Page 124 of Devil Mine

“Okay, Miss. Take a breath, we’ll help you find your mum, alright?”

I nod shakily, those tears pearling at the corners of my eyes. “Thank you,” I choke out, hastily wiping them away.

The hospital notified me as her next of kin thirty minutes ago. I was in the office bathroom when I answered the phone. My stomach plummeted so suddenly, I thought I was going to pass out. Everything between then and now is a little fuzzy. All I know is that my legs carried me mindlessly out of the bathroom and straight into a taxi. I left without my purse or coat, without informing Arturo.

The entire ride here I considered calling Thiago. No, consider isn’t right. I fought against the desperate urge to call him. He was the first person I thought about when I got the news. I’d wanted to bury my face in his chest, to feel his thick arms closing around me as he held me and told me she was going to be okay.

In the end, I didn’t call. We’ve never talked about these types of situations, him and I. He might be my husband, but we don’t exactly have a traditional relationship or marriage. Would he even care if I called him and told him what happened? I was afraid that he’d say he had more important things to do than take time away from his work to be there for me. I was afraid of how much hearing those words would hurt me.

Somehow, somewhere along the way I’ve given him the power to cause catastrophic, irreversible harm to me. I have no doubt that he’d use it if he knew, but the fact that he doesn’t even seem aware of it means he can hurt me without even trying. I need to be cautious of guarding myself against him, of not letting myself fall the rest of the way for him.

Thatdamage would be fatal.

Instead, I broke the no contact rule with Tristan and texted him the news about our mum being in hospital. Then I texted Arturo and sent him the same update. I didn’t want anyone worrying unnecessarily about me.

“Found her. She’s in a private room, number thirty-two, in our East wing. What you’re going to do is…”

I thank her for the instructions and make my way to the East wing. As I come up to a door marked with the number thirty-two, a doctor comes out, closing the door behind her.

“Excuse me, were you just in with Bettina Noble?” I ask.

Pretty green eyes lift from the chart in her hands to meet mine. “I was.”

“I’m her daughter, Tess. Can you tell me what happened?”

The doctor’s gaze softens. “Your mother has a broken arm, several large hematomas to her face, and small cuts on her body.”

“Oh, god.” My hand flies to my mouth and I peer in at my mother through the bay of windows. Her arm is in a cast, but her face is turned away so I can’t see her injuries.

“She’s going to be fine, but she has a bit of a recovery ahead of her.”

“Did she say what happened?”

The doctor’s silence makes me turn back towards her. Her mouth is set in a flat line. “She says she fell.”

The pit in my stomach widens into a cavernous crater. It’s not the first time I’ve heard my mum use that excuse and it’s never been because she actually fell. I know exactly what it means.

“I tried to talk to her about it, but she wouldn’t deviate from her original explanation.”

I shake my head, sadly. “She won’t.”

“It’s not the first time?”

“No.”

The doctor looks at my mum’s file, then back at me. “She’s only been admitted to the hospital once before and it was for a ski related fracture. No other previous visits.” To make sure I understand, she adds plainly. “He’s escalating.”

I nod, the mass in my throat thick and obstructive.

“I can give you the address of a shelter.”

“She’ll never go.” I look back at my mum. “She has the resources to leave, she just…won’t.”

“It’s hard for a lot of women. But when a situation escalates like this,” she pauses. “Leaving becomes a matter of life and death.”

“I understand.”

The doctor puts a reassuring hand on my upper arm, giving me a sympathetic look. I’m struck by her warmth. “You can go in there and see her. I’m Dr. Cavanaugh. Ask for me at the desk or call me if you have any questions,” she says, handing me her business card.

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