She watched him from the line at security. Elliot stood rooted to the spot for a minute, his hand on his cheek. When he turned to leave his other hand, the one holding her scented note had drifted up to his face as well.
***
The flight was, surprisingly, on time, and once they were in the air, Haley sighed. “It’s good to be going home,” she said. “I feel guilty for thinking this way, but I don’t envy Cassie and Michael. It’s bound to be a long few weeks for them.”
“Is she doing any better?”
Haley stifled a yawn. “The doctors seem to think she’ll be just fine, but Nicole insists that she can’t leave the hospital. I think that has more to do with her hot doctor than any actual medical complaint, though.”
“Well, that’s a good sign, isn’t it? If she’s feeling good enough to flirt with doctors then she can’t be in too much danger.”
“My sentiments precisely,” Haley said slowly. A second later her eyes had drifted shut.
Rebecca lowered the window shade and tried to follow Haley’s example. Every time she closed her eyes, though, the words Locke and Elliot had shared in the kitchen of Locke’s house came back to her. It sounded like Elliot wasn’t, and had never really been, all that interested in Nicole. At least he was going to tell her. Eventually.
She was wondering whether that also meant he would stop writing about her in his column when she fell into a fitful sleep, where pink suitcases flew around her head and chased her into a huge newspaper. When at last she pulled herself out of the dream, they were ready to land.
It took them a while to find Elliot’s car. Haley hadn’t paid as much attention to what he drove as Nicole had, and Rebecca only knew that it was a black. What did the key-fob say?… BMW. That’s really helpful. There could be five hundred black BMWs in here. After several minutes of wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles, Haley grabbed Rebecca’s arm.
“Give me the keys.” Rebecca took one look at her face and handed them over. Haley pushed the panic button and a car horn two rows over started blaring. “That’s the one,” she said with a satisfied smile. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I have never wanted to be home so much in my life.”
Rebecca followed her across the parking garage, hoping that she would feel the same way once she rented her own apartment. Home seemed like a foreign concept, one she wanted to experience more than anything. At least I don’t have to stay with William and Elisa, she thought in relief.
She dropped Haley off at her parent’s house with a quick squeeze and whispered, “Good luck!” before Haley ran up the steps of the house. Rebecca watched her go, crossing her fingers that Mrs. Tanner wouldn’t freak out too much. Knowing her, though, she probably would. Rebecca hoped Ben would get back from his road trip soon. Haley would need a diversion.
It was dark by the time she pulled into a parking spot at the hospital. She sat for a minute in the car after shutting off the engine, taking several deep breaths. She was starting to feel like she lived in a hospital, and she didn’t like the feeling at all. With any luck, Scott’s injuries would be as easily fixed as Nicole’s had been.
She frowned when she saw the visiting hours posted over the front desk. She’d missed it by twenty minutes. Glancing down the hall, she ducked into a bathroom and dialed Jen.
“I’m here,” she said quietly into the phone. “What room are you in?”
“Rebecca! I’m so glad you’re here. Sneak up the stairs by the gift shop and I’ll meet you at the fourth floor.”
No one saw her scamper across the dimly lit entrance. As promised, Jen met her at the top of the stairs.
“This way,” she said, and started down the hall. “And if anyone asks, you’re my unmarried sister.”
Rebecca grimaced. “Thanks a lot.”
“It could happen,” Jen said. “Lots of sisters have different hair color.”
Rolling her eyes, Rebecca followed her down the hall and into a darkened room. “How is he?” she whispered.
Jen sat on a chair next to the bed. “Whoever shot him had really bad aim if they were trying to kill him,” she said, trying to sound lighthearted. “They got him in the shoulder, which wouldn’t be too bad if someone had found him right away. Since it’s a Saturday, and no one else was in the office, he was there for a long time. He lost a lot of blood.”
“Will he be okay?”
Jen ran her hand over her eyes. “He has a new, improved shoulder now. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled when he wakes up. He always wanted to be Titanium Man.”
Rebecca moved to stand behind her and started rubbing her shoulders. “Have they figured out who shot him?”
Jen shrugged. “I haven’t heard,” she said wearily. “The police have been asking if he’s ticked anyone off at work, but I don’t see how that’s possible. He’s only been there a few months. I guess they’ll be here to talk to him tomorrow. If he’s awake by then.”
Rebecca leaned forward until her dark hair mingled with Jen’s blonde ponytail. “I’m sure he’ll be awake and annoying before you know it.”
Rebecca left the hospital several hours later, driving back to Cassie’s apartment, glad the day was finally over. It seemed like weeks since she woke up in the hospital waiting room in Michigan. After she parked Elliot’s car in its usual spot, she made her feet carry her up the stairs. She paused after inserting the key in the lock before she pushed open the door.
There was a mess of papers and notices littering the space in front of Elliot’s door. She knew she should just leave it alone, but after all he had done for her that afternoon, she found she couldn’t. She turned the key to lock it again and trudged down the hall.
She was intending on shoving the mess into the foyer and leaving it for him. But when she opened the door with the house-key that was on the keyring he had given her, she caught her breath.
Now, even more than the last time she had been in there, Elliot’s scent caught her by surprise. She wondered if he had spilled some of his cologne in his hurry to pack and get out the door when they had all left for Michigan.
She followed the smell down the hall and into the kitchen. Sure enough, there was an overturned bottle that had slowly leaked onto the counter. Wondering why he had cologne in the kitchen in the first place, she set it back upright and tried to mop up the spill as best she could. This was some sort of sick torture. Now I’ll smell like him, all night. She noticed the sink full of dirty dishes and shook her head. Maybe she should give Elliot lessons in housecleaning with Cassie. It appeared that he could use it.
When she walked into Cassie’s apartment, she had just enough energy to throw her bag on the bedroom floor and brush her teeth before she sank onto the bed, still fully clothed. She was asleep by the time her head hit the pillow.
It could have been the fact that the scent of Elliot’s cologne surrounded her, or that she had left him several hundred miles away to take care of another woman, but all she did that night was dream of Elliot. His sudden grin, the look on his face when he had seen Aaron almost kiss her, the way she felt when they were dancing together…
She woke up the next morning with his face still in her head, only the image in front of her was his expression when she had told him that she had read all of his columns. She still didn’t know what he was going to say to her before Nicole fell off the boat. She wondered if she’d ever find out.
She climbed groggily out of bed and glanced at her alarm clock, groaning when she saw the time. She hadn’t slept this late in years. She hurried through her shower and polished off the only food left in Cassie’s refrigerator, making a mental note to get to the grocery store that day. She couldn’t survive on stale bread and jalapenos.
Grabbing her phone, Rebecca left the apartment and marched purposefully toward Elliot’s. She planned on at least washing his dishes. It was her way to start paying him back for some of the effort he had expended in helping her get back to Chicago. She turned her phone on while she waited for the water to get hot.
She hadn’t had time to call Cassie when she and Haley had deplaned, so she wasn’t surprised to see four messages waiting for her. The first, as expected, was from her sister.
“Hey, Rebecca, it’s Cassie. I hope you’re home safe and that nothing happened to you. Call when you get this!”
The second message was from Faye. “Rebecca, dear. You’ll never guess who came by yesterday! Do you remember that nice boy I tried to introduce you to a long time ago? Aaron Sharpe? Well, he’s back in town and he wants your phone number. I hope you don’t mind that I gave it to him. He’s not like the other boys,” she added, sounding slightly guilty. “He’s a keeper. Call me when you’re back in town and we’ll do brunch.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. Thank goodness Aaron hadn’t told Faye they’d met on vacation. She’d never hear the end of it. Thanking her lucky stars that he seemed like a reasonable sort, she listened to her next message.
“Rebecca! This is Locke. Your sister is driving me crazy wondering why you haven’t called her yet. So be a dear and pick up your phone. If she doesn’t make me want to jump off the bridge, Elliot will. He’s just as bad, worrying about you. Call, please.”
Rebecca was feeling even worse. Why hadn’t she taken the time to talk to anyone last night? She should have at least called Cassie. Fortunately, her last message was good news.
“Scott woke up this morning.” Jen’s voice rang happily in her ear. “He seems to feel pretty good, but he’s a little out of it. Stop by when you can.”
Pouring soap into the sink, Rebecca dialed Locke’s number. It would be easiest to take care of two people at once.
“This had better be Rebecca Done,” Locke growled when he answered the phone. “Because if it’s not, I imagine it’s a gangster asking for some ridiculous ransom because she’s been kidnapped.”
“Would you pay it if it was?” Rebecca asked.
Locke laughed. “I don’t have the money, but Elliot would probably mortgage his soul to get you to come back here.”
Rebecca decided to ignore that. “I’m sorry I didn’t call last night. Things got a little crazy.”
“Yeah, that’s what Haley said when she called Michael. You could have saved me a lot of grief, you know. I knew you were home, but your sister and lover-boy here were going a little bonkers waiting.”
“I’m sorry,” she said again.
“Aw, I’m just giving you a hard time. How’s your friend doing?”
“Recovering, I think. His wife called this morning to say that he was awake, so that’s good news.”
“I’m glad to hear it. In case you were interested, Nicole has agreed to come to my parents’ house for a while, with the stipulation that her hot doctor will see her every few days. He’s kindly agreed, I think to save Elliot’s mind. He was getting a little desperate there for a while.”
“I’m glad she’s feeling better.”
Locke laughed. “Nothing a little sleep and…” He cleared his throat before continuing, “…attentive doctor can’t cure. Cassie’s asleep upstairs or I’d give the phone to her. I’ll be sure to tell her you finally called.”
“Thanks,” she said drily. “I really appreciate the concern.”
“All genuine, darlin’, all genuine. Did you want to talk to Elliot? He’s sitting right here.”
With her hands submerged in his sink, surrounded by his things, Rebecca wasn’t sure that would be a good idea. “I don’t know,” she said. “I have several calls to make. If you don’t think he’d be too mad, I’ll pass this time.”
“It’s your call,” Locke said easily. “I’ll buzz later when you’re not so busy. And, Rebecca?”
“Yes?”
“I’m glad you rang. We really miss you around here.”
Rebecca smiled. “The feeling’s mutual. Talk to you later.”
She felt slightly guilty for avoiding Elliot, but it would feel strangely intimate if she talked to him on the phone while washing his dishes, as though they were married. She stacked the clean pots and plates on the counter, not wanting to poke through his cupboards, before opening the front door.
She had left the morning newspaper on the mat outside, thinking she would toss it in when she left. When she picked it up, though, she carried it back to the kitchen and laid it on the table. She wondered again if Elliot was going to stop writing about her.
Almost of their own accord, her fingers turned to page three. There he was, in his usual spot. His picture seemed to wink at her from atop his byline.
The BFF
By Elliot Winters
Kindred spirits. My generation calls them best friends, and teenagers today use the acronym ‘BFF’. It took me a while to figure out what exactly that meant; it seems like kids these days have a different BFF every other Wednesday.
But best friends forever or otherwise, are a valuable thing to have. I met my own BFF in college when we were assigned to room together at Northwestern. Locke and I, he’s given me permission to use his name, really grew up together. He talked me through girl troubles, and I helped him recover from pledge weeks that never really panned out.
It was his idea in the first place to bring my ex on vacation with me. I suppose he’d heard enough about her over the years to form a natural curiosity about the girl that broke my heart, and on a whim I agreed. Imagine my shock when, instead of the cynical sarcasm I was expecting–and, I’m afraid to admit, secretly hoping for–I found an instant meeting of the minds.
I used to think a person could only have one BFF at a time. That assumption was crushed to bits when I watched Locke interact with my ex. From their first introduction, it was like they had been friends for years instead of merely days, or even hours. I covet that kind of relationship.
I also long for the kind of rapport she shares with her other best friend, who, by some strange coincidence, happens to be her former college roommate. This friend had a personal tragedy back in Chicago, and my former love interest dropped everything to fly back to be by her side, even though there was nothing she could do to change things. That’s some kind of friendship.
I used to have this kind of connection with her. In high school, before things spun out of control, we would be the kind of people who finished each other’s sentences. Now I can only watch as she shares that ability with someone else. I miss my BFF.
But with any luck, and a really powerful turn of fate, I can reverse the trend I have formed for myself. Maybe karma will be kind to me for once. And if not, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure we get back to what we once were. My happiness depends on it.
Chapter Eleven
Rebecca buried her face in her hands. Every word Elliot had said was true. They had been best friends, from the very first word he had spoken to her in English class. Strangely enough, she had felt the same connection with Locke, as though they had known each other before and were simply picking up where they had left off at their last meeting. With Locke it had been a fraternal connection, but Elliot… Her eyes fell on a line toward the bottom of the column: ‘I miss my BFF’.
The words swam in front of her. I will not cry, she told herself fiercely. I’ve already shed enough tears for Elliot Winters. I can’t possibly have any more to spare.
Her mind wandered back to the conversation she’d overheard in Locke’s kitchen the day before. Was Elliot going to break things off with Nicole? She supposed she’d have to wait and see. But did she want him to come back to Chicago, unattached and apparently determined to start things up again?
She thought about how he had treated Nicole and wasn’t sure anymore. Eventually, she was going to have to figure out how she felt about Elliot. And, from the tenor of his column–the sooner the better.
She wondered how Locke was faring, forced to spend time in the same house as an invalid Nicole. She could see how he could transfer some of the guilt he still felt for Emily’s death to Nicole, and prayed fervently that she recovered before he did something stupid. He acted like he wouldn’t fall i
n that trap, but the parallels between the two situations were strikingly similar.
And if Elliot did stop seeing Nicole, what exactly did that mean? Which of them did Elliot really want to date? His columns certainly suggested that it wasn’t Nicole.
‘And if not, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure we get back to what we once were’. He couldn’t be serious. Could he? He hadn’t actually told Locke that he still loved her, just that he felt guilty for jerking both her and Nicole around.
An image, more vivid than she thought possible, flitted into her mind. It was the look on Elliot’s face when he saw her just after she had spoken to Jen at Locke’s house. He looked like he knew exactly how she was feeling, and would do anything in his power to help. She missed that connection. Impulsively she grabbed a pen from the counter and, before she could think twice, scribbled a short note on the bottom of the article. ‘I miss him too’.
She was still thinking about Elliot when she climbed the hospital stairs an hour later. This time I’m legal, she thought in wry amusement, thinking back to the night before, and turned into Scott’s room.
“I need more than jello and broth,” he was saying irritably to the nurse, who was trying unsuccessfully to convince him otherwise. “What are you trying to do, float me out of here?”
The nurse placed the tray on the bedside table and patted Scott’s foot. “Honey, you’re not getting anything else. If I were you, I’d prefer floating to starving.” She gave Jen a wink and left the room, glancing at Rebecca as she passed.
“So they’re trying to drown you, are they?” Rebecca asked, looking at Scott’s disgusted expression.
“It’s bad enough I have to be here in the first place,” he grumbled.
“You almost died,” Jen pointed out from her seat by the window. “I still don’t see why you didn’t pick up the phone and dial 911. You would have been a lot better off.”
“Well, I would have, but there was blood everywhere and I panicked. Then I passed out.”
“From loss of blood,” Jen said irritably. “Remind me not to have you in the delivery room when we have our first child. You’ll be out cold on the floor at the first labor pain. Hey, Rebecca. Enter at your own risk. He’s been a grump ever since breakfast.”
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