Page 101 of Who's Playing You
I was healthy.
The scans were clean.
No cancer.
“Ok thank you.”
She patted my shoulder, “I’ll walk you back where you can change and I’ll let Marge know to set up your next appointment for six months out. Okay?”
“Yes, okay thank you.”
“Have a great weekend, Scottie,” she said as she opened the door for me that led back to the changing rooms.
A clean bill of health.Phew.
Well, at least until the next round of scans. Then I could do this all over again.
45
NICK SOBA
Scottie’s car pulled up the driveway and I immediately had a smile on my face as I saw her approaching.
I of course knew she was headed back to our house. I watched the little dot move across my screen as she moved across town, getting closer and closer to the house.
What I didn’t know is why she’d been at the hospital. When I saw that an hour ago, I had to stop myself from running to the car and driving straight over to wherever the hell she was.
I had my shoes on, but stopped myself to send her a text. It’d been a quick “check-in / I miss you” text and she’d replied immediately saying she was running some errands and she missed me too, that she’d be at the house in less than an hour. She’d then asked if I needed anything from the grocery.
Her response calmed some of my panic, at least she wasn’t in the ER and unresponsive or something. Which had reminded me, I needed her to make me her emergency contact.
Something I needed to happen sooner than later.
As I watched her from the kitchen window, she was still sitting in her car with her head resting back on the headrest with her eyes closed. When I saw her swipe a tear away, I was immediately out the door.
“Hey honey, what are you doing out here?” I said as I leaned into her open passenger side window. She must have had her eyes closed still because I startled her. As she turned to face me I immediately saw her tear-stained cheeks. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” The panic in my voice immediate and evident.
I was tearing open the door and looked her up and down in my haste.
“I’m fine, Nicholas,” she quickly said and sniffled.
“You’re crying. No. You’re notfine. Are you hurt?” Then my expression hardened. “Did someonehurt you?”
I was seeing red.
The possibility of someone hurting her had me feeling unhinged and borderline stabby. Was it one of the paparazzi or reporters who would try to follow her on occasion? Someone at school? Did someone fuckingsaysomething to her and hurt her feelings?
She started chuckling. “Nicholas, calm down! Sheesh. I’m totally fine. I’m just … emotional. But otherwise I’m fine.”
I relaxed by a fraction. She then unbuckled her seatbelt and started getting out of the car. I quickly retreated back out of the passenger side, closed the door and rounded the hood to meet her.
“Why are you emotional? What’s wrong?” I implored her while I took her in my arms, engulfing her entire frame and kissing the crown of her head. “Tell me. I’ll make it better.” I told her honestly because I’d burn down the entire world for her.
Her arms snaked around my torso as she took a deep inhale of me and I felt her body visibly relax. As I kissed the crown of her head again she chuckled. “If only you could make this all better,” she mumbled to herself, but I heard it.
“What does that mean? Iwillmake everything better for you Scottie, just tell me, and consider it done.”
She leaned back slightly but I didn’t give her much space to move. There was no way I was going to let go of her. She tipped her head back so she could look up at me. “I know, you crazy man, you’ve got a heart of gold and would do anything. But there are some things that are even out ofyourcontrol.”
