Page 95 of Spur of the Moment
Pulling them out of my purse, I slid them over to her. She typed a few things into the computer, her nails clacking on the keyboard to the beat of my heart in my ears. It was like I was here, but not actually in my body. The emergency room was the last place I pictured myself being today.
“Reason for your visit?” she asked.
“I, uh, I think my iron may be low,” I said, the statement coming out more like a question.
Her nails resumed their tapping, and I watched as they flew across the keys. Bailey squeezed my hand, and I looked up at him, a reassuring look on his face. I took another deep breath, leaning into his arm slightly.
She slid my card and ID back to me, and I slid them back into my purse. “You two can have a seat while you wait. A nurse should call you back shortly.”
We turned, taking the closest two seats. The waiting room was empty aside from an elderly couple in the corner. I nuzzled closer to Bailey, laying my head on his shoulder as his thumb stroked circles on the back of my hand. I watched his thumb move as I tried to push the what-ifs from my mind.
What if they couldn’t do anything to fix me? What if I let it get so bad this time that therewas no going back?
Twenty minutes after the elderly couple was called back, the door opened, and a blonde nurse appeared in the doorway. “Lettie Bronson.”
I stood, Bailey following suit. He walked me to the door, but the nurse stopped him. “We have to take her back privately first, then we’ll come get you. Name?”
“Bailey,” he answered.
“Sit tight, Bailey,” she said.
He leaned in, his hand coming up to cradle my cheek as his other stayed glued to my palm. He pressed a kiss to my lips, and I wished we could stay in this moment and never part, but all good things had to come to an end. He pulled back, his green eyes blazing with concern as he said, “I’ll be back with you soon, okay?”
“Okay,” I whispered.
And then I unfolded my hand from his, our tether going from physical to imaginary. But as I walked through that door, I could still feel his love for me like he was right here with me.
He’d been with me the whole time.
49
Bailey
My leg shook as my foot tapped on the linoleum floor in an uneven beat. Lettie had been back there for what felt like hours, and no one had come to get me like they said they would. I’d asked the woman at the counter twice now for an update, and she said a nurse would speak to me when they could.
That didn’t comfort me at all.
I was on edge and worried that something may have happened. Was she still breathing? Did they give her some medication? My service didn’t work in here, so I couldn’t even send her a text asking if she was okay.
Unable to sit still any longer, I practically tipped the chair over as I stood, then made my way to the woman behind the counter.
“If they come out for me, can you let them know I stepped outside?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
Her face was coated in sympathy but I didn’t want sympathy right now. I wanted fucking answers. “Of course.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled and headed out the doors. The fresh air did nothing to clear my head as every possible scenario flew through my mind. I paced back and forth, from the pillar that held the overhang to the edge of the sidewalk. I was halfway compelled to burst through the back and find her myself, but the last thing Lettie probably needed right now was me causing a scene.
The fact that a door was separating us right now, keeping me from knowing what was going on, fucking killed me. I wanted nothing more than to hold Lettie in my arms and know she was okay.
I’d been pacing for at least half an hour when the doors to the emergency room opened. I turned, my eyes immediately finding Lettie’s petite form as she stood just outside the doors, frozen. From where I stood, I could see the tears welling in her eyes, and that fucking broke me.
I ran toward her, pulling her into my arms, pressing her face against my chest. God, it felt so good to hold her.
“Baby, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” I asked, my voice laced with worry.
She nodded, pulling back an inch to look up at me. “I thought you left,” she said, her voice breaking on the last word.
I cupped her face, shaking my head. “I could never leave you, Huckleberry. No one came to get me. I’m so sorry. I was going crazy in there. I wanted nothing more than to be back there with you. It fucking killed me not knowing what was happening.”
