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I run it inside, telling the nurse at the front desk that it belongs to the daughter of the Heywood patient, and I’m not sure where they went. She agrees to make sure she gets it, and then I take my time walking back outside again.
Several hours later,my phone pings.
Charley: I’m sorry about earlier.
Relief washes over me. It’s amazing what kind of lies you can tell yourself when you get into an argument with someone you care for. I don’t like not knowing where I stand with her.
Me: I’m sorry I came in when you didn’t want me to. I only thought you could use the support.
Charley: I do want it. I just got freaked out. And my dad was freaking out, which made everything so much worse.
Me: Is he okay?
Charley: He had a minor heart attack. They’re going to keep him for a few days.
A minor heart attack? Shit.
I immediately call her, and she picks up after the first ring. “Hey.”
“Hey, are you okay? Do you need me?”
“I’m with Molly. She picked me up.”
My stomach falls. I want to tell her that I would’ve picked her up, but there has to be a reason why she didn’t ask me to. The tether keeping me with her feels taut, tense.
“Hello, Cade,” I hear a soft voice say.
“That’s your grandma? Hi.”
“He says hi,” she whispers. “Yeah, that’s her.”
“When am I going to meet you, young man?”
I smile at that. At least her grandma knows about me and isn’t throwing a fit. “You tell her I’m ready to work my charm on her just like I did you whenever she wants it.”
Charley chuckles. “Oh, I’m sure you will.” To her grandma, she says, “He’s ready whenever you are.” There’s a moment of silence before Charley gets back on the phone. “I am really sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
“It just reminded me of the old Charley. It was a little reminiscent,” I try to joke.
She’s quiet, and I hate that I can’t see her face because I can read anything in her facial features. She’s an open book.
“I should probably go,” she says. “I don’t want to be rude.”
I blow out a breath, wondering if I screwed that up. “Okay, text me. Let me know any updates and whether you need me for anything.”
“I’ll let you know. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I stare at my screen as it says Call Ended, then drop my phone and lie back on the bed, squirming to get comfortable. Unsettled. It’s what it feels like wondering what’s going on and why it seems like Charley is being short with me.
I run through the events of the day, and I can’t see where I would’ve changed what I did. Why wouldn’t I want to be there for my girlfriend? The fact that she apologized to me for the way she reacted is good, but it still feels like there’s a wedge betweenus that definitely was not there before I decided to walk into that hospital after her.
Fishing for my phone, I bring it up again and press on Briar’s name in my contact list. She’s the girl I’m closest to, and I need a woman’s perspective right now.
“What’s up, Farmer?” she answers.
“Briar, I need advice.”