Page 53 of Ripple Effect
Cal’s face is paper white. “What happened to you?”
“I’m not reliving this nightmare when I’m supposed to be resting. You got what you wanted, now give me what I want. Go. There’s the door.”
“Libby, the bruises…”
“I’m well aware.” The side of my face is swollen and bruised.
“Why didn’t anyone say…”
“Maybe you should have called back, say two days ago?”
“I couldn’t be reached.” He doesn’t volunteer any more information, and it just leaves me exhausted.
“Fine. I’m done, Cal. I need my rest. Can you just come back in the morning?” Since I’m curled on my right side with my head elevated, my left hand flicks in the direction of the partially closed door.
Cal, of course, misses nothing. “Where are your rings?”
“On the tray behind me.” I’m too heartsick to care about his reaction.
“You took them off?” There’s torment in his voice. I recognize it because I’ve been living it since the minute my eyes opened and he wasn’t there.
“They took them off when I was first admittedthree days ago.” I emphasize the words. “They were given back to me just a few hours ago.”
He moves to go get them but pauses when he hears my voice. “No. Not another inch. I’m so hurt, it’s physically causing me pain.”
“Let me get your nurse.” Cal moves to my headboard to press the button to call my nurse when my words stop him.
“I don’t want you to. I don’t want anything from you right now except for you to fucking leave!” I clutch my head as my yelling sends new shafts of pain through it. “Isn’t that what you’re good for? Leaving me alone? In the last two days, I’ve realized I’ve spent more time alone than together since we met. All I’m asking, just this once, is do it when I ask you to.” I can’t stop the sob that comes from my chest.
“Libby, please let me hold you,” Cal begs.
I can’t shake my head no, nor can I speak. Fortunately, someone walks in who can.
“Cal, you need to go home. They’re trying to spring her from here tomorrow. They can’t do that if she can’t pass the tests she needs to.” Josh’s voice comes from the door.
I want to ask how he knew to come, but I can’t. All I can do is draw my knees up to my chest and press my aching head against them. “Just go.” My voice is muffled through the blankets, but it’s clear.
“I…” Cal starts to say something, but then he must change his mind. “What time do visiting hours start in the morning?”
“Seven a.m. Not long at all,” Josh tells him.
Unfortunately, Cal’s next words do nothing to reassure me. “I’ll be back at 7:01, Libby. That’s a promise.”
I don’t reply because right now, I can’t rely on promises. In sickness and in health—it seemed like the ultimate promise. And I’ve been waiting for the person on the other side of that vow for days.
It shouldn’t be that way. And before I slide those rings back on my finger, we’re going to have a conversation about it.
I hear Cal’s retreat. Josh firmly closes the door behind him before he comes directly to me. “Okay, sister, how do I get you to rest?”
“Call the nurses.” I can’t lift my head at this point, the throbbing is too intense. “I don’t know what time it is, but maybe it’s time for my medicine.”
“Or maybe if they see your present condition, they’ll call Dr. Devin,” Josh mutters, not reassuring me that I’ll be leaving. I need to leave. I need to be able to go home. And I don’t mean to the house I share with Cal; I mean to Akin Hill. While the thought originally appalled me, as each hour passed with no word from him, the appeal increased. There, I wouldn’t be tempted to work, I would have love surrounding me, and maybe I’ll heal.
And if Cal gives half a damn, he can come to me.
“Hello, Elizabeth. What’s… Oh dear. What’s wrong?” Chantay, my night nurse, strides over to my bed. “Let’s get you lying back down, first. Then you can tell me what’s wrong.”
Everything. Everything’s wrong when it should have been perfect. As Chantay begins to ease me back against the bed, I catch the glimmer of my rings out of the corner of my eye. I refuse to admit it’s the sight of them that causes the tears to fall harder as the bed’s being lowered.
