Page 91 of New Beginnings
Rumi squeezed my hand.
“It was touch and go there for a few minutes,” he continued, explaining the reason for my presence in the ICU.
I almost fucking died. J.D. must have been losing his mind. I needed to see him.
“How long do I have to stay in the hospital?”
“As long as it takes, Rebel,” my mother said.
“I’m going to keep you in intensive care for one more night and if there are no complications, we’ll move you into a regular room,” he said. “Your body went through a very traumatic event. But how long you stay in the hospital is totally up to how you heal.”
“Thanks doc.”
“Once you’ve been moved to your room, the police will want to speak with you.”
“Because of the gunshot wound?” I asked.
“Yes. It’s mandatory with these types of injuries.”
I get that. It was not what I wanted to hear, but I expected it.
“I will send the nurse in to increase the pain meds. But you need rest and no stress,” he said.
“Got it.”
He nodded and exited the room.
I sighed. “Where’s my phone?”
“We don’t know,” my mother said. “You didn’t have it when we got here. The police said they don’t know what happened or where any of your items are.”
“You talked to the cops?”
“Of course, we did,” Rumi said. “Did you think I would let him get away with this shit?”
I turned my gaze towards Rumi, who was seated in the chair next to the bed, her eyes filled with anger. She wouldn’t like it, but I needed to get in touch with J.D. before the cops showed up. Or at least I needed to know what was going on.
“Have you lost your damn mind?” I asked. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Or do you even care?”
“That’s not fair,” she said. “If it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t be in here, and you fucking know it.”
“Girls stop!” my mother shouted. “Rebel, you don’t need this stress right now. You need to rest.”
“I’ll rest once I’ve talked to J.D.”
“Who is this man?” my mother asked.
“I need a phone,” I said, ignoring her question.
Right now, I didn’t have the time to explain my feelings for him. I needed to get my story straight with the guys. Maybe it was a good thing I had no idea what the hell happened.
“I’m not giving you mine,” Rumi said. “I refuse to let you destroy your life over someone who isn’t worth it.”
I sighed. “Get out.”
“What? You can’t be serious!”
I loved my sister, but I refused to let her bitterness derail the best thing that has happened to me because she had a love hate relationship with her ex. Her problem had nothing to do with my relationship and everything to do with her love for Caesar and her fear of it.
