Page 59 of Her Paramedic
“I hope he wakes up soon,” Nova stated. “For all of their sakes. I can only imagine if it were Zuri or one of you. I’d be out of my mind. I hope knowing we’re here for them gives them some comfort. I’ve texted Journee, and she’s responded a few times. I don’t want to overwhelm her.”
Talia nodded. “Yeah, if things get too tough, I know she’ll reach out. Kaydence and I were going to fly in over the weekend, but she asked us not to come. I think being alone with him helps her deal with it better, and I don’t want to upset any balance she’s found for herself. But I think the twins are still going tonight or tomorrow.”
“Does Slate plan on staying the entire time?”
“I know he’d like to, but the person covering for him committed to other shifts for the coming week. He’ll be back Sunday night, and he works six days next week, and then he might head back since she’ll be able to cover for him again.”
“Are you going to see him?” Nova asked.
“I plan on it. Even if it’s just me driving down to spend a few hours with him before he leaves again.”
Talia finished Nova’s hair and led her to the register. She always gave her sister and friends a discount, which they seldom took. Nova never took it and always insisted on tipping her. The one time Talia brought it up, the other woman told her she was paying her what she was worth. As a friend, she was supporting her fully and didn’t need a discount. It was ironic, considering Nova was currently trying to discount her commission rate on Kaydence and Axel’s houses.
Once Nova was gone, Talia returned to her station and cleaned it up, preparing for her last client of the day.
“Hey, sorry I’m late. I got stuck behind a truck whose load fell off,” Talia stated, sitting down.
“It’s fine. They only seated me a few minutes ago,” Alivia responded. “I ordered you a drink.”
“Thanks,” Talia replied, placing her purse behind her in the seat.
She and Alivia looked over their menus in relative silence. When their server delivered their drinks, they placed their orders and fell into small talk about their days for a few minutes.
“How is Journee?” Alivia asked, taking a drink from her glass. “I would text her, but I doubt she’ll respond.”
Talia was sure that if Alivia reached out, Journee would answer her. It might be a short answer, but she’d get one. A part of Talia was also glad her friend had not because even when shewasn’t trying to, she could say the wrong thing, and she didn’t want Journee upset even more than she already was. It was no secret in their friend group that the two women did not get along, but they were cordial enough in group settings.
“She’s dealing with it. It’s hard. I can only imagine how she feels, but she has support there and here to help her through it,” Talia responded.
“And Slate? Have you talked to him?”
“Yes, I have. He’s taking it in stride.” Talia left it at that. She didn’t want to give Alivia too much information because it wasn’t her business to tell, and she wanted to respect both his and Journee’s privacy.
Alivia nodded. “I wouldn’t wish what they’re going through on my worst enemy. I hope Killian pulls through. Sooner rather than later.”
“You and me both,” Talia replied.
They spent the rest of dinner on different topics, and Alivia told Talia where she wanted to take her mom and grandma for Mother’s Day. It was one of the few times she saw them in a year, and she always went all out for the two, planning it well in advance and being excited about their reactions. Talia found it cute.
When she arrived home later that evening, she made a beeline for her bedroom. It was already after nine, and if her boyfriend held true, he’d be calling her in about an hour. She was glad he was taking her up on her offer to call whenever he wanted to talk. She wanted to be settled in bed so she could give him her undivided attention.
Talia showered, put on her bonnet, and moisturized before slipping into bed. She forwent turning on the television. She placed her phone on the charger and put her earbuds in. Like clockwork, her phone rang a few minutes later, and she got comfortable in bed as she answered.
“Hey, baby.”
18
Slate sat in the chair, scrolling through his phone. Ace had stepped out to return a few calls from clients. The room was quiet. He’d muted the television when Journee fell asleep, not wanting it to disturb her. He was sure she had gotten little rest over the past three and a half weeks. The entire situation had been stressful, and while he was gradually accepting that things would happen in their own time, it didn’t make it any easier.
He’d had to go home twice. The first time was for a week, and the second time was for a few days when Carie had someone else she needed to cover for. He’d also worked every day he’d been back home to rebuild his vacation time. While he’d been home, Slate had only seen Talia once in person, during the middle of a week. She’d driven out to spend time with him, his first time back on Wednesday after she’d finished with clients and stayed since her first appointment the following day was later in the morning. But they spoke nightly. She reached out during the day to check on him, and he was grateful for that.
He had the support of his parents and friends, and he was grateful for all of them, but something about being able to call her and know that she was there kept him from thinking of the worst potential outcomes throughout the entire ordeal.
A groan caught Slate’s attention, and he looked up from his phone to find Killian slowly opening his eyes. His cousin’s eyes slowly shifted to find Journee, his hand held in hers, asleep on them.
“Welcome back,” Slate said, drawing the other man’s attention.
His cousin looked at him before taking in the room. If Slate had to guess, it was to see where he was and try to recall the events that led him there. Killian opened his mouth but shut it a few seconds later, and Slate took that as his cue.
