Page 105 of The Love Rematch
Shit.
It takes him two minutes to figure out how to undo that setting, and then he sends her six texts in a row. Desperate? Yes. Sufficient? He’s not sure. But before he can send a seventh, he closes out of the chat and forces himself to calm down.
A red bubble catches his eye.
Fifteen missed voicemails.
Fifteen missed voicemails in the last two minutes? It’s not possible. He opens the app and his heart immediately wrenches sideways.
Sam.
Sam.
Sam.
Sam.
Every missed call is from her number, starting the day after they arrived in London and ending twenty-four hours ago, probably right before she took off from New York. A sinking feeling drips like awful honey through his insides. The weight settles deep in his stomach as he presses play and lifts the phone to his ear. Even the fresh ocean breeze whipping his hair isn’t enough to wipe the sudden nausea away. Her voice slices through him like a knife.
“Jake. It’s Sam. I need to talk to Emily. No, this isn’t some gossipy thing. It’s important. Like really, really important. I promised her a long time ago I would never tell you why, so just trust me, okay? I need to talk to her. Bye.”
“Hey, asshole. Let me talk to my sister.”
“Please, I’m serious. This is important. True answer. Real answer. Real deal? Ugh. Real, whatever the fuck you two used to say to each other. Just listen to me.”
“Call me, Jake. CALL ME.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? I’m telling you this is important, Jake. And urgent. I need to talk to Emily, and I know she’ll want to keep it private. Please don’t make me go to the network. Just give her your goddamn phone.”
“Look, it’s a medical issue, okay? That’s all you’re getting out of me. But now, maybe, you understand why it might be important. I need to talk to her.”
“Did you block me? You fucking blocked me, didn’t you. Ugh. I could kill you. KILL YOU. Dammit, Jake. Check your voicemails. Please, please check your voicemails.”
“WHAT THE HELL KIND OF SHOW IS THIS? I called the network, Jake. I spoke to someone named Trish. They said they would pass the message on, but I didn’t believe one fucking word that bitch said to me. Emily would have called me if they told her. She’d know I’m freaking out. I don’t know why I’m still calling you, except I don’t know what else to do.”
“I know what to do. I’m going to sue. That’ll change their minds real quick. I’m going to sue Trish. I’m going to sue the show. I’m going to sue you. That’s right. I’m going to sue the whole fucking network if I have to. Denying medical treatment has to be illegal. It has to be. My old roommate is a lawyer. I’m calling her. Did you hear that, Jake? I’M CALLING HER! Tell that to your bosses.”
“Apparently, it’s not illegal depending on the contract Emily signed, but it’s FUCKING DIRTY. I hate you. I really, really do. Pick up your GODDAMN PHONE!”
“I haven’t told my parents. Em left me in charge of her affairs and she wouldn’t want them to worry, but I’m this close to airing out all your dirty laundry, Jake. THIS CLOSE.”
“Okay, going to the parents was a low blow. But don’t think I was doing you any favors. Em’s story is hers to tell. And much as it pains me not to shove your complete idiocy in your face, I’ve been quiet for seven years so I can stay quiet for seven more days. Oh, by the way, I confirmed my plane tickets. Your show doesn’t know the shitstorm headed its way.”
“I’m drunk. And scared. And I need my sister. And—fuck. Am I crying? Shit. Forget this happened. Who am I kidding? You’re not listening anyway.”
“Fuck you, Jake. FUCK YOUUUUUUU.”
“My flight leaves in about an hour, so I wanted to give you one last chance to help me get through to Emily. She needs you right now, Jake. She needed you then, too, she was just too stubborn to admit it. And—god, I want to tell you what’s going on. You’ll drop everything. I know you. I hate you for what you did to her, but I know you. If you knew the truth, Jake. If you only knew…”
He waits, and waits, and waits for the silence to fill.
The phone beeps.
The message ends.
His hand falls to his lap and his phone slips from his fingers. It drops to the deck of the boat with athunk. He stares ahead, unseeing. When he heard Nick mention a doctor’s office, he knew it could be bad, but this? This panic from Sam—cool, collected Sam? Those messages? The urgency in her voice? The fear?
He’s gutted.
