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She reminded herself to call her sister. Once she knew for sure what Andrew said was true.
“The… friend that was here said there was a fire. That my father died.” Calling Andrew a friend didn’t feel right, but Jami had no idea what else to call him.
“I’m so sorry.” The doctor’s tone had lost its edge. “Let me see if he was brought here.”
Jami wondered if having someone else say it would help her accept the fact that her father was gone. She needed time to figure out her next steps. Then she’d have to call her sister to tell her. Maybe Skylar could help her—no. Jami wouldn’t be a burden to her sister. Her hands curled into the covers again. She had no one besides Andrew, and if even the house had burned down, she had nowhere to live.
She’d maintained the insurance on that, she reminded herself, trying not to panic. Staying in the hospital wasn’t a solution, not with the expense.
“Will I be released soon?” she asked.
“I recommend you stay one more night,” Dr. Menose said. “Oh, and Ms. Reece—Jami.” The doctor’s use of her first name made Jami reluctantly lift her eyes. “This hospital has programs to help someone like you. I’ll mention it to the staff. And in a few weeks, if you don’t have another doctor, come ask for me. It’s important that you follow up with someone.”
“Thank you.” Jami’s felt too warm from the gentle kindness of the doctor’s brown eyes.
It reminded her of that other person with brown eyes again. Someone at group who had put her number into Jami’s phone and assured her she’d be there if Jami ever needed her. Jami couldn’t remember the woman’s name, just that it started with a C, but more of the weight slid off her chest at the thought. Except she didn’t have her phone.
“My things?” Jami asked, plucking at the hospital gown. She’d always shoved her phone in her pocket. Besides her sister and her father’s doctors, she rarely used it. Even Andrew never called her, but having a phone handy in case of emergencies had been important while she was caring for someone without all their faculties.
The doctor could have fielded the request to the nurse, but instead she moved to the closet, squatting to rifle through a plastic bag there. She returned with a cell phone and placed it in Jami’s trembling hand.
Dr. Menose’s eyes slid to the doorway. “Are you calling that gentleman?”
“No.” Jami unlocked the phone, easily finding the name among her scant contacts. Celia. “I’m calling someone else.” The doubts tried to rise, but she couldn’t let them.
“Are you certain there’s nothing else you need to tell me? About the fall or your circumstances?” Dr. Menose asked. The glasses made her eyes look slightly large, but no less steady.
Jami was tempted to pour her heart out to the poor doctor. She was an adult, though, and she had to make adult choices. Ones for herself for once, if her father truly was gone. “My father didn’t push me down the stairs on purpose. Kevin Reece isn’t who he once was. If he’s still alive.”
The doctor hesitated, but looked away. “I’ll see if I can find out if Kevin Reece was also brought here.”
Jami’s throat tightened. “Please.”
The doctor patted her toes before covering her with the blanket. She didn’t say anything else as she left the room.
Jami tried to breathe. Her neck had healed from her father’s strangling grip a while ago, but each draw of air snagged in it. At least focusing on taking slow, even breaths finally made her tears stop.
A call would be intrusive. She typed out a text, each letter harder to tap than the last. When she had pressed ‘Send,’ she let the phone drop to the bed and closed her aching eyes.
Chapter 4
MalcolmheldCelia’shandin the curtained-off area they’d been given. It reminded him how delicate her hand was. Celia wasn’t short, but eating had never been a priority for her. His finger moved over the rubber band she had worn on her wrist as long as he could remember.
The curtain was open enough that he could scan the people coming and going outside and keep an eye out for Trenton. He doubted it would take his friend long to show up. Trenton was in love with Malcolm’s cousin. Her other hand even wore an engagement ring, an emerald set in a delicate rose gold band that perfectly represented his cousin’s fragile beauty.
The ER doctors had poked and prodded her a few times. When she still didn’t wake up, Malcolm’s worry grew.
Celia’s lashes fluttered finally, and his breath stuck in his throat until her brown eyes opened.
“There you are,” Malcolm murmured, squeezing her hand. “Take your time. You’re in the hospital.”
Celia blinked, her eyes darting around the space until they settled on him. “Why am I here?” A frown followed the words.
Celia hated hospitals. She’d only stayed in one once, back when Malcolm had found her on her front lawn with multiple stab wounds. It was the incident that had changed everything for both of them. His parents hadn’t understood when Malcolm wouldn’t leave her side. He’d never been particularly close to his cousin before that.
Saving someone from death formed a bond even Malcolm hadn’t understood.
“Do you remember what happened at the tavern?” he asked.
