Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
“I’m not going anywhere,” I reply as if I’m here for the long haul. Again, I’m not sure where this is coming from, but I won’t leave her. I know it to my core.
Emails are piling up, along with text messages from my assistant. But I can’t bring myself to care enough to get to them. I take a step back from the bed and sit on the vinyl sofa. The springs give way, creaking under my weight and causing the nurse to glance over at me.
“I hear you’re her boyfriend.”
“I’m Loch.” How long do I go on with this charade? Tuesday is in good hands. That should be my cue to leave, but I sit on this sofa and nod like I have a vested interest.
Her shoulders fall, and she peeks over her shoulder at the door. “You seem like a nice guy, Loch, making sure she got to the hospital, and concerned for her well-being, so I’m going to be frank with you.” Turning, she rests her hand protectively on the bedrail as she does her hip. “I’m guessing you aren’t really who you say you are. You seem like a nice guy, but we have to take precautions here, so an officer is coming to escort you out of the room.”
Fuck. This is not happening.
Getting arrested for falsifying information could be detrimental to my legal career. With that said, I know I could win a jury of my peers over if I risk being disbarred.
“I’ve given you a pocket of time by holding them off so I could speak with you first,” she says.
I square my shoulders, much like I do when I enter the courtroom, but I don’t speak. Only the guilty start rambling. I’m guilty of what? Being concerned about a woman who gave me a hard time and told me to have a nice day?
“Tell me the truth,” she starts again. “You’re not really her boyfriend, are you?”
“A friend.”
“A friend who doesn’t know her last name?”
Nurse Belinda hits hard. I study her unflinching gaze. She’s tough and would make a great witness on the stand. Unfortunately, I’m the one she’s interrogating at the moment. I’ve stalled about as long as I can. Like she said, she’s given me a short window of opportunity. Why? I have no idea, but since I’m on borrowed time anyway, I say, “I’m not one to bend the truth—”
“Good because I’m not a contortionist. Give it to me straight.” Nurse Belinda came loaded with jokes.
“We recently met, hung out a bit, and got coffee together. Nothing scandalous.” Though I feel guilty for how brusque I was with Tuesday after what happened.
Her head tilts just as her brows pinch together. She’s an older woman, older than my mom, and a kindness entered the room with her that has me trusting she’s being level with me. But she grins as if she knows I’m stretching the truth. “Listen, Loch, stick to that story. Kelly backed you up.”
“Who’s Kelly?”
“The guy who works at the coffee shop. He said you two were hanging out in the corner together, and it appeared to be a date.” Clearly, the kid is blind. He couldn’t be further from the truth, but it’s a good alibi that keeps my nose clean.
“Nice try.” Leaning in, she whispers, “I’m not naive. Give me the real scoop, or I’m calling Officer Langley in to arrest you.”
“The truth?”
“The whole truth.”
Feeling like I’m on the witness stand, I ask, “Has anyone ever told you that you should be a lawyer?”
“Yes,” she replies straight-faced.
She’s very good.
I glance at Tuesday on the bed, still sleeping. “We made small talk about the complexity of coffee, and then we parted ways. It was that simple.”
It’s never that simple, and she knows it.
“If you’d parted ways, why were you the first on the scene?”
“I wasn’t the first on the scene. I was just the only one who helped her.”
Belinda’s shoulders fall as does the pointed glare. Her whole being softens, and she exhales. “I knew you were a good guy. I’m a great judge of character.”
I’ve been honest both times I answered, but tackling the question using two different tactics buys me a little time. “What are you going to tell the police?”
“The truth.”
Saved by a sigh.
Tuesday takes a breath and releases a quiet hum that attracts our attention. The nurse jots something on the e-pad while I move to the opposite side of the bed from her.
A small smile embeds into Belinda’s cheeks. She glances at the door and then to me again. “You did the right thing by helping her. Timing is critical with a head injury.”
“What will happen to her from here?”
She sets the e-pad on the rolling station, then heads for the door. “As I mentioned, the doctor will examine her once she wakes up. We’ll keep her overnight for observation for the concussion, though. If all is good, she’ll be released tomorrow morning.”