Chapter Eight
I opened the door to our crummy apartment after another long day. I’d been in class since the morning, then headed straight to the diner to work the late shift. I was pretty sure my eyes were bloodshot, and my legs were going to give out at any moment.
As I opened the apartment door, the darkness greeted me. I hated when Parker turned off all the lights. Who the hell knew what was lurking in the shadows? At least that’s what I thought all the time. I was a wimp. I placed my backpack on the couch, but not before turning on every light I could.
“Jesus!” I jumped back, seeing Parker sitting on the couch with the biggest grin on his face.
“Hello,” he said as he held out a dozen lilies. Lilies were my favorite, the white so pure and beautiful. Perfectly flawless.
“What’s all of this for?” I leaned over and placed a kiss to his lips.
“I think it’s time I made an honest woman out of you.”
I stumbled back into the chair. “What?” I croaked out.
Parker placed the flowers on the secondhand coffee table that someone gave us when we got this apartment. He walked over to me and got down on one knee and pulled out a simple gold band with a heart on it. It wasn’t fancy, expensive, or anything that you’d see in a bridal magazine, but my God did it take my breath away. It was mine.
“I’ve known since the first day I saw you at the diner that you were something special. The thought of not coming home to you every day for the rest of my life isn’t something I want to even imagine. Marry me, Rainey, please?”
All I could do was shake my head yes as he slipped the ring on my finger.
“My mother’s going to kill me,” I whispered against his lips.
“It’s okay, we’ll always have each other. We’ll tell her together.”
I woke up in a cold sweat, my hair clinging to my face and my clothes to my body. We never did tell my mom, not until a week later, after we went off and got married at the Justice of the Peace. She wasn’t happy; she said we were too young and a lot could change. But we were young and in love, and that was enough for us. I guess sometimes love wasn’t enough.
My phone buzzed on my nightstand, and I groaned, noticing the number for the hospital. It was my day off. I wondered who the hell called out.
“All right, who called out?” I answered the phone.
“Rainey, Emily, Parker’s sister, was just brought in for an overdose. Parker’s her emergency contact, but with him being gone... I’m sorry, I wasn’t sure what to do.” Melissa, the ER receptionist, said, her voice shaking.
I jumped out of bed and threw on sweatpants and a T-shirt while trying to balance my phone. “No. No. You did the right thing. I’m on my way.”
I rushed out of the house without so much as brushing my teeth. I managed to send a quick email to Parker, and hoped he got it. Although we were divorcing, I wasn’t going to let his sister, someone I had grown to love and care about, sit in the hospital alone. She was family. She always would be.
I made it to the hospital in record time, rushing into the ER.
“What happened?” I asked Lucy, one of the nurses who was sitting behind the desk.
“She came in seizing out of control and foaming at the mouth. The paramedic saved her life by giving her Narcan. Thank God he had it, or we would have been making a different call.” Lucy brought me in for a hug. “She’s in room 202. She needs help, that’s for sure. You should see her arms. Covered in track marks.” I nodded as I put my hair in a ponytail on the top of my head. Emily had needed help for a long time, but like Parker she refused it. That was one of the few things they had in common, their stubbornness.
I headed to her room and slowly opened the door, focusing on the equipment sounds. It was something that I was accustomed to from the years working in the hospital, but this was different. I loved Emily, even though she had her own issues. She was kind, loving, and had such a good heart. I’d tried to set her on the straight and narrow, but her childhood damaged her much worse than it did Parker. I guess they both were damaged in different ways. Parker ran to war and sought solace in the chaos. Emily sought comfort in sex and drugs and ended up a pregnant teen that resulted in her giving her baby up for adoption. It’s funny how two people from the exact same environment could turn out completely different.
I checked all her machines to make sure everything was working properly and pulled the chair next to her. Taking her hand in mine, I spoke out loud.
“Oh, Emily, what have you done?” I looked over her scarred arms, the track marks marring her beautiful alabaster skin. Emily was beautiful, with her long blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. She was tall and thin and could have easily been a model if she didn’t take a different path in life. She could have been so many things.
I rubbed her hand and spoke about the latest news. I even pulled out my phone and read some of the latest Hollywood gossip that she always seemed to love. I stepped out when my phone rang, noticing it was a private number.
“Hey, Rainey. Is Emily okay?” I swallowed hard at the sound of Parker’s voice. I hadn’t spoken to him since he told me he had found someone else. No messages or calls. Although, I had typed and deleted many angry e-mails. Hearing his voice was like reopening a wound, and I flinched.
“She’s okay for now. Stable, but she needs help.” I paced up and down the hallway.
“I know. I’m trying to get emergency leave. I hate to ask this, but any chance you can make sure the doctors send over documentation to the Red Cross? They won’t grant me the leave unless they have it. I need to be there to help set her up in rehab once and for all.”
He was coming home? The thought of seeing him made butterflies form in my stomach. I wasn’t ready to see him. Not now, not after everything. I took a breath to bring myself back to reality. This wasn’t about him and me. This was about Emily. His only sister.
“Of course. I’ll take care of it. Let me know when you know that you’ll be home, and I can get you at the airport.”
Oh sure. Just offer to do something else from him. That makes sense.
“Thanks, Rainey. I appreciate you being there for her.”
“She’s like my sister too. I’ve known her a long time.”
“Yeah” was all he managed to get out.
I glanced up as Dr. Rodgers waved as he exited her room. “The doctor just saw her, so I’m going to go and get some information. I’ll keep you informed via e-mail.”
“Sounds good. Thanks again, Rainey. I love—” His words halted as he cleared his throat. Saying I love you was like second nature to us both.
“Goodbye, Parker.”
Clutching the phone in my hand, I took a breath.
“Hey, I’m sorry to hear about your sister-in-law.” Dr. Rodgers came over and placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.
“Thanks. What’s the verdict?” I placed my phone into my pocket, trying to switch focus onto what he was going to say.
“She OD’ed on heroin. Looks like it was a bad batch. She needs rehab like yesterday. I have a few places I can recommend and pull some strings at any of them for you. A lot of them have a long waiting list.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“Of course.” His name was called over the intercom, and he headed off.
And there I was, left in the middle of the hallway, not knowing what the hell to do next. I put my face in my heads and let out a small, muffled scream.
“Rainey?” I lifted my head just as Levi came into view.
“Hi.” I pulled down my ratty T-shirt and patted my hair. I was a mess.
“What brings you here on your day off?” He tried to keep his eyes on mine, but they kept shifting to my body. I knew I looked like shit.
“My sister-in-law was brought in for an OD. Hence the lovely outfit and rat’s nest of a hairdo.” I motioned to my hair.
He folded his arms across his chest. “The young girl? I was the paramedic on scene. How’s she doing?”
Of course he was the paramedic on scene.
“She’s stable. That’s the best we can ask for right now.” I tapped my foot on the ground, my nervousness making me fidget. I didn’t know why just being around Levi was making me so antsy. Was I attracted to him? Sure. But I was currently dealing with my soon-to-be ex-husband’s sister and knee-deep in depression. I was pretty sure I wasn’t thinking straight.
“About the other night too, I’m sorry for running you off after you asked me to have coffee. I’ve been slightly emotional lately.”
That’s an understatement. I leaned up against the wall, feeling a bit better since I’d apologized.
“Want to go grab a coffee now? The cafeteria has shitty food and coffee, but you can make it up to me and tell me all about the spot you’re in. I’ve been told I’m a good listener.” He smiled, and I shivered, pulling my arms around myself. Coffee. That’s all he was asking of me. I wasn’t prepared for much else, even if he looked handsome in his uniform.
“Don’t you have to work?” I pushed off the wall and gave him the sassiest look I could.
“We do get breaks.” He laughed, showing his perfect white teeth. Did he have a flaw?
“Okay. Coffee sounds good. If you can stand being seen with a walking zombie. I didn’t even brush my teeth.”
Levi started laughing. He fished around in his pocket and tossed me a piece of gum. “I think the zombie look suits you. But I draw the line at stinky breath.” He winked.
“Why thank you, kind sir.” We walked quietly to the cafeteria, and for the first time in a while, the depression and the fact that my life was falling apart wasn’t weighing on me. I could handle this, and I would come out stronger. Tougher. Even if I had to claw my way out.