Page 62 of Cocky Counsel

Twenty Eight

Ethan

My mom had always said that if I hadn’t become a lawyer, then I should have become a detective, because I had this special knack for finding out information that I wasn’t supposed to have. That was what led me to New York Presbyterian Hospital. I was rushing to the emergency room lobby when I heard Eva’s voice carrying through the empty hall.

“She’s my sister! I need to be with her!” she cried hysterically.

“Ma’am, like I’ve already told you, she can’t have anyone with her right now. The doctor will come out to give you an update when they have one.”

I rounded the corner in time to wrap Eva in my arms as she turned to walk away. I looked her over as quickly as possible, searching her face when she looked up at me.

“Are you okay?” I asked with panic still rushing through me.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said and shook her head. “Lucy is in the emergency room, and they won’t let me back there with her.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure they’ll have an update for you soon,” I tried to reassure her as I led her away from the receptionist. “What the hell happened?”

We sat down in the empty chairs in the waiting area, and she folded her hands in her lap and looked down.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, and a tear slid down her face. “I heard a loud sound and rushed up as quickly as I could, but the door was locked, and I couldn’t get in. By the time I got it open, she was laying on the floor unconscious.”

“Did he hurt you?” I asked through clenched teeth. I was worried about Lucy, but I would also kill him if he laid a hand on Eva.

“No, not really. It was a scuffle, I was just focused on getting him off of her.”

“Eva!” A woman screamed and came running toward us. “What the hell happened?!”

“Lance went after her,” Eva said quietly. “I tried to get in the room, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop him,” she whispered, her voice shaky.

“What did the doctors say?”

“They won’t let me back, they said that they’ll update me, but who knows how long that will be,” Eva said as she tapped her feet anxiously beneath her.

“Hi, I’m Ethan,” I said, reaching over to shake the woman’s hand. I assumed this was her other sister given how much they looked like each other.

“Ethan?” she confirmed, looking from me to Eva with raised eyebrows. “As in…”

“As in, the guy I work for,” Eva said through clenched teeth.

“Right…,” she chuckled and shook my hand before giving Eva a dramatic wink. “I’m Gabi, Eva’s other sister. The middle child, and therefore, obviously the coolest of the three of us.”

I laughed and watched as Eva rolled her eyes.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, pulling my hand back as I caught the look Eva was giving her sister.

“Since it’s going to be a while, I’m gonna go grab a cup of coffee. Do you guys want anything?” Gabi asked as she stood up. We both declined, and I waited until we were by ourselves before talking to her.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked, reaching over to rub her knee.

“Yeah, I’m just worried about my sister.” She looked past me to the doors of the emergency room, watching to see if anyone would magically appear with an update.

“I know, I can imagine how scared you are.”

We sat there in silence for a few minutes as I tried to comfort her the best way that I could. Suddenly, she turned to me and her eyes went wide as if she remembered something. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, messing with the buttons before handing it to me.

“What I was calling to tell you earlier, was that I found out something about Cora. Something I think you need to know.” She nodded at the video that was paused on her phone and nodded.

I pressed play and waited for the video to start, my stomach already feeling in knots. Immediately I recognized Kate sitting in a booth at a restaurant, laughing at something the other person had said. The camera moved slightly to the side, and I felt my blood pressure shoot through the roof as I saw Cora sitting next to her. No one else was in the video as they laughed and acted completely in love. When they leaned in for a kiss, I closed my eyes and pushed the phone away. I didn’t need to see that bullshit.

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