Page 46 of Black Wave

“Here,” she says, handing me a glass of wine. “You look like you need this.” She probably thinks the wine will loosen my lips and get me talking, but I hate to disappoint her if that is her objective. Maybe she thinks I need one, and I think the worst about my best friend’s intentions. I have become the most distrusting person ever. She sits next to me, pulling her feet underneath her.

“How was your day?” I ask, taking a big pull from my wine glass. And back to those distraction techniques I am so good at.

“Good,” Liv comments. “I saw Dax there,” she states excitedly, and I can’t help but smile. She loves talking about Dax. Seeing her happy again makes me happy.

“No way!” We sit on the couch with our wine glasses in hand. “Tell me everything.” I grab her leg and squeal, genuinely excited to hear about Liv and her new man.

She tells me about her insecurities with her boyfriend but is happy they are together. He made it official that they were an item, and I’m sure it will spread throughout the hospital rumor mill.

Thinking I hear my phone ring, I run to my room, shouting that I will be right back. When I get there, it is just a group chat from work, and I roll my eyes. I throw my hair back up in a messy bun and walk out to rejoin Liv. I see that she has put on some music and is dancing to Halsey’s “Bad at Love.”

“That’s my girl,” I call out as I join her in screaming lyrics into a wine glass. We laugh hysterically, and I don’t remember feeling so carefree. We fall onto the couch, and another song ends as we sip our wine.

Liv looks over to me and says, “So, will you tell me why I came home and saw Eduardo practically naked in his boxers, pulling up his pants in front of me before he left?”

I wince at the thought of her witnessing my man pull his pants up, but I can’t help but put the visual in my head. Liv is watching me, expecting an answer, and I feel like a shit friend for constantly dodging a response to her questions, so instead, I go for honesty, or what little I can provide.

“I sent Jameson home, and Eduardo came over after he left. I didn’t plan on anything happening between us, but it did, and that’s all there is to it.”

Liv looks at me in shock that I opened up to her. A slow smile spreads across her face, and I almost laugh at how much I needed this girl talk with her.

“How did you meet him?” She sits up straighter, hungry for information.

“And here it begins, the never-ending questions.” I roll my eyes playfully.

She smacks my leg with her hand. “Oh, you are not getting out of this one, Ems.”

“Long story short, an employee of his was injured at the club, and I guess that was what brought him in. The triage nurse, the one I call Satan, took him into the trauma bay and handed me the chart. I entered the room to introduce myself and placed him on the monitors. I called the doctor?—”

“Trauma bay?” Liv interjects, eyebrows raised in question.

I pause before speaking, taking another drink of my wine, not wanting to have this conversation. “Stab wound to the hand.” I bite my lip, not wanting to elaborate.

“What?” Liv practically screams. “Stab wound to the hand?” She flicks her hand at me.

I try to downplay it as much as possible because it really was nothing life-threatening. “Oh, it was nothing. It needed some stitches and didn’t hit anything important in the way of vessels. Weirdly, it looked more bloody than the wound was. Lucky, actually. You know how some things are more vascular, and the bleeding looks worse?” I pause, deciding how much I want to say. I’m sure it wasn’t just his blood, but that’s not for her to know.

Liv looks at me. “The hand is more vascular?” she asks, tilting her head sideways, questioning my medical knowledge.

“Whatever, let me finish the story.” She puts her hand up, signaling for me to continue. “Eduardo showed up, said something to his employee, and sat in a chair, staring at me while I worked.”

“And he sent you flowers?” She smiles at me, and I almost sigh.

“Yes, he did. Weren’t they beautiful?” I gaze adoringly at the wilting floral arrangement.

“Definitely.” Liv wants to say more but doesn’t, instead opting out for a change. “So when are the girls coming?” she asks excitedly.

I immediately perk up at this. “In a few weeks!” I am vibrating with excited energy at this point.

“Well, we will have to plan a great outing for them and show them the town,” Liv states, happy to be spending time with me. I nod in acknowledgment but become weary.

Liv grabs my hand. Her touch reassures me without prying for more information.

“We also have to go shopping for outfits,” I tell her.

“Sounds like a good time, Emma, but I don’t have much money to go shopping,” Liv states matter-of-factly.

I grab Liv’s hands, holding both in an embrace. I feel so many emotions flow through me as I hold onto her hands. The friend who had always been there for me. Who introduced me to her friends and made me feel welcome from day one.

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