Page 31 of All the Forbidden Things
I’m not sure there’s a name to give the noise I make. It’s somewhere between a sob, a cry, and a moan as the wordnoescapes me. Tears stream down my face as fear coats each of my senses.
“Billie, who did? Where are you? Is there someone there I can talk to?” Cal’s voice remains composed as he asks each question at the same time as he swipes through his own phone.
“Call Len. I need the jet, and I need you with me. Billie’s in trouble,” he says into his phone.
“I’m in the hospital. I’m sorry, Cal. I’m so sorry. I just want to come home,” Billie explains.
I pace as I watch my husband do the same. He sets his own phone to speaker mode and sets it next to mine, then, lacing his fingers together, he places them at the back of his head.
“Kid, I need to know which hospital? Is Carmen there, or Michael? Who’s with you?”
We hear Billie ask someone where she is before telling us, “Cedars-Sinai.” She cries harder before adding, “Carmen’s been arrested, Cal. The police took her. They’re here. They want to talk to me. The nurse has told them no . . . Cal, I’m scared. I’m so scared I’m in trouble.”
The fear is so undeniable in her trembling voice that I have to press both hands over my nose and mouth to stifle my own sobs.
“What the fuck? Why? What the fuck’s happened?”
“Do not talk to the police. I’m making calls from my other line,” Aaron almost shouts down the line. “Cal, tell her not to talk to the police until I’m there. I’ll try and get a colleague to her now, but I do not want her making statements to anyone till I’m there.”
“You listening, kid?”
There’s nothing but silence from both phones.
“Kid, you need to talk to me. I need to know you’re listening to what Aaron says.”
“I’m listening, but what if they won’t . . . what if they make me give a statement?”
“She’s terrified, Cal,” I whisper.
“Kid, I need you to calm the fuck down and listen to me.”
I know he’s scared, but I shoot him a look, warning him to keep his cool. He covers his face and tilts it up towards the ceiling.
“Just take deep breaths and tell us what’s happened,” he says, using a much gentler tone.
“M-Michael. He was drunk. Cal, I fought him, I fought so hard. I thought I was gonna die.”
Callum’s arms drop to his sides. His chin falls to his chest for a few seconds before he lifts it and stares at me. His eyes are wide as his mouth hangs open. Tears coat his handsome face, and I reach for my husband.
He’s looking at me for guidance, but I’m as lost as he is as to how we handle this.
“Keep it together,” I whisper into his ear. “For Billie, just while you’re on the phone, keep it together for her.”
His face is buried in my neck, and I can feel his body shake as he crushes me against him. He nods, steps back, and swipes at his cheeks with the backs of his hands. Sniffing, he draws in a deep breath.
“Okay, kid, listen. It might take me a few hours to get things organised, but I’ll be there by the time you wake up in the morning, and when it’s safe for you to travel, we’ll bring you home.”
“Don’t worry about a thing, Billie, we’ll be there soon. We love you,” I add.
She continues to cry.
“I’ll call you when we have all the details but put your phone on silent and try and get some sleep, I’ll just leave you a message. Love you, kid.”
“Love all of you too. Please hurry, Cal, please.”
I watch my husband fall apart. His face is a mask of devastation as he collapses to the floor and cries, so I answer for him. “We’re on our way. Get some sleep.”
I swipe to end the call and jump as Aaron’s voice sounds from Cal's phone.
