Page 30 of Hot for Her
Stacy gave me her visitor’s badge and I stuck it on my shirt. “Pass through the double doors then go right. It’s laid out like a square with the nurses station in the middle. He’s in the back right corner.”
Following her directions, I made my way to the curtained off room with Drew’s name on the dry erase board. Just as I started to enter, a petite nurse with close cropped dark hair stopped me.
“Sorry, hon,” she said. “Visiting hours are eight to ten and one to three in ICU. He’s about to head down for a MRI anyways.”
The words seized my heart like a fist. I checked my phone. It was half past ten. “Um, okay. So I can come back at one?”
She glanced around as if making sure no one was listening. “It’s supposed to be family only back here. You his girlfriend?”
I shook my head before I realized it might have been better to let her assume. Camille being with his mom and aunt probably helped. I mentally berated myself for not getting here earlier. “A friend. Best friend.”
“Well, best friend,” she said candidly, “I’m about to get off and I can’t promise the charge nurse on dayshift is going to let you back here. Unless you’re a close relative. But I’ll be back tomorrow at eight if you want to come back then.”
I nodded. “Got it. Thank you.”
Dejected, I trudged back to the waiting room. Stacy was already gone and Drew’s mom was on her phone updating someone on his condition.
Camille stood. “You ready to go?”
I wasn’t, but if I couldn’t see him, I might as well head home deal with my mom. I couldn’t avoid her forever.
“Yeah. Guess so.”
“I really am sorry about last night,” Camille said for the tenth time as we left the hospital. “Derek got into a car with Amberly Mills and I lost control. I followed them, and I know it was dumb but he always denies everything. I guess I wanted to see the truth for myself.”
Derek didn’t take Camille seriously enough to consider what he did cheating on her. Drew and I both knew that, but she had trouble accepting it.
“They started speeding through town and making crazy turns so I guess he knew I was behind them.” She sighed. “I realized it was pointless and he’d just make stupid excuses if I confronted him, so I headed back to the carnival. But by then, they were tearing booths and rides down and I couldn’t find you anywhere.”
“My phoned died and I had to go meet Ethan.”
She nodded. “I know. I’m a shit friend. I’ve got to stop this, whatever this is, with Derek. I promise I’m working on it.”
She detailed the apologetic messages he’d already sent today and I could tell she was far from letting go of her Derek drama.
My mind drifted to Aiden.
Do you ever want to see me again?
Did I?
I still hadn’t figured it out when we arrived at my house. I gave Camille a sympathetic half-hug, reassuring her once more that I wasn’t going to hold a grudge or refuse to hang out with her ever again. We said our goodbyes and I headed into my house.
I opened the front door and braced myself for my mother’s wrath.
It was silent.
I walked to her room as quietly as possible, hoping not to disturb her if she was resting. After using the bathroom, I knocked gently on her door. When there was no answer, I pushed it open a few inches.
My mother sat in her leather arm chair, staring out the window.
“Mama? You okay?”
Her head whipped to me and her eyes narrowed to slits. “Oh, don’t pretend you care now.”
I absorbed the hatred in her voice and sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry about last night. My phone died and I stayed at a friend’s house.” No need to specify it wasn’t a friend she knew.
She returned her gaze to the window and ignored me. I could explain and apologize until I was blue in the face but it wouldn’t matter when she was like this.
