Page 77 of The Ruthless Note

I stop at the nurses’ station. “I'm looking for Viola Cooper?”

The nurse points me in the direction of the emergency room.

Keys still hanging from my fingers, I look around for the sisters. Finally, I spot Cadence hovering over a bed. There, lying with a sheet over her body, is Vi.

She's pale, shaking and looking kind of weak.

When I draw closer, I find out why.

“Why didn't you tell me you weren’t feeling well?” Cadence scolds her sister. “You shouldn’t have kept that to yourself.”

“I thought it was period cramps or something. I didn't think my appendix was—ooh!” She squeals. “Is that Dutch Cross standing behind you? Someone pinch me!”

“Hey, Vi.” I brush close to Cadence and look down at her little sister.

Cadence shoots me a stink eye, but she doesn’t move away.

“You hanging in there?” I ask.

Her eyes are full of stars. “If I knew that all it took to see Dutch Cross again was a broken appendix—”

“Ruptured appendix. Not broken.Ruptured,” Cadence corrects.

“Really?” Vi shoots her a dark look.

I watch the two of them, feeling amused. It’s clear that this relationship is as much a sibling relationship as it is a mother-daughter one.

Cadence’s tender stroking of Vi’s head—paired with her sister’s witty comebacks—makes me feel like I’m seeing something only a few are privy to.

“Are you Miss Cooper’s guardian?” A nurse approaches the bed.

Cadence nods.

“You’ll need to fill out these forms. A ruptured appendix requires immediate surgery, but we couldn’t start without getting your information.”

Viola cringes in pain.

I whirl around. “She needs surgery now.”

“We need your payment information,” the nurse says, looking apologetic.

“Payment?” I spit.

“I’ve got it.” Cadence’s eyes are strained, but she calmly takes the form and fills out the information.

“Hey.” I touch Vi’s shoulder. “You’re going to be okay.”

“Can you do me a favor?” she croaks.

“What?”

“Can you… take a picture as proof that you're really here?”

“Are you crazy?” Cadence hisses.

“Ow. So much pain!” Viola curls into a ball.

Cadence drops her sharp expression and looks on in concern.