Page 94 of Doctor Hot Mess

The thought of Lila alone in a jail cell twists my stomach. Part of me wants to be furious at her for keeping secrets, for letting us get blindsided. But another part knows she’s scared out of her mind.

When the phone rings, the screen lights up with “Unavailable.” My breath catches.

I swipe to answer. “Hello?”

“Jonah?” Her voice is small, shaky.

“Lila,” I say, my voice sharper than I intend. “Lila, how are you calling me? Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

She exhales, a shaky sound that makes me grip the edge of the table. “I am using my one call. I wanted to talk to you. I honestly didn’t think it would come to this. I'm so sorry.”

“That’s not good enough,” I snap. “You had to know they’d figure it out eventually. You met with the cops yesterday, for God’s sake. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“The attorney told them I would cooperate. They let me leave. I thought we all had an agreement,” she stammers. “He said there wasn’t enough evidence to charge me. I thought I was safe.”

“Safe?” I bark out a laugh, though there’s no humor in it. “You’re sitting in jail, Lila. You were fucking an armed robber, who, by the way, held a gun to Harper.”

There’s a long pause, and when she speaks again, her voice is softer, almost a whisper. “I had no idea they were doing that, I swear. They talked about getting money to help me, they mentioned they had robbed a convenience store once. No one got hurt. I was desperate. I had no idea anyone would actually use a gun. You have to believe me.”

I get up and pace around the condo. “Well, people did get hurt. And now I’m finding out about Joey and Mark, about how you were tied up in their shit. Do you have any idea how blindsided I feel right now?”

“I know,” she says, her voice cracking. “I know, Jonah. I’m sorry.”

Her apology is hollow because I'm sure she would never fess up to this if she weren't sitting in jail right now. She's sorry she got caught. “Tell me the truth, Lila. How deep were you in with them? Don't fucking hold back any more.”

“I'll tell you everything,” she admits, her voice breaking. “I owed money—so much money—and they said they could help. I didn’t ask questions. I needed a way out.”

“And look where it got you,” I say, my voice low, tight. “Jesus, Lila. You could’ve come to me.”

“I was ashamed,” she says quietly. “You’ve always had your shit together, Jonah. I’m the screw-up. The one who keeps dragging the family down.”

“Stop,” I cut in, my tone softening. “That’s not true.”

“It is,” she says bitterly. “But I’m trying, Jonah. I’m going to rehab. I’m going to get clean. I just need a chance to fix this. I need you to believe in me.”

I swallow hard, my grip tightening on the phone. “The attorney’s working on getting you bonded out tomorrow. Once you’re out, you need to go to rehab, and you need to cooperate. You have to make this right. All of it.”

“Yes, I will,” she says, her voice barely audible. “I understand.”

For a moment, neither of us speaks. The silence is deafening, but it’s not entirely hopeless.

“They are saying I have to get off,” she says finally. I can hear her crying through the phone. “Please don't give up on me.”

“I won't. I promise." I close my eyes, my chest tight. “Just don’t make me regret it.”

She lets out a shaky breath. “I won’t.”

The line goes dead, and I set the phone down on the table, staring at it for a long moment.

Tomorrow can’t come fast enough.

THIRTY-FOUR

Harper

Tuesday, March 17

Harper’s Pool House

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