Page 9 of When You're Gone
“I know I’m overreacting, but it just hurt so much. I panicked.” An unexpected sob caught her off guard.
“Fuck. I’m sorry that happened, V. I’m so sorry you got hurt. I wish I could be there to hold you.”
“Me too,” she admitted with another sniffle.
“Where’s Jake?”
“He had to stay late at The Oak. He’s not here yet.”
Rhett relinquished an agitated sigh. “Where’s Haas?”
“He’s right here. He helped make sure I was okay.” She glanced down to where her friend sat on the floor. Fielding tipped his head back to rest on the mattress and gave her a sad smile. She resisted the urge to reach out and smooth the wrinkle where his brows were pulled together in concern.
“Put me on speakerphone so I can talk to him.”
“He wants to talk to you,” she mouthed. Fielding nodded, then hopped to his feet so he could sit beside her on his bed.
“He can hear you now,” she confirmed as she switched the call to speakerphone.
“What the fuck, Haas? Where were you?”
Tori rolled her eyes. She should have known Rhett would go there. But Fielding didn’t get defensive like she expected.
“Fuck. I know. I’m sorry. I was right there, but it happened so quickly. I don’t know what else to say. Anwar didn’t mean to hurt her, but that’s not an excuse. He pulled her up so fast I didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late.”
Rhett huffed into the phone before speaking again. “You’re right about that. There’s no excuse for my wife getting hurt at your house…”
“Hey!” Tori interrupted, pulling the phone closer to her but leaving it on speakerphone. “Calm down. I didn’t call so you could amp each other up with some patriarchal bullshit about me needing to be taken care of.”
“Tori, if you got hurt on Haas’s watch…”
“It was an accident, Rhett. I could have just as easily tripped or run into something. I’m okay now, I swear. I just wanted to talk to you.”
He was silent for two beats before he spoke again. “Can you take her home, Haas?”
She rolled her eyes at her husband’s one-track mind. She should have known he would overreact and try to control the situation from Virginia.
Fielding’s reply came out cool and even. “We’ve both been drinking. I’ve had too much to get behind the wheel right now.”
Tension spiked in the room. They were all silent for a breath, then another. The tension morphed into awkwardness that she felt deep in her bones.
“Jake will be here soon,” she finally remembered. “He’ll take me home.”
Rhett blew out a long breath. “Take me off speakerphone, please.”
She did as he asked, raising the phone back to her ear and crossing her legs on the bed. Fielding gave her knee a quick squeeze, then walked across the room to give her a bit of privacy.
“You sure you’re okay?” Rhett asked softly.
“I think so. It hurt so bad when it happened, but the pain subsided, and it’s just achy now. I’ll call the nurse’s line tomorrow if it still hurts. I was more scared than anything.”
“Have I told you lately how much I hate long distance?”
“I know. I’m sorry I even called about this, but I couldn’t calm down, and I just needed to hear your voice.”
“V, don’t ever apologize for needing me. I’m grateful you called. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you didn’t call me when you need me. Text me when Jake gets there, then call me when you’re home safe, okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed. “I love you.”
