Page 70 of Her Paramedic
“Remind me not to invite you to anything else,” Slate countered.
The four stood and conversed for several minutes before Talia excused herself and headed inside. She wanted to make sure her mini strawberry cheesecakes had set. Her sponge cakes were already finished. Everything else was just about ready and setup, and they would eat soon. There had been little for the four of them to do since everyone who was coming was bringing something. She checked her little desserts to find they were setting nicely and should be finished by the time everyone ate.
Two hours later, Talia was at the beverage table, choosing between the different options. Someone stepped up beside her, placing two large jugs on the table, and she glanced over. She hadn’t seen them earlier and assumed they’d just arrived.
“You must be Talia.”
She turned her attention to them. “I am.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand. “I’m Brent. Slate’s cousin.”
“Nice to meet you too,” she responded, shaking his hand.
“Having difficulty?” he asked, gesturing to the drinks.
“A little.”
“Why don’t you try this?” he suggested, taking the top off one jug.
“What’s in it?”
“Pineapple, mango, and peach juice with pieces of the fruit that were soaked overnight in vodka.”
It sounded good; mangos and peaches were two of her favorite fruits. Talia held her cup out, and he filled it halfway before pouring himself a glass.
“So, how long have you and my cousin been together?”
“Five months,” Talia responded. Even though they’d been dating longer than that, and he’d made it very clear what he wanted, Talia had not staked her claim until New Year.
“As soon as Aunt Corrin heard he was in a relationship, she was gossiping with my mom on the phone.”
Talia smiled as she took a drink. It seemed Solomon was correct when he said Corrin should count herself in the latter group. However, she thought it was cute that she was so excitedher son was dating. She would take parents smothering her with questions and excitement rather than not liking her. That would make a relationship tough.
“From what I’ve been able to tell, she’s such a character. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her,” Talia responded. She took another drink from the cup.
“She definitely is. There’s never a dull moment with her.”
Talia nodded, only half-focusing on what he said as she tried to swallow. Her throat felt thick, and she immediately knew she was having an allergic reaction as it became harder to breathe. The cup hit the ground, and she vaguely heard Brent ask if she was okay as she pulled at the collar of her shirt. She took two steps towards the back door before her knees gave out, and she hit the floor.
“Talia!”
Slate calling her name sounded like it was far away, but she knew that wasn’t the case. A second later, Carie came into view on one side of her and Brent on the other, as she tried to take shallow breaths. If she had to guess, not ten seconds had passed before she heard her boyfriend again.
“Move. Move!” Slate demanded, pushing Brent out of the way, and a second later, she felt the familiar injection in her thigh.
It felt like air rushed into her lungs, but Talia knew better than to take large, gulping breaths and kept them even. Slate helped her sit up after passing the vial and syringe to Carie. He took her face in his hands and surveyed her. Then, without saying a word, he picked her up and carried her inside.
«-•-•-•-•-•-•-»
Slate carried Talia into his bedroom and sat her on the bed. “Are you okay?” he asked. He knew it was a dumb question to ask because she hadn’t been okay a minute ago, but he couldn’t stop himself from asking.
“Yeah. I’m okay.”
He nodded, going to grab his keys and wallet off the dresser before picking up her purse.
“Are we going somewhere?” she inquired.
“To the emergency room. You need to be looked at.”
