AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I get a one-word text back.
Busy.
Get your ass to the hospital, I text back.
The three dots move as I wait for his response.
15
SAVANNAH
My morning goes by quickly with two appointments and then some rescheduling because of the required workshop this afternoon. I get a fair amount done, and when lunch hour arrives, I take the time to go to the hospital and check on Ashley.
Gert and Jordan are there, along with Mrs. Hunt.
Ashley is awake.
I knock on the open door. “Hey, Ash.”
She moves her head slightly, her swollen eyes meeting my gaze. “Savvy.”
I inhale, determined not to get upset over the hated nickname. Ashley was, after all, in this area for ladies’ night because of my move and my new job.
God… Does that mean she’s going to blame me for her accident?
It would be on-brand for her. She’ll forget that she’s the one who downed five vodka cranberries and then ignored the rest of us and got behind the wheel to drive back to San Antonio.
“How are you feeling?”
A sound emanates from her throat. Kind of a scratchy choke. “How do you think?”
Okay. Not the best idea to come here.
“She’s going to be okay.” Mrs. Hunt smiles weakly. “She’ll be here for a few more days, but the doctors are optimistic.”
“That’s great news.” I walk hesitantly toward the rest of them. “You gave us all quite a scare.”
“I scared myself,” Ashley says. “I’m never drinking again.”
“Me neither,” Jordan says. “Talk about being scared straight.”
Gert says nothing. Neither do I. I’m not giving up alcohol just because Ashley drank too much and drove. She’s damned lucky the guy she hit is going to make it.
I never drive drunk. I did only once, back in college, and when I made it back to the dorm in one piece I swore I would never do it again, and I’ve kept that promise to myself. Two drinks max if I’m driving. No more.
Gert meets my gaze. She was in the car with me that night, more wasted than I was. She joined me in that promise. To my knowledge, she has never wavered either.
“We’ve been talking about twelve-step programs,” Mrs. Hunt says.
“Mom, please,” Ashley says.
That’s Ashley’s way of saying not in front of Savvy. Yup, an ancillary friendship if there ever was one.
“I can’t stay long,” I say. “It’s my lunch hour, and I’ve got a full plate this afternoon. I’m so glad things are looking up, Ashley.”
She simply nods. Then, “Ow.”
“What?” Gert asks.
“She made me nod, and it hurt.”
Right. I made her nod. Why am I here again?
“I’ll get out of everyone’s way.” I turn toward the door and then look over my shoulder. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
Once I’m in the hallway, I’m shocked when Gert appears and closes the door to Ashley’s room.
“I’m sorry,” she says.
“For what?”
“For her being such a…” Gert sighs.
“I think the word you’re looking for is…bitch?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Gert, you know I love you and Jordy, but Ash and I are like oil and water. It’s always been that way and it always will be. Still, I’d never wish anything like this on her.” I shake my head. “She’s blaming me, isn’t she? Because you guys came down here for me?”
“Shockingly, she’s not.”
I can’t help an eye roll. “Come on. She just blamed me for making her nod.”
“She’s in pain, Sav.”
“I get that.”
Gert sighs. “She tried to blame you, but Jordy and I told her that was a load of BS, and her mom agreed. So she’s not blaming you.”
“But it was her first inclination.”
Gert nods. “Like you said. The two of you are oil and water. But Ash isn’t all bad.”
“So you’ve been telling me since college.”
“It’s true.” Gert comes closer and lowers her voice. “She may have a drinking problem. Turns out this isn’t her first accident after drinking.”
I widen my eyes. “Oh?”
“Yeah. She ran off the road another time in San Antonio, but it was near her place, and all she did was take out a stop sign. Her dad got a lawyer and made it go away.”
“And that wasn’t a good enough wakeup call for her?”
“I agree. Jordy and I didn’t even know about it until Donnie called us last night.”
“Wow.”
“But…here’s the thing. We can’t give her shit about it. Or about the fact that she wouldn’t give me her keys. I should have tackled her.”
“No, way.” I shake my head. “You’re not going to blame yourself for this.”
Gert bites her lower lip. “No. Of course not. But we can’t… I mean, she almost died.”
I cross my arms. “I didn’t come here to give her shit.”
“I know that, and Jordy knows that. Even her parents know that. They love you. It irks the hell out of her how much they love you.”
I rub my forehead. “What are you trying to say, Gert?”
