Page 44 of Unconventionally, Elle

Now

A few days later, I woke up at eight a.m. and discovered a text from Rachel on our group chat.

She'd quit her job, "pulled an Elle," and they were packing their bags to move to New York.

Barrett was snoring--or maybe it was Louie or both?

I sent a heart to the chat and cuddled up with my boys under our fluffy duvet.

Louie licked my face as Barrett's alarm went off again.

I thought I'd heard something ringing, but I also thought I was still dreaming.

Barrett stretched and gave me a quick kiss before going straight to the shower.

He had to be at the office for a ten a.m. meeting with his dad and the owner of the Miami property.

Once he got dressed, he met me in the kitchen, where I was pouring coffee.

"How much writing do you plan on doing today?" Barrett asked as he rushed to get his briefcase ready for the day.

"At least three thousand words." I sipped my coffee. "I can't believe your dad is back at the office today." I trod lightly on the topic. "It was less than a week ago."

I glanced over the rim of my coffee cup to see Barrett shaking his head. "From your mouth to God's ears."

"Mm," I mumbled.

"He won't stop. I talked to Mom--believe it or not, she called me--and he's acting like nothing happened." Barrett shrugged as he put more papers into his briefcase.

"Wow, seriously?" My forehead crinkled as my eyebrows lifted. "How is Em doing since the scare?"

"Emma was always dad's favorite. She's taking it hard and is at the house with him more now." His tone became clipped.

"Oh," I said and then brought my coffee back to my lips.

"Yeah, don't worry. I've had plenty of years to get over it. Em and I are close, but she's Dad's shining star, you know? The baby girl of the family."

"I can see that," I said.

Frustrated his briefcase wouldn't zip up, he tossed it onto the coffee table and sat on the couch next to me to breathe. "Fuck, today feels crazy. When we were growing up, Harold took care of Em and me."

"Right, right, I remember you mentioned that in Nantucket."

"Yeah, so Dad always made time for Emma's things. If Emma had a dance recital, he was there. When Emma graduated Yale, he was there." Barrett stretched his arms overhead and put his hands behind his head, elbows wide.

"You graduated Yale too." I smiled at him.

He gave me a bittersweet grin. "Dad was in London."

"Wow," was all I managed to mutter.

"Don't worry about it, babe." He stood up from the couch, walked closer to me, and leaned over. His arms boxed me in, and his fresh scent made my heart constrict.

"Oh, don't forget, we have our early Christmas with the boys later."

"No problem, I'll be home in time. Good luck on your book today--I can't wait to read it." His lips drew closer to mine. One soft kiss and he was gone.

We parked in front of Finn and Jackson's apartment about thirty minutes late. First I couldn't find my phone, then Barrett forgot to feed Louie, then I forgot my white elephant gift. Needless to say, we finally made it.

"You know Louie loves me more, right?" I teased as we started to walk to the boys' front door.

"It's not a proven fact, Ellz. I refuse to believe it," Barrett said. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed his pocket flashing.

"Barrett, is that your phone?" I pointed and his eyes followed my finger.

"Shit, you're right. Hang on a sec." He stopped and pulled his phone out.

At that moment, Finn opened his front door.

"Ellie, Elle, Elle! Barrett! You're here!" His voice carried through the dark snowy evening.

Barrett's face was blank, his lips were pressed together, and I could feel the tension rolling off of him.

"Babe? Babe, what is it?" I turned my body completely to his, trying to get him to look at me.

"Elle, Barrett, is everything okay?" Finn called out. I saw him shut the door and start to head toward us.

Barrett turned his phone for me to see. The texts were in all caps.

"It's from Emma," I choked out.

Barrett was staring at me with a fierce expression.

"Oh my God, Barrett, it's your dad," I whispered in shock.

Barrett pulled his phone back and looked over my shoulder as Finn ran up behind me.

"I have to go." Barrett turned back to the car. "I need to meet Emma at the hospital--she can't be alone. Not with my mother. Not with my father... in that condition."

"Barrett, I don't think..." Idiotically, I wanted to say that I didn't think his father was going to make it. It was a coronary artery blockage--one of the nurses called it a widow-maker--and it was serious. But he seemed to read my mind and whirled around, his face flushed with anger.

"He's still alive. I need to be there. I don't care if his chances are slim. I have to be there for my family." His lips pressed together, and I saw rage building in his beautiful eyes. He was shaking, burning. I noticed vapor rising from his body in the cold Boston night.

I wanted to reach out and touch him, comfort him. "Barrett, I want to come. Let me go with you, please."

He scoffed. "Elle, you don't get it. You can't understand this thing with me and my dad." He looked back to his car and ran his hands through his hair. He always did that when he was flustered.

Finn was standing next to me now, his hand on my lower back, letting me know he was there.

"You never knew your father. You didn't have this fucked-up relationship because he disappeared. You're lucky, you know that?" His voice was shaking, spite lacing his every word.

"Then tell me. Tell me what I don't understand!" I pleaded, heart sinking with every outburst from his lips.

Finn moved his hand and pulled me into him, holding me tight.

"You don't have a father leaving you a huge fucking company to run with real goddamn responsibility." Barrett's tone seethed with... something. I couldn't put my finger on it. Was that jealousy?

Speechless, I put my hand over my mouth and felt his verbal knife pierce my heart and twist. Who was this person spewing out venomous rage? He'd never spoken to me this way before. He would never say these things.

He continued with the final blow. "This is serious, and I'm serious. I have to go. I'm sorry, I have to go." He hurried to the driver's side of the car, jumped in, and sped away.

Finn's face was dark, lips tight and eyes narrowed. "Elle, I'm right here." He gave my shoulders a squeeze and didn't let go.

I hadn't realized tears were rolling down my cheeks until I turned into Finn's shoulder and began to sob uncontrollably. I thought I heard Finn saying my name or talking to me, but everything was an echo. I felt myself falling, maybe floating? All I knew was that my world went completely dark.

"Elle? Elle? Can you hear me?" Finn was shouting.

Where was I? I blinked a few times and then stared into my best friend's face. I was inside his house lying on the couch. Fear spread through my veins. What happened? I was standing outside... and now what?

"I don't know what just happened." I sat up and lifted my hands to my head.

"You just kind of went limp in my arms, so I hurried you inside to get warm." Finn's tone was soft and comforting.

"I'm sorry. That's so embarrassing," I groaned. "I think I just became overwhelmed, and then, well, then..." I rolled my eyes.

"I know." His firm voice made my eyes lift to his.

"He's never done that before. He's never spoken to me like that. I thought he believed in me. Do you think that's what he really thinks?" My voice cracked as I remembered Barrett's horrible words.

"I can't answer that because I don't know. But I will say... I was two seconds away from punching him in the face for the way he was talking to you. That was unacceptable." Finn brushed a piece of hair out of my face and gave me a soft smile.

Jackson was standing behind me, behind the couch. "We're here, Ellz. Just tell us, what do you need from us?"

I sat up all the way and crisscrossed my legs. Leaning forward, my head resting on my hands, I looked at Finn, then Jackson.

"I need to get to the hospital." Even though I was devastated, I knew I had to be there for Barrett. I wouldn't bolt on him.

Within the hour, Finn drove me to the hospital. Barrett didn't answer his phone, and when I texted Emma, she told us which entrance she'd be waiting at for me. I called her as soon as we arrived.

She answered after only one ring. "You're here?" There was an urgency in her voice.

"Yeah, what floor, what room?" My mind was racing with the various situations I could be walking into. I looked over to Finn as I got out of his car and mouthed, Thank you, I love you , and made a phone signal to let him know I'd call him later.

"We're in 314. Hurry, it's not good," she said and then hung up. Before the call was disconnected, I heard Barrett's voice. He was in the room.

I found my way there with a nurse's help. Mr. Henry was unconscious. Mrs. Henry was frozen in the corner, sitting in a chair. Barrett stood like a statue, staring at his dad, and Emma was fidgeting with her nails, pacing from one side of the room to the other.

I entered the room cautiously.

"Elle!" Emma ran to me with her arms outstretched.

I instinctively opened mine and embraced her. She started crying, and I looked over her shoulder at Barrett. He'd glanced at me coming in but was staring at his father again. Barrett was talented at compartmentalizing his life, but we all have our breaking point.

"I thought you were coming with Barrett, but he said you weren't," Emma said in a small, delicate voice.

Before I could reply, Barrett's voice carried across the room. "Can I talk to you outside for a moment?" he said in a clipped tone.

I nodded, and Emma let go of me and sat down in a chair by her dad's side. I saw her reach for his hand and begin to sob as Barrett and I walked out of the room.

Once in the hallway and a few doors down from Mr. Henry's room, Barrett released a deep sigh and looked at me with tired eyes. "What are you doing here, Elle?"