by Ashley Quinn
London took a deep breath as her father’s phone went to voicemail. If there was ever a time to fake confidence and pretend like you have it all together when you’re freaking out on the inside, it’s now she thought. She tried to steel herself for whatever would come next. Come on, London. You always know what to do...Except right now.
She braced herself and strode into the busy emergency center. For reasons she couldn’t put her finger on, something Natalie had told her during one of their first interactions popped into her head.
“She’s still your family. Sister, half-sister, it makes no difference. She’s your blood. Family takes care of family, despite the differences.”
London paused as she scanned the large room. She blinked at the frenetic rush of energy that suddenly surrounded her. She knew it was just a matter of time until her father called back.
All I want is to get to Tiffany she thought in determination. Everything else between us seems trivial, childish even, in comparison to right now.
She watched white-coated doctors strode down the labyrinth-like hallways. She turned and approached the circular front desk, where nurses in brightly-colored scrubs bustled around rows of clipboards.
I think I finally get it she realized. Family takes care of family, despite the differences.
CHAPTER 22
Natalie stood in the doorway of Tiffany’s hospital room, unsure if London even realized she was there. She watched silently as she leaned forward from the chair she had pulled next to the sterile hospital bed. London tipped her face to Tiffany and gently kissed her cheek.
At least she looks comfortable Natalie thought as she gazed at London’s sister. She appeared to be asleep and was lying on her back. Her shoulders and head were propped up by several pillows. Natalie swallowed hard. Even if she does look unwell.
Tiffany’s once creamy skin looked ghostly pale. Dark shadows lined her jaw and gave her closed eyes a sunken, sick appearance. Her lips were dry and chapped, with flecks of dead skin peeling from their corners.
Natalie stole a quick glance at London. If Tiffany’s appearance is jarring to me, then it must have been devastating for her.
“It’s going to be okay, Tiff,” London whispered. She reached over and squeezed one of her sister’s hands. “I promise I’m not going to leave you. I’ll do whatever it takes to help you get better. I’ll go to therapy with you every day. I’ll drive you to rehab and hold your hand while you check in. I’ll take you to all of your doctor appointments. I’ll...I’ll...” London’s voice broke and she paused. “I can’t lose you too. I don’t care about the past anymore. I want you to get better and I...I can be a real sister to you.”
Natalie felt her heart breaking for London as she spoke. She was about to gently clear her throat to let her know she was in the room when a soft male voice behind her sighed.
“Oh, Tiffany,” he spoke. His tone was tinged with despair. “What did you do?”
Both Natalie and London turned to find a young man, about Tiffany’s age, standing uncertainly in the doorway. He balled up a Texas Rangers baseball cap in his hands and stared at her sadly.
London quickly wiped at her eyes. “Shit, I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I didn’t realize you were here, Natalie.”
Natalie met her eyes and smiled. “It’s okay,” she told her. “You need your time with her.”
“What happened?” The young man spoke again. He looked between them. “I...I just saw her a week ago.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met...” London started expectantly.
“Wayne Paulson,” he offered quickly. “I’m a friend of Tiffany’s. I...I don’t understand...” he trailed off.
Natalie watched as a small smile flickered across London’s features. “Wayne, of course,” she replied. “I’ve heard about you.”
He glanced at her. “I don’ know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
“It’s a good thing,” London replied. “She said you two have been friends for a long time.”
Wayne nodded and looked back at the hospital bed. “I care about her a lot,” he admitted. “I’ve spent some time with her since she returned from overseas, but she...she’s a hard person to understand sometimes. We’ll hang out and then she’ll act like she doesn’t know me. I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to hear all of that. I’ve always cared about her, but she’s always wanted to forge her own path.” He shrugged. “I’ll never stop, though.”
London gazed at Tiffany for a long moment. “She’s a free spirit,” she agreed. She reached over and held her palm tightly. “It’s not you, Wayne. What can I say? That’s my sister.”
Natalie’s ears perked up at this. That’s the first time I’ve ever heard London refer to Tiffany as her sister. Not her half-sister, not a stranger...Just her sister.
“How did this happen?” Wayne asked.
London took a deep breath. “From what the doctor told me, she overdosed on a combination of alcohol and Adderall. The components of Adderall, which wasn’t prescribed to her, exacerbated the effects of the alcohol she drank. There was a lot of the drug in her system, but it wasn’t enough to do any serious damage to her organs or her brain. She did have severe alcohol poisoning though. And because alcohol is a depressant and Adderall is a stimulant, they have opposite effects on the body and mix up all its signals. Since she took both in excess at the same time, it caused two seizures.”
Wayne closed his eyes. “We always argue about the Adderall,” he admitted. “I should have known it would hurt her eventually. I think, deep down, she knew it too.”
Natalie felt a certain uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. Guilt? She wondered. Because I knew early on that I should have told London about my run-in with Tiffany? Maybe if I’d brought it to her attention, despite Tiffany pleading otherwise, she would have realized the severity of her addiction. Before...this.
“How did she get to the hospital?” Wayne asked.
“The doctor thinks she had the first seizure while driving,” London replied slowly. “Thank God it didn’t cause an accident and no one was injured. She was able to pull to the side of the road. Luckily, there was a state trooper headed in the opposite direction. He witnessed her cut across three lanes of traffic and said it looked like she was driving under the influence. He pulled around but by the time he reached her, she was already unconscious from the second seizure.”
“Oh my God,” Wayne muttered. He kicked the toe of his worn leather boat shoe against the shining linoleum floor. “I don’t even want to think about what could have happened if that trooper hadn’t been there.”
London glanced at Natalie and bit her lip. “Neither do I,” she replied. “The officer radioed for an ambulance and they brought her here. The paramedics were able to stabilize her on the way. Her car was towed to some lot in Grand Prairie and our father is on the way. He had flown to Midland for some last-minute weekend budget meetings. And that’s all I know right now.”
“So she’ll be okay?” Wayne clarified hopefully. “The doctor thinks so?”
London nodded gingerly. “They’ve done a lot of scans and tests to look for internal or permanent damage,” she paused. “The results aren’t all back yet, but so far it’s looking okay. She may be moving a little slower than normal for a few weeks, but no permanent problems.”
“She’s going to be in some trouble though,” Wayne said, vocalizing what Natalie knew they were both thinking. “D.U.I.?”
London nodded again. “Yeah,” she murmured. “And some kind of misdemeanor for being in possession of a prescription drug that wasn’t hers. My father wants her in an inpatient rehab as soon as she’s able to go. Hopefully the court will see that she’s getting help.”
“I can have my dad make some calls,” Wayne offered. “Granted, his special is cosmetic surgery but he has a lot of connections to other doctors and rehabilitation centers.” He paused and smiled down at Tiffany. “But she would hate that, wouldn't she? Instead, I’ll visit her every d
ay.”
London stood from the chair. “You can hold her hand, you know,” she said as she gestured to the bed. “Talk to her. Let her know you’re here.”
Wayne looked terrified for a moment. He traded his Rangers cap between his hands nervously and then finally nodded. London met Natalie’s eyes and glanced toward the hallway.
They strolled arm-in-arm down the long, brightly-lit corridor. There was so much white that it practically blinded Natalie. Sparkling white walls, shiny white floors, spotless white ceilings...she thought miserably. No wonder people feel uncomfortable in hospitals.
They reached a wooden bench near a side exit door and sat. I need to tell her Natalie thought. This heavy unease weighing on me is because I’m keeping something important from London. I have to tell her that I gave Tiffany that book, that she was intoxicated and she begged me not to tell anyone, that I didn’t know what to do. I can’t keep this from her.
“London...” Natalie started nervously.
Without a word, London turned and wrapped her arms tightly around her. “I’m sorry,” she spoke quickly after a moment. “I know you didn’t exactly sign up for this. I’m sure you have to get back to the bakery and...”
Natalie kissed the tip of her ear. “London, it’s okay,” she murmured. “It’s okay to break down. You have to, in order to build yourself back up. And, for the record, you’re not getting rid of me that easily. It’s you and me, right? Celia and Jane will certainly understand.”
London shot her a small smile. “Are you sure?”
Natalie threw her a sidelong glance. “Yes,” she replied, as if the answer was obvious. “You’re my girlfriend.”
London’s smile widened at the confirmation. “Maybe...” she sighed. “Maybe you were right. You know, when you said that things happen for a reason and that the Universe purposely guides you places, even if you don’t understand it at the time? I think I’m beginning to get it now.”
“You think?” Natalie teased with a gentle wink.
London rolled her eyes good-naturedly but laughed. “I know. Definitely.”
“I should give you some time once your dad gets here,” Natalie spoke. She hated the idea of leaving, but knew that London would need to figure things out with her father. “I’ll be back first thing tomorrow. Celia or Jane can open the bakery and then I’ll relieve them later in the day.”
London shook her head. “You don’t have to do that,” she protested. “I don’t want you driving all over the place. You need to rest too.”
Natalie squeezed her hand. “Of course I’ll be back,” she replied. “Maybe I can even get you out for a while too. We can go to breakfast or lunch, yeah? We can talk.” And I can tell you what I knew about Tiffany before it’s too late.
London finally relented with a nod. “That does sound good,” she admitted. “My dad also mentioned that Tiffany’s mom is on her way. And I wouldn’t wish Diane Foster on anyone without serious preparation.”
Natalie laughed. “Is she really that awful?”
London sighed. “Maybe she’s mellowed out with age. But I somehow doubt it. She’s stopping by the house to collect some of Tiffany’s things so she’ll be comfortable while she’s here.”
Natalie slowly stood and gently pulled London up with her. “Text me when you can. Or better yet, call me too.”
The growing pit of unease deep in her gut was becoming too much to bear. I swear if I can get this secret between us out, then I’ll never keep anything from London again she silently promised to any higher power that was listening. The longer I keep this from her, the worse it’s going to feel.
London enveloped Natalie into a hug. “I’ll be here for a while yet, but I’ll be in touch periodically. After all, now I’m in love with you so I can’t just let hours go by without hearing your voice.”
Natalie leaned against London and felt an all-too-familiar rush of warm tenderness. She squeezed her eyes shut and breathed in her scent. I’ll miss sleeping next to her tonight. I hope she’s still so open with me after I tell her. Because, either way, I can’t stand to let something grow between us.
CHAPTER 23
London wasn’t sure how much time had passed since Natalie left. Wayne had politely bid her good-bye, with promises to visit again tomorrow. She gently massaged some fruit-scented lotion into Tiffany’s warm palms. London tried to imagine the blood pulsing just below the surface, carrying nutrients, medicine and healing energy through her sister’s body.
“Tiffany!” Diane Foster’s unmistakable voice wailed like a siren. “Oh, my Tiffany!”
London immediately straightened in her chair and dropped Tiffany’s hands. Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard she thought miserably. She took a deep breath. Try to play nice. Her only daughter is lying in a hospital bed from an overdose. Surely there must be some kind of temporary, compassionate middle ground we can find.
Diane blew into the room like a blonde, Chanel No. 5-scented whirlwind. She immediately rushed to Tiffany’s side without a glance at London. She clasped her hands around Tiffany’s as London stood awkwardly to the side.
“Oh, Tiffany!” Diane wailed. She did a double-take at the bedside table and sneered at a clear vase of flowers perched on the corner. “What is that? Is that supposed to be a bouquet?” Diane finally turned and looked London up and down for a long, slow moment. “Those flowers are terrible. Where did they come from, the clearance bin at Kroger?”
London realized after a moment that Diane actually expected her to answer. She shrugged. “The police officer that found Tiffany brought them up. Probably from the hospital shop. It was a nice gesture. He was worried.”
Diane took a deep breath and shook her head. “A nice gesture would have been spending more than five dollars on a bouquet of flowers. Those are cheap. And what kind of room is this? It gives me the creeps. It’s dark and depressing. I feel like I’m in a closet.” She paused and shot London a disapproving look. “Not that I would know anything about that,” she sniffed. “Though you certainly would. Where is her doctor? I’d like to have a word with him to discuss moving my Tiffany to a larger, more suitable room immediately.”
Your Tiffany could barely stand having lunch with you because you’re so intolerable! London wanted to scream. I know her better in just a few weeks than you do in her lifetime!
Instead, she closed her eyes slowly. “Right now, I think we should just focus on Tiffany remaining stable and making sure she’ll be okay for the long run. She’s been asleep since I’ve been here, but they have her on some heavy medication too. We still need to find out exactly how long they plan to keep her admitted.”
“I wish you wouldn’t speak to me that way,” Diane replied shortly. London’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest. Diane held up a hand to silence her. “I am her parent and I will make any and all decisions regarding her care.”
Vincent Foster cleared his throat pointedly behind London. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound. I wonder how long he’s been standing there she thought.
“We are her parents and we will make Tiffany’s healthcare decisions,” Vince clarified. He strode into the room and lingered at the foot of the bed. His authoritative tone seemed confident enough to momentarily quiet Diane.
He gently laid his hand over the blanket. “Hi sweetheart,” he murmured to Tiffany. “You’re going to be okay, I promise.” He turned to London and enveloped her into a hug. “And how are you holding up?”
London slowly returned the hug. “I’m fine,” she replied automatically and then paused. She shook her head. “I’m not fine. I’m worried about Tiffany. She’s going to be in a lot of trouble when she gets out of here.”
“I know,” Vince replied. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I’ve already spoken to the attorney on retainer at the company. He’ll do the best he can, but Tiffany will have to face the consequences at some point. Hopefully when she has a clear mind. Right now she’s sick and the biggest priority is getting her into trea
tment so she can get better.”
London glanced over her father’s shoulder at Diane, who was busying herself by unpacking the suitcase she had brought for Tiffany. She neatly stacked a few books and framed photos on the bedside table.
“I asked my personal assistant to look into the best treatment centers in the country,” Diane interjected loudly.
“You have a personal assistant?” London interrupted dubiously. She glanced at her father and then back at Diane. “For what?”
Diane sighed. “To clarify, I was speaking to Vincent,” she said as she cleared her throat. “As I was saying, Dorothy e-mailed me a list of the top ten treatment centers in the country. There’s a fantastic facility in Utah that all the celebrities go to. Tiffany will be very comfortable there. She can have a private room and there’s a world-class horse arena on-site as well as an indoor ropes course, a state-of-the-art recording studio and some of the best chefs in the region.”
Vince wrinkled his nose. “Is she going on a vacation retreat or are we getting our daughter help for her drug and alcohol addition?” His tight voice shook and London knew he was struggling to control its volume. “I don’t give a damn what celebrities go where! I care about my daughter and Tiffany is sick. She doesn’t need a recording studio or a five-star chef. What she needs is an experienced doctor, a good therapist and help to learn how to stay sober! And I have every intention of being there for her each step of the way.”
Diane smiled patronizingly. “Of course, Vincent,” she replied. “Goodness, you’re becoming cranky in your old age. All I’m saying is that this is a quiet place, away from Texas, for her to receive whatever help she needs.”
Vince’s mouth dropped open. “I should have known. You don’t want her to get help around here because you don’t want people to know that your daughter is in rehab.”
Diane bristled. “Well, I wouldn’t put it quite so bluntly,” she replied with a sniff. “But let’s be real, Vincent. Dallas is the biggest small town in Texas and you know how people can talk. They love a good scandal and a dirty story, especially when it involves those of our stature.”