened?” I pant to her as I try to calm my racing heart.
“He was playing chess with Larry, like usual. Said he wasn’t feeling well, and Jeff said it may be because of this new juice cleanse they are doing. So we got him something to eat to see if that helped. But it didn’t and he started getting a lot of chest pain, so we called the paramedics. I’m sorry, Beth, but he has now lost consciousness,” she says, and I can hear her crying.
“Oh my god,” I whisper, tears welling. I can’t lose him.
I hear my cell beeping, telling me other calls are trying to get through, but I ignore them all.
“I am going with the paramedics, so I will meet you at the hospital,” Marci says, and as I hear the sirens in the background, the tears start to fall freely down my cheeks.
“Okay,” I whisper, and she ends the call. My phone lights up immediately, with Harrison’s name flashing on the screen. I hit ignore. I can’t right now. I need to think of my dad. Harrison and his campaign need to wait.
34
HARRISON
Iam fuming. Livid. The blood pushes around my body so viciously I can hear it in my ears. I clench my fists over and over again, trying to get a grip on what exactly is going on, yet feel like I am in an alternative universe, and my lifeline is not taking my calls.
Lilly is crying, my mother is shrieking at me, and Oscar and Eddie are confiscating every camera we can see, deleting any and all footage. This is yet another thing I don’t need right now.
How I can go from soon-to-be governor to this mess with only a few days to go is beyond me. I need Beth. I need to see her, talk to her, touch her.
“She is nothing but trouble, that girl, I am glad we got rid of her.” My mother spits out her poisonous words at me as the cameras are given back and the journalists start to leave. My eyes crease as I look at her, and I see Eddie squirm a little beside me. Oscar looks on with interest, and Lilly dabs her eyes next to my mother.
“What is it you don’t like about Beth, Mom?” I ask her point blank, my hands clenching along with my jaw, because I am pissed. Really pissed.
