Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“Stephanie,” Jules says pleadingly. “Trust me. He’d want to know.”
“No,” I say, not in a mean way, but again very firmly. “Don’t bother him. I feel really strongly about this, and it’s mostly my hurt over what he said to me that’s talking right now. Just…give this to me, okay?”
I can see she wants to fight me, but she eventually just nods and says, “Okay. I won’t bother him.”
“Thank you,” I say with an apologetic smile. “It’s just…better this way.”
“If you say so,” she says dubiously.
“And you don’t need to stay here,” I tell her as an afterthought. “I have great nurses to look after me.”
“That’s not something I’m going to argue with you about,” she says just as firmly, and I know she means business. “The kids are at the neighbors’, who can watch them all night. I’m going to stay until you get into a room, make sure you get settled, then I’ll go.”
“Okay, fine,” I tell her before I let out a huge yawn. “But don’t expect me to entertain you. This morphine is making me sleepy.”
“You can’t go to sleep,” Jules says quickly, and squeezes my hand again.
“Actually, she can,” the nurse says, and she must have been listening in. “She’s got a mild concussion, but it’s fine for her to sleep. We’ll wake her up every four hours or so to check on her, though.”
“See,” I say as I look back to Jules. “I’m going to go to sleep and you’re just going to stare at me. So go home. You’ve been assured I’m fine, and if you want to come back tomorrow, I’d love it, but you don’t need to sit here in an uncomfortable chair and watch me sleep.”
Jules chews on her lower lip, her gaze going to the nurse, who says, “She’s in good hands. If you want to leave your number, I’ll call you when we get her moved upstairs and tell you the room number.”
Looking back to me, Jules asks, “Are you sure? I hate leaving you alone.”
“I’m used to it,” I say without thinking, and I watch as Jules blanches at the reminder I’ve always been a loner. Her eyes start to mist up and I give her a stern shake of my head. “Don’t you cry. It’s forbidden.”
Jules laughs…well, snorts, and then looks at my sympathetically. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” I ask curiously.
“No one should ever be fine with being alone,” she murmurs as she leans over and kisses my cheek. “I hate that you feel so comfortable with me leaving.”
And now I’m the one that gets a film of moisture over my eyes. I blink them harshly as she pulls back from me and smile confidently. “You’re sweet, but you shouldn’t worry about me.”
“Someone has to,” Jules mutters as she stands up from her chair. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning. With something lemony for you.”
“Yay,” I say as I start to lift my hands to clap, and then I wince as I realize I have a cast on and my head is still throbbing.
“Go to sleep,” Jules says, then blows me a kiss. She turns to the nurse, gives her number, and waves as she walks out the door.
“You need anything?” the nurse asks, and I finally look to see her name on her credentials hanging on a lanyard around her neck.
“Yes, Tabitha,” I say her name. “Is my phone around here?”
She nods and turns to a plastic bag with the hospital’s logo on it. “It’s in good shape considering what happened to you. Just a tiny crack on the screen.”
She smiles when she hands it to me and then leaves.
I hold the phone in my good hand, contemplating it.
Wondering if I should make the call.
Trying to decide how much of a glutton for punishment I am if I do.
Figuring that life’s too short—which became readily apparent to me today with the close call that I had—I turn the phone on and dial my parents’ home number. Their housekeeper, whose name I don’t know, answers. “Frazier residence.”
“Yes, hello. This is Stephanie Frazier. Is my mom or dad available?”
“Just a minute, miss,” she says, and then there’s nothing but silence for a few minutes. I wait and wonder what’s going on, but then she’s back. “I’m sorry, Miss Frazier. But your parents have asked if they can call you back. They’re in the middle of something right now.”
A grim smile tips my lips upward and I say, “Can you let them know I’m in the hospital?”
“Oh, well…yes, please hold on and let me tell them,” she says in an urgent tone. Again, silence, and they must have a hold feature on their phone system. Within moments, the housekeeper is back. “Um…Miss Frazier, with all apologies, they said they are tied up with something very important but they asked for me to, um…find out what happened…and well, to get your information and they’ll call you back as soon as they are done.”