Page 60 of All It Takes

Alice’s palm pressed firmly between my shoulder blades. “Don’t go there. Don’t make trouble where there isn’t. Let’s get you to the hospital.”

“But—” I glanced wildly around the waiting area to see absolutely no one there.

“I just had my last appointment. We walked out together, and they left,” Alice explained. “I’ll have Farrah lock up and drive you to the hospital.”

“I can drive,” I protested. I hated needing anyone.

Alice didn’t even address my comment. She called over her shoulder to Farrah, who had just appeared at the doorway from the back hallway. “Go get her keys.”

That snapped through the static of panic in my brain, and I stared at her before letting out an offended huff. “Okay, fine. I probably shouldn’t drive. But if you’re going to drive, we have to go get Ross. He’s at my dad’s house.”

“I’ll call your dad. He can meet us at the hospital.”

“But—” I began, only to have Farrah cut me off.

“You’re in no shape to keep Ross calm. Your dad is as steady as a rock. He’ll meet us there. That way, Ross can get the update. Maybe he should spend the night with your dad.”

I looked back and forth between my two friends. Even though I wanted to argue the point, I knew they were both right. I took a shaky breath as I nodded. Looking over at Farrah, I added, “You don’t have to take my keys.”

“I’ll drive you to the hospital. Farrah can drop your car off at the hospital after she closes up. After I get you to the hospital, we’ll ask Maisie to pick her up and bring her back. That way, your car is exactly where it needs to be. Sound like a plan?” Alice prompted.

As I looked at them, I burst into tears. Back when I’d been in Seattle and gotten sick and my boyfriend/asshole friend had blown me off, I’d felt so alone. Now, I felt completely supported.

“We’ve got you,” Farrah said.

I gave them a watery smile as I nodded before taking another tissue and blowing my nose.

ChapterForty-One

TIFFANY

Time passed in increments as I waited at the hospital. My father had come and gone with Ross. Holly had agreed to text him as soon as Wes came out of surgery, so my dad would bring Ross back. My dad was taking Ross for pizza and assured me a distraction was best. I agreed, but I was still a mess. Alice was with me, and Farrah had somehow magically already brought my car to the hospital and given me my keys. Maisie had stopped by to give me a hug.

Wes’s mom had arrived, pulling me aside. Her eyes, so like his, held mine as she clasped my hands. “Wes loves you. I hope you’ll give him a chance.”

That was it. That was all she said. She didn’t press for explanations from me or chastise me for maybe hurting his feelings while I tried to get my shit together. She offered pure acceptance.

I swallowed through the thickness in my throat, nodding as I blinked back my tears. “I love him too,” I said, my voice a ragged whisper.

Alice was sitting beside me while I blindly flipped through a magazine. “How are you doing?” she asked, her tone soft.

I glanced at her closing the magazine and setting it on the table beside me before twisting my fingers together. “Not so great.”

“Maybe you could consider what your feelings for Wes mean.”

“Now?”

Alice cocked her head to the side, her gaze understanding and more perceptive than I wished. “Maybe I’m an idiot, but I’m pretty sure you’re in love with him. Life is complicated all the time. I know you both have Ross to consider, but in a way, I think that means you’ll take it more seriously. I know it’s a different situation, but that’s what I think about with Jonah’s grandmother. It would’ve been messy if she really wanted us to work out, and we tried to make it work, and it didn’t. But it would’ve been okay. You and Wes falling in love, well, it could be really good. Important issues, in my opinion, make us think more seriously about what we do and our choices about how we treat each other.”

I swallowed, staring at her as my heart kicked along in my chest. I knew she was right. I also knew that this event had only illuminated the size of my love for Wes. It was big, encompassing so much space in my heart. The idea of letting it slip away felt like I was giving up on the most real thing I’d ever experienced with someone.

At that moment, Holly came striding briskly into the waiting area. Her blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail that swung as she glanced around the room. Her eyes landed on me. “He’s out of surgery and in recovery,” she announced.

“When can I see him?”

Holly stopped in front of me, replying, “In just a few minutes. He can only see one person at a time.”

Wes’s mother, Jane, glanced over at me. “You’re going first,” she announced.

---