Page 20 of The Library on Plum Island
“I tell you what,” Ethan said to Alex. “If you can stand and walk into the bathroom without feeling giddy, swaying, or having to hang onto something to get in there, we’ll leave you on your own.”
“Fine,” Alex accepted the challenge.
He pulled back his covers and ignored the rush of blood to his head while swinging his feet onto the floor.
“Yeah, and you can’t sit there taking a moment either,” Harley added to the challenge. “You have to stand right up.”
Alex glared at Harley before taking a breath and pushing himself up, immediately regretting the action as the world around him pulsed into darkness. He wasn’t sure if the floor was swaying or he was—maybe there was an earthquake—did Massachusetts have earthquakes?
“Alex!” Ethan’s voice called to him through the thick gray fog.
“I think there’s been an earthquake,” Alex spluttered before he could stop himself.
“I’ll run the bath,” Alex heard Harley say.
The cold fog started to clear, and the pulsing in his brain subsided as the blood rush slowly went away. When the world came back into focus, he realized his brother was holding him up.
“You’re ready to get up and strut out on your own, huh?” Ethan looked at him, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Take a few moments.” He stood with his hands clamped around Alex’s arms, steadying him. “Breathe through it.”
“Maybe I’ll just sit for a moment,” Alex suggested.
“Nope.” Ethan shook his head. “Walk. Slowly.”
Alex felt like an invalid and did not like it. Memories of another time and another fever flashed through his mind. He was determined that this time, he wouldn’t let the fever win. Alex was stronger than he had been when he was twenty and had contracted bacterial meningitis. This slight fever he was suffering from right now was a walk in the park compared to that.
“I’m good,” Alex assured his brother. “All stable. I shouldn’t have stood up so fast.”
“You shouldn’t be so pigheaded either, and let people help you, Alex,” Ethan scolded. “Even when you were delirious during today, you were trying to do things yourself.”
“I have to admit that you weren’t the best patient,” Harley added. “To a point where Ethan suggested we restrain you.” He grinned. “Your sister suggested a straight jacket.”
“Bailey knows about this?” Alex sighed resignedly and shook his head. “Great. Now, I’ll never live this down.”
“You weren’t going to get away with it anyway,” Ethan noted with a shrug. “You have Dawn and Harriet staying here.”
“If only you’d learned how to punch someone without breaking your hand.” Harley gave Alex a smug smile.
“I’ve been trying to teach him how to throw a proper punch for years,” Ethan told Harley. “But Alex was convinced he’d never have to punch anyone, and boxing was just a fitness regime for him.”
“I guess now you know.” Harley laughed as Alex’s glare darkened.
“While you guys are having fun at my expense, I’m going to take a bath,” Alex told them.
Twenty minutes later, Alex was sliding between the fresh sheets that Harriet and Dawn had kindly put on his bed for him. He sighed as he took the pain pills Dawn handed him, and he closed his eyes, making a mental note to do something nice for everyone who’d helped. This time, when Alex drifted to sleep, he guided his dreams to a picnic on the beach with a basket of fine food, champagne, and Daniella laughing in the sun with him. A dream he was hoping to make into a reality as soon as he felt better.
CHAPTER 5
DaniellanavigatedtheCobbleBeach Road as she had done many times before after tending to an emergency late at night. She glanced at the clock on the dashboard—midnight. Only, the times before, someone hadn’t called the clinic asking for a doctor, using a name that brought a chill to her bones. Now, every shadow or bump in the night had her jumping in fright and ready to grab hers and Emily’s go bag to get going.
Daniella turned onto Main Road and saw the lights for the all-night convenience store when she remembered they needed milk at home. Turning into the convenience store’s parking lot, Daniella’s thoughts briefly shifted away from her worries. The simple task of picking up milk seemed almost mundane in the context of the turbulent emotions and fears swirling inside her. She parked the car, exhaling deeply in an attempt to steady her nerves, before stepping out into the cool night air.
The convenience store was dimly lit but welcoming, with the soft hum of the refrigerators and the occasional beep of the cash register creating a familiar backdrop. Daniella grabbed a basket and started walking down the aisles, picking up not only milk but also a few other essentials that caught her eye, like a loaf of bread, some fresh fruit, and a box of Emily’s favorite cereal. As she made her way to the checkout, her mind drifted back to the events of the past few days, each thought adding weight to her already heavy heart.
One thought that kept swirling in Daniella’s head was how she could’ve missed that cut on Alex’s hand. Daniella was usually really thorough. She frowned, trying to picture his hand when she was examining it, which conjured a different image altogether, making her heart flip in her chest.
Think about Alex’s hand, not his eyes or sexy smile!Daniella berated herself.Your oversight nearly killed him!That thought quickly replaced the fluttering in her stomach with a tight knot.
Just as Daniella was about to reach the cashier, her path was suddenly blocked. She bumped into a man who was just as startled by the sudden collision. He fumbled, trying not to drop his phone.
