Flutter

by Olivia Evans

  “I don’t know,” he answered, his eyes locked on Presley. She looked scared, yet somehow expectant. Cody moved beside her, his face defiant as he tried to pull her arms from their grasp. The orderlies paid him no attention as they shoved him away, not sparing a glance as he fell to the floor. Dylan rushed from the nurse’s station, his eyes wide as he helped Cody up.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Where are they taking her?” Cody asked, his voice full of worry.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Dr. Walker?” asked one of the orderlies as he moved to the door.

  “Yes?”

  “Dr. Sanders would like to see you in his office ASAP.”

  Dylan looked from the orderly to Cody before nodding hesitantly. “Okay.”

  His phone buzzed in his pocket as he made his way to Dr. Sanders’s office. He looked at the screen, his stomach flipping when he saw his grandmother’s number. He knew something was about to happen; he just had no idea what that something was. He quickly typed out a message.

  Something’s going on. Dr. Sanders has asked to see me…and Presley.

  The walk to Dr. Sanders’s office felt like an eternity. Presley looked frail and vulnerable sandwiched between the two hulking men. Every few steps, she turned to look at Dylan, her eyes full of panic.

  “Wait here,” the orderly instructed as he opened the door and led Presley inside.

  Dylan paced in the hall, his heart hammering. “What’s going on?” he asked, the silence causing his anxiety to spike. Each second Presley was out of his sight, the wilder his thoughts became.

  The orderly gave him a fleeting glance and shrugged. “I don’t know, but I assume it’s not good, all things considered.”

  “What things?” Dylan asked as the door flew open.

  “Dylan,” Dr. Sanders greeted, his smile strained. “Why don’t you join us?”

  Dylan knew at that moment Dr. Sanders had figured things out. It was the first time he’d ever called Dylan by his first name. “Who is us?”

  Dr. Sanders chuckled and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I must say, I’m impressed by how you managed to weasel your way into Hilltop. And the methodical way you weaned Presley off her pills, that was something else. Had I not personally administered her medications recently, I might not have noticed the change. But I did notice, and it wasn’t hard to figure out that you were somehow involved. After a little digging and a couple of phone calls…” Dr. Sanders shrugged, his smile in place. “What I can’t figure out is how you ever thought any of this was going to end well for you.”

  Dr. Sanders pushed the door open, nodding for Dylan to enter. With his jaw clenched, Dylan stepped inside the room, unsurprised to find Presley sitting with her parents. Her father stood tall, his dark hair perfectly groomed, his sharp brown eyes narrowed and his firm build clothed in a tailored suit. He was pressed, polished, and empty, just like always. Dylan’s eyes moved to Presley’s mother, Lilith. She looked older, worn. Her blond hair, long and full like Presley’s used to be, was limp and lifeless, much like her hazel eyes and thin frame hugged by a plain black dress. Straightening his back, he shifted his gaze to Presley. “Are you okay?”

  Presley dropped her eyes to her lap and nodded. The submissive way her shoulders curved, shrinking away from the others, made Dylan’s blood boil. Turning his angry glare toward her father, Dylan’s voice held every ounce of the contempt etched into his features. “So nice of you to come for a visit. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?”

  Presley’s father narrowed his eyes. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

  Dylan let out a humorless chuckle. “Yeah, well, according to her death certificate, neither is she. Yet here we both are. I’d love for you to explain that to me.”

  “How about we discuss how you ended up here instead?”

  Dylan shook his head. “You’re in no position to make demands.”

  Presley’s father tugged at the cuff of his sleeve, a smug smile on his face. “I don’t think you understand the position you’ve put yourself in, son. Not only have you broken the law, but every ethics code imaginable. Your days of playing doctor are over.”

  “Do it. Report me. I dare you. Because the moment you do, I’ll go straight to the press. Faking someone’s death is bad for business in your position. And your own daughter, at that? You’ll be crucified.”

  “Do you honestly think you can beat me? I can make all of this go away. I’ve done it before, I can do it again. You have nothing, Dylan.”

  Dylan motioned toward Presley, a soft smile on his face. “I have her,” he whispered.

  Presley’s father laughed. It was filled with hate and spite. “In case you haven’t noticed, she’s not really in the best place. She lacks a certain level of competency.”

  “You told me he moved on,” Presley whispered, the sound of her voice shaking the room into silence. “You told me he moved on… You lied. You used my grief against me.” A sob tore from her throat as her eyes filled with tears. “You told everyone I was dead. I thought you loved me, I thought you cared, but you’re nothing but monsters. You're monsters…”

  A look of horror crossed her father’s face as he looked from Presley to Dr. Sanders. “What is this?” Beside him, her mother cried quietly, but Dylan felt no remorse for her pain.

  Dylan looked at Dr. Sanders and smirked. “Oh, you didn’t tell them?” As he turned his attention back to Presley’s father, Dylan’s smile widened. “Presley has made a miraculous recovery. It’s amazing what can happen when you stop drugging someone into oblivion.”

  “You have no power here,” Presley’s father yelled, rising to his feet. “You caused all of this, and I’ll be damned if I let you ruin all I’ve worked for.”

  “Fuck you,” Dylan spat. “Are you so stupid that you don’t realize I can destroy you? I don’t give a fuck about my career. I don’t give a fuck about the law. They can send me away for life, and I wouldn’t care. You faked the death of your only daughter for political gain. Tell me, Governor Cooper, who do you think will be crucified more, me or you?”

  “I will bury you.”

  The door behind them opened, causing Dylan to turn and exhale in relief when his grandmother walked into the room, a nonchalant expression on her face. “I don’t think that you will,” she said.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” Dr. Sanders demanded.

  “This is checkmate, my dear fellow,” Dylan's grandmother said as she stepped to the side. Behind her stood a slender woman with shoulder-length blond hair. Her resemblance to Cody was uncanny.

  “Ms. Landers?” Dylan asked.

  She gave him a warm smile as she nodded and stepped into the room, two uniformed officers and Dr. Edmonds trailing behind her. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. We have so much to discuss.”

  “Who the hell are you?” Presley’s father demanded before turning to Dylan’s grandmother. “And what the hell are you doing here?”

  “So many questions,” Dylan’s grandmother quipped, a coy smile stretching across her lips. “Let’s deal with the easiest first. Ms. Landers, would you like to start?”

  Reaching into her briefcase, Jessica pulled out a small stack of papers and handed the top one to Dr. Sanders. “This is a subpoena for Cody Johnson’s medical records.” Then she handed him a second paper, ignoring his slack-jawed expression. “This is an order giving me temporary guardianship.”

  “Who are you?” Dr. Sanders whispered.

  “I’m Cody’s aunt. The one you and his father conspired to keep away from him. I’m also his acting legal counsel. Now this,” she continued, “is another subpoena for Presley Cooper’s medical records. Dylan, if you’d be a dear and have Presley sign this consent form, we can get to the good part.”

  “I won’t allow this,” Presley’s father yelled, moving between Dylan and Presley. “You have no authority here. I have her power of attorney, and I do not consent to any of this.”

  “Pardon my language
, Governor Cooper, but you have jack shit. That power of attorney expired the moment the ink dried on her death certificate. Now you can step aside on your own, or these nice officers can assist you.”

  “Can they do this?” Presley’s father asked the officers, who simply nodded.

  Dylan moved in front of Presley and cupped her cheeks. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” she cried, wringing her hands as she shifted her weight and her eyes darted around the room. “This is too much. I don’t want any of this. I just want them to leave me alone.”

  “Shh,” he soothed. “This will all be over soon, but we can’t let Dr. Sanders get away with this. We can’t allow him the opportunity to do this to someone else.”

  Presley nodded and took the pen and paper from Dylan, her hand shaking as she signed her name across the bottom. The moment Cody’s aunt had the paper back in her possession, she nodded to the officers. “Dr. Edmonds, would you mind showing the officers where the files are located?”

  Dr. Edmonds moved to the desk and grabbed Dr. Sanders’s laptop, handing it to the waiting hands of the police officer. His eyes fell on the briefcase on the floor. Setting it on the desktop, he reached inside and pulled out a stack of files, sifting through them until he located Presley’s and Cody’s. Passing them to the other officer, he turned to Dr. Sanders. “I have been given orders to collect your keys and badge and have you escorted off the premises. The board has been notified of the medical misconduct allegations against you and will be scheduling a hearing to determine if you will be allowed to continue practicing medicine while under criminal investigation. In the meantime, you have been suspended indefinitely from Hilltop.”

  “This is bullshit!” Dr. Sanders yelled as an officer confiscated his keys and badge. He turned to Dylan, his eyes blazing. “You’re going to pay for this.”

  “That’s enough out of you,” the officer said as he and his partner pulled Dr. Sanders from the room and disappeared down the hall.

  A hush fell over the room as Presley’s father looked around the room in a daze. “What the fuck just happened?”

  “Justice,” Dylan’s grandmother said simply. “And it’s only the beginning.”

  “You can’t touch me.”

  “Presley,” Dr. Edmonds interrupted. “Why don’t you come with me?”

  Presley shook her head, her fingers digging into Dylan’s arms. “No. I don’t want to leave him.”

  Dr. Edmonds gave her a reassuring smile. “We’re just going to step into the hall. I think you’ve had enough stress today.”

  “It’s okay,” Dylan said. “Go. I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Presley,” her mother cried. It was the first time she’d spoken through it all. “I’m so sorry.”

  Presley stared at her for a moment before shaking her head. “You should be.”

  “Please,” she begged.

  “Please, what? Forgive you?” Presley shook her head again. “You’re as dead to me as I’ve been to the rest of the world.” Without another word, she allowed Dr. Edmonds to lead her from the room.

  Ms. Landers’s face twisted with sadness, her eyes welling with tears as she watched Dr. Edmonds guide Presley out of the room. With a sigh, she turned toward Dylan’s grandmother and gave her a watery smile. “All right, back to business. Mrs. Walker, I believe it’s your turn.”

  Dylan’s grandmother released a satisfied sigh and smiled at Presley’s father. The look on her face made Dylan’s heart race. “Alexander, you have put me in a difficult situation. On the one hand, I’d love to see you rot in jail for what you’ve done. On the other hand, however, I must consider what’s best for Presley. Now, I don’t mean to imply that she would give a single shit about you rotting away in jail, I only mean that the fallout from such a scandal would put her in the media spotlight. And I think everyone can agree she’s not prepared for that. So, I’m going to give you the opportunity to put your daughter’s needs first. I realize this will be something new for you.”

  “Why on earth would you assume I’d spend a single night in jail? Lying about someone’s death isn’t a crime in itself.”

  “Too bad for you the same can’t be said for collecting the insurance money. That, Governor Cooper, is fraud.”

  Presley’s father ground his teeth together, knowing she was right. “What do you want?”

  “You’re going to resign. You’re going to resign, and you’re never going to run for public office again. In addition, you’re going to pay back the insurance money you stole, and you’re going to disappear from our lives forever.”

  “You’re out of your mind. I’ve worked too hard to throw it all away now.”

  “You really don’t have a choice in the matter. If you refuse, then Ms. Landers will pass this information along to a friend who happens to be a judge in New York. The paperwork will find its way to the district attorney, and you’ll be charged with fraud. Your career will be over either way. At least my way you’ll be able to maintain some form of dignity, not that you deserve it.”

  “It will be a cold day in hell before I allow you to ruin my career.”

  “Just do it,” Presley’s mother screeched, jumping to her feet. “Take the fucking deal. I have followed you every step of the way. I have supported every move you’ve made. If you don’t take this deal, I’ll turn you in myself. I shouldn’t need to remind you that I have a lot more dirt on you than these ladies. Fraud will be the least of your concerns.”

  “Lilith,” he seethed. “Do I need to remind you of your hand in those matters?”

  Lilith’s eyes darted around the room, her eyes filled with anguish as she looked from Dylan to his grandmother, seeking a forgiveness that she would never find. With a resigned sigh, she turned to Alexander. “Then I’ll go down with you. You’re done ruining my life. You took away my daughter. You owe me at least this much.”

  Presley’s father clenched and unclenched his fists as he looked at the faces in the room. Dylan saw the moment they’d won, and it took everything inside him to remain stoic. “Fine.”

  “You have two weeks,” Ms. Landers said as she turned for the door. “After that, the deal is off the table.”

  Dylan looked at Presley’s parents one last time before looping his arm through his grandmother’s and leading her into the hall where Ms. Landers stood. “Thank you for everything. Both of you.”

  “I should be the one thanking you,” Ms. Landers said as she stepped forward and gave him a hug. “I’ll explain everything to you soon, but right now I want to see my nephew, and you have a beautiful young lady who needs you.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Kissing his grandmother’s cheek, Dylan walked down the hall to where Presley stood with Dr. Edmonds.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, her eyes wide.

  “Isn’t that what I’m supposed to ask you?”

  Presley stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Dylan’s waist and burying her head against his chest. “I was so scared they were going to take me away.”

  “It’s over now. You don’t ever have to worry about them again.”

  “Dr. Walker,” Dr. Edmonds said, his voice low. “I need to make a few phone calls to start cleaning up this mess, but I expect to see you in my office at eight a.m. tomorrow morning.”

  A feeling of dread settled like concrete in Dylan’s stomach. “Yes, sir.”

  Dr. Edmonds turned to Presley. “Presley, if you need anything, I've notified the staff to contact me.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  As soon as Dr. Edmonds was out of sight, Dylan’s grandmother rushed forward. “Oh, Presley,” she cried. “I have missed you so much.”

  Presley smiled, her chin trembling as she untangled herself from Dylan and stepped into his grandmother’s waiting arms. “I’ve missed you too.”

  Dylan averted his eyes and pulled in a deep breath. He never thought he’d see the two of them together again, and the sight was overwhelming.

  His grandmother stepped b
ack and cradled Presley’s face in her hands. “I’m so sorry you were left here. It haunts me every day that I ever believed those people, but I promise I will move heaven and earth to make sure they never hurt you again.”

  “You couldn’t have known. They are my family—”

  “Those people are not your family,” Dylan’s grandmother interrupted, her voice stern. “Family doesn’t treat the people they love the way you were treated. No, they are not your family, but we are. I have always thought of you as one of my own. You will never be without our love and support.”

  Presley’s shoulders shook as she leaned forward and rested her head against his grandmother’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

  “Oh, Presley,” she whispered, her eyes shimmering with tears. “You don’t have to thank me. This is how a real family works. You won’t have to do any of this alone. Dylan will be with you the whole time.”

  Presley lifted her head. “What about you? Will you be here?”

  His grandmother smiled. “As much as I’d love to stay, there are things I need to take care of in New York. But don’t you worry, as soon as you’re ready for a visit, I’ll be on the first plane here.”

  “Do you promise?”

  His grandmother leaned forward and pressed her lips to Presley’s cheek. “With my whole heart. I love you, Presley. I’m so happy to have you back.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Clearing her throat, his grandmother smoothed her hands down the front of her top then dabbed a tissue under each eye before turning to Dylan. “I’m going to give you two some time alone. I’ll see you tonight. Ms. Landers and I had quite the chat earlier, and there are some things you two should talk about.”

  “Okay,” Dylan said, his momentary reprieve from thinking about the situation with Dr. Edmonds gone. “Thank you for everything, Grandmother.”

  Hugging him tightly, she nodded. “Take care of our girl.”

  Once his grandmother was gone, Dylan turned to Presley, his brows pulling together when he saw how anxious she looked. “What’s wrong?”

  Presley wrung her hands, her eyes full of concern. “Are you going to be in trouble?”