Page 34 of You Were Invited
“Your girlfriend?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll let her know.”
Finally alone, Julian let out a loud groan.Damn.It had been months since he’d felt the loss of his mother so keenly. Dee hadn’t meant any harm, but part of him hated her then. Reminded him why he needed to be alone, away from the proprietors of old town memories. Thorny stories they could spinall over him at any given time like a spider’s web. As his chest tightened and his eyes misted, he tried to block everything from his mind. The pain. The hospital. His mom–
But he couldn’t.
They can’t keep me here much longer. Then I can go home in peace.
Time stretched on forever as Julian sat alone, half-catatonic with misery. Finally, he heard footsteps outside the room. A knock that announced the doctor. The click of the door handle.
Before they caught him openly weeping, Julian quickly wiped away his tears and the wad of snot slithering down his chin.
thirteen
For the fifth time, Annie turned her eyes from the TV on the wall to the waiting room clock over the reception desk.Julian’s been gone for a while. I hope he’s okay.At a quarter to four, the blonde nurse from earlier stopped at the reception desk before she walked over to Annie.
“Your boyfriend is doing okay. The doctor will see him in about ten-fifteen minutes,” she said.
“Oh— he’s not my boyfriend.”
The nurse looked taken aback.
“Er, he owns a cabin near where I’m staying,” Annie clarified, though the confusion on the nurse’s face didn’t exactly go away. “He’s a boy who’s a friend and — thank you for updating me.”
The nurse’s perplexed expression eased into a smile. “You’re welcome. Mr. Lincoln should be out in an hour.”
“Thanks,” Annie said, trying to sound cheerful, before the nurse walked away. The nurse’s assumption rattled her a little.
Anyone would take care of someone with a serious injury.Where the nurse had gotten that she was Julian’s girlfriend was a mystery.It was just a miscommunication, I’m sure.
She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt.In the last week, life has gotten so much more complicated.It wasn’t clear where she was going, but for today she knew it was important to just existin the moment.I guess this is what life calls for right now.Annie was just glad for Julian that he was in good hands.
A little over an hour later, Julian walked out. His hand was wrapped like it was a glass sculpture, and they’d given him a sling for his arm. He held a puffed-out, white paper bag and some papers in his other hand; he all-but wandered over as if he were a lost puppy.
Annie stood up. "You all set?"
Julian nodded. He was glassy-eyed. "Have'ta say thank you for staying. I can't drive."
She smiled and guessed they’d given him pain pills. "Aww, no... You definitely can't drive." She thought for a second. "Do you need to stop anywhere? Before we get you home? A pharmacy?"
“I have pills. Pie. Can we stop for pie?”
“You feeling up for that?”
He blinked at her, puzzled, as if she’d asked if he was up for breathing air. “Yes. We need to get it before Ellie doesn’t make it anymore.”
She giggled and followed by his side as they walked out the automatic doors. “Okay, little guy, we’ll get you pie.”
He gave her another reproachful look, eyes narrowed. “Don’t say that. I want pie. Banana.”
She stifled a laugh. “I’ll gladly get you your pie, Julian.”
At No Wait Diner, the staff all but fell over themselves when they saw what had happened to Julian. Annie and Julian found a booth and sat down. Although he only wanted one slice, a woman insisted on also giving him half a pie. Her straight black hair, which was streaked with gray strands, fell down the lengthof her back. She presented the pie to Julian like he was the mayor of Northgold.
“I don’t like being spoiled, Ellie,” Julian muttered when she put the to-go box with the half pie on the end of their table.
