Page 11 of Ember
“Thank you,” Ember breathed, rushing past her.
“You’ll have to wear a visitor’s pass,” the nurse shouted after her. Ember pretended not to hear the woman, jumping on the elevator just as the doors closed behind her.
She quickly found Jean’s room and was surprised to find her sitting up in bed, talking with Marco’s little sister, Kelsey. She was such a sweet girl—it was hard to believe that they had come from the same parents. Marco used to be like his sister—before being attacked at work. Maybe if that janitor hadn’t crackedMarco’s skull open, things would have been different. Ember might have found herself with a family like Jean and Kelsey, and maybe even get her happily ever after. But they didn’t exist, and thinking about those what-ifs would only weigh her down.
“Ember,” Jean practically shouted. So much for slipping in and out unnoticed. “You’re home.”
“Um, not really,” she breathed. She stood in the doorway, not sure if she should go into the room or not. “Marco’s not here, right?” she asked. Jean and Kelsey looked at each other and back at her, and she could tell that she had said something wrong.
“You should come sit down,” Jean said, patting her bedside. She did as asked, and Jean pulled her in for a small hug. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Morco is gone,” Jean said, her voice cracking with emotion.
“Gone as in he left town?” Ember asked. Red flags were waving like crazy for her, and her fight or flight was kicking in. She was pretty sure that she was going to go with flight, because she just didn’t have much fight left in her.
“No,” Kelsey said. “He tried to kill our mom, and he’s dead now.”
“What the hell?” Ember asked. “He tried to kill you? I thought that you were in a car accident.” She looked Jean over as though trying to figure out the truth.
“I was. He was drinking and got into the car with me—in the driver’s seat. He ran us into a utility pole, and he died instantly,” Jean sobbed. Ember pulled her to her side, trying to give her some comfort. Jean and Marco had a rocky relationship at best, but she was still his mother, and this had to feel like a knife in the gut. A part of Ember felt guilty that she was thinking about the fact that she was finally free. Maybe that made her a bad person, but it was the truth. With Marco gone, she wouldn’t have to keep looking over her shoulder anymore.
“Mom was ejected from the car because she wasn’t wearing her seatbelt,” Kelsey said, shaking her head at her mother.
“It all happened so quickly, there wasn’t time,” Jean insisted. “None of that matters because he’s gone. I might not have agreed with the man that he had become. His father, my ex, had so much to do with that man, but I did love the little boy.”
“Of course you did,” Ember said. She knew that Marco was close with his father—especially after his accident. His dad helped to take care of him, and he encouraged the change in Marco. He said that he was proud of the man Marco had turned into. Ember hated the man he had become—the one who was mean and hit her every chance he got. She had heard through the town’s gossip mill that Marco’s father was in the mob, but that wasn’t something that they ever really talked about.
“My father is blaming Mom for Marco’s death. He said that she should have done more to stop him from getting behind the wheel,” Kelsey said. “I don’t think that I’m going to be seeing very much of him anymore. He wasn’t a good man before my brother died, and now, he just seems to be out of control with anger and grief.”
“I’m so sorry,” Ember said, reaching for Kelsey’s hand.
“I think that I need to rest,” Jean said. She looked weaker than when she had when Ember walked in. “Will you stick around for a while?” she asked. That was a good question. Leaving New York was hard, but she had walked away from the only man she ever had feelings for. Now, going back to Yonkers would hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. Could she even live there and not be with Jack? Probably not, and maybe some time away would help her think about her next move.
The Harlots were waiting back in New York for her, but was being their Prez something that she’d be good at long term? So far, she loved her new role and the women who were in the Harlots, but she wasn’t really a people person, and she knew thatsooner or later, she’d screw things up. Hurricane had his hands full with the guys in his club. Would the Harlots be that for her? It was something that she’d have to think about, and staying in Florida for a few weeks might help her to clear her head.
“I don’t have anywhere to stay,” she said.
“You can stay with me,” Kelsey offered. “Once mom gets out, she’ll come stay with me for a while too—until her leg heals.”
“Are you sure that it wouldn’t be too much trouble?” Ember asked. “It will only be for a short time.”
“Will you go back to New York?” Jean asked.
“I’m not sure,” Ember admitted. “It’s something that I need to think about.”
“I see,” Jean said, “I’m guessing that a man has you all turned around, and you need to think about what’s next,” she teased. How she had hit the nail on the head was beyond her, but Ember was impressed.
“We can talk about all of that later,” Kelsey insisted. “Right now, you get some rest, and I’ll get Ember situated at home. I’ll be back tonight to check in on you,” she offered. Jean nodded her agreement and settled down into the uncomfortable-looking hospital bed.
Kelsey grabbed Ember’s hand and led her out of the hospital room. “Come on,” she ordered, “we can catch up while I drive you back to my place. I want to hear everything about this new guy that has you running away from New York.” Talking about Jack was the very last thing that Ember wanted to do, but Jean and Kelsey were right—he had her all tied up in knots, and now that she was free from Marco, she needed to figure out her next move.
Ember had spent almost two weeks with Kelsey and Jean. They had a small memorial service for Marco down at the bar where his band had played, and both his mother and sister attended. Ember didn’t, though. She wanted to let them have their moment with the boy that they used to love—not have reminders from her of the man he had become. If she had shown up at the bar, that was what would have happened. Everyone would have asked her what had happened between the two of them, and answering a bunch of questions was the very last thing she wanted to do.
Kelsey and Jean seemed completely rung out after the service, and Jean went back to her room to lie down, giving Ember the perfect time to let Kelsey know that she had purchased her ticket back to Yonkers. She had decided that she was going to call Hurricane to tell him that she would be coming back and resuming her role with the Harlots. The women in her club had quickly become her family. Plus, it was a fresh start—one that she desperately needed. Seeing Jack would get easier with time—she hoped, and if not, she’d figure out what to do about him later.
He had texted her just about every day that she was down in Florida, but she just couldn’t bring herself to send him a message back. Ember hadn’t made any decisions about him yet, and she didn’t want to lead him on. In her opinion, silence was golden, but from the messages that Jack had sent her, he didn’t think so at all. At one point, Jack threatened to get in his truck and drive down to find her, but that turned out to be bluster and false promises.
Now, her bags were packed, her bus ticket was purchased, and all she needed was a ride to the airport. She hoped that was where Kelsey would come in, but she felt bad asking her. Kelsey had a rough day, and abandoning her now didn’t feel right, but it had to be done.
She found Kelsey in the kitchen, sitting at the table, sipping her hot tea. “You okay?” Ember almost whispered.
