Page 79 of Hudson

“Why do I need to donate again, Melody?” I ask firmly. My hands are shaking, my vision blurry with the anxiety rushing through me.

“Because the stupid staff at this stupid backward hospital lost your previous donation, so if you want your mom to be without, then I can just wheel her back in here and forget this entire fucking thing. Lord knows, I have other places to be now, since you have ruined my entire family.”

I don’t like it, but I roll up my sleeve and take a deep breath to calm myself. It’s for Mom. I have to. And I have to trust Melody to an extent. She’s a medical professional; she wouldn’t do this if she didn’t have to.

“This is the first and last surgery I will ever do for you,” she says before plunging the needle into my arm without a care. It stings so much, I hiss and scrunch my eyes shut. She is taking no care, her movements sharpand angry, treating me like her own private voodoo doll. Once she tapes the needle down, she leaves me to it, pushing out the door with so much force it hits the wall hard before it comes back and shuts out the outside world with a jarring slam.

I only last a few minutes before I’m grabbing a nearby bag and dry retching, falling to my knees onto the cold, hard floor, not able to take it anymore.

42

HUDSON

Today has been an absolute shit show, and if I could rewind it and go back to the start of the day when Lacy was here with Harvey and me at home, with her beautiful smile on me as Harvey gave her the bouquet of flowers, I would.

“This is a fucking hornets’ nest,” Sawyer says, looking up at me from where he sits with his laptop. He has been busy pulling things together ever since my former in-laws left. Calling in criminal lawyers from his extensive team, pulling evidence and already drafting statements and letters.

“I can’t believe it,” Connor says with a shake of his head. The two of them know everything I know, and I feel sick for betraying Lacy’s trust with the information, but I couldn’t keep my anger in check.

“Good thing you have those new security cameras out front; they picked up everything. We have his facial features, his snide comments that he thought only you could hear. Everything. This, along with a statement fromLacy, will get him, for sure. Not to mention, anyone else who might come forward after word gets out of his situation. The school will remove him, there’s no doubt in my mind,” Sawyer says, and I sigh. At least I did something right.

I grab my cell and try her again.

“Still no answer?” Connor asks, and I shake my head. I know she is at the hospital because I confirmed they had checked in. I haven’t called Melody yet. I have a feeling her mother would do that already, and I need her to concentrate on Lacy’s mom.

“Nothing,” I say, throwing my cell on the dining table and scrubbing my face.

I hear Tanner pull up, along with Victoria, and I thank God my parents took Harvey to their place. Mom will no doubt have him busy in the kitchen, whipping up some chocolate creation to keep him away from all this today.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Victoria yells at me the minute she and Tanner are inside. Tanner watches me, his gaze almost deathly.

“Trying to get a handle on things. Lacy won’t take my call…” I tell her, feeling frustrated.

“Wrong answer. The correct answer is, I’m just grabbing my keys and am driving to the hospital, because I really need to be with the love of my life right about now,” Victoria admonishes me as she stands there with her hands on her hips. She’s right. I’m worried that Lacy won’t want to see me for blowing up her life like I have, but I need to fucking try.

“Fuck,” I groan as I quickly grab my cell and keys and stride out the door.

“Fucking love. Who in their right mind would do it to themselves.” Sawyer shakes his head, and I don’t answer him. I don’t talk to anyone, but Tanner pats me on the back and gives me a nod, telling me it is the right thing to do.

“Go get your girl,” he says, and I nod to him and run out the door, eager to get to Lacy.

I pace into the hospital.I called her another five times on my way here, but somewhere between Whispers and Williamstown, she turned off her phone.

“Doctor Hamilton. Good afternoon,” a nurse at the reception says, obviously recognizing me, but I don’t recall her.

“Good afternoon. Looking for Veronica Jones’ room, please?” I ask, knowing Lacy’s mom will already be in surgery and that Lacy will be waiting in her room for her.

“Room twenty-four, just down the hall—”

“Code Blue in twenty-four. Code Blue in twenty-four.”We get interrupted, and my chest clenches at the announcement. Without another thought or question, I start running. I sprint down the hall and turn the corner in time to see Jolene push open the door.

“Doctor! It’s Lacy!” she says, panicking, and I push through the door and see Lacy slumped on the floor.

“Lacy!” I shout as I dive to her, and I hear others rushing in right behind me.

“What happened?” I bark at Jolene, who looks sick with worry.

“I came to check on her. I wheeled her mom into surgery about thirty minutes ago and, well, I just wanted to see how she was holding up. I found her like this and hit the alarm.”

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