Chapter 3

At eleven that night, a sharp pain in my stomach woke me.

I was drenched in cold sweat, too weak to move.

Hiram was supposed to be home resting, but he was gone.

I called an ambulance.

"I have a stomach bug. It hurts too much to move. Oakwood Place, Building 3, Apartment 802."

The ambulance came quickly. Two paramedics carried me downstairs on a stretcher.

The ER lights were blinding.

A nurse checked my blood pressure. "Is anyone here with you? Family?"

"I'll call someone."

Hiram answered after six rings. "Do you know what time it is? Why are you calling?" he snapped.

"I'm in the ER with a stomach bug. Can you come?"

A brief silence. Then Chloe's voice. "Hiram, if we don't fix that pipe, the living room's going to flood."

His voice softened, suddenly urgent. "I'm coming."

Then, to me, "A pipe burst at Chloe's. I need to help her first. You'll have to handle it yourself. I'll send you some money."

"Hiram, I'm in the hospital."

"There are nurses. It's nothing serious. You can take care of yourself."

He hung up.

Ten seconds later, he sent $500.

I set my phone facedown on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time.

The nurse returned with forms to sign.

"No emergency contact? Where's your husband?"

"I'm not married."

She glanced at me, took the forms, and left.

I checked in, paid, had blood drawn, and got an IV. All on my own.

My veins were small. It took the nurse two tries.

I sat in a plastic ER chair, an IV in my left hand, my right pressed to my stomach. Beside me, an older woman's husband peeled an orange for her.

About forty minutes after they started my IV, Tyler showed up with a bag of fruit. He sat beside me and crossed his legs.

"Hiram sent me. Feeling any better?"

"Why are you here?"

"He couldn't get away. Chloe's place flooded pretty badly. He's helping her clean up."

I smiled a little and said nothing.

Tyler leaned in and lowered his voice. "Emma, don't take this wrong, but don't use being sick to test Hiram.

"He's swamped with wedding stuff. Chloe's an old friend who just got back. Cut him some slack."

I looked at him. "I was in so much pain I called an ambulance. You think this is a test?"

He shifted under my stare and laughed awkwardly. "That's not what I meant. He's just got a lot going on."

"Then tell him not to come."

Tyler paused, caught off guard. He stayed a little longer, then left.

Ten minutes later, my IV was done. I pulled it out and stood on shaky legs.

Outside, the night air cleared my head a little.

I sent the $500 back, then called my landlord.

"Lydia, I have three months left on my old apartment's lease, right?"

"Right. Why?"

"I want to end it early. I'll pay the fee. I can have my things out tonight."

Lydia Miller sounded surprised. "That soon? You're giving it up?"

"Yeah. Everything's coming out today."

I hung up, went back to the old apartment, and hired a moving van.

Hiram and I had rented it together. It had sat empty since we moved to Oakwood Place. He'd offered it to Chloe.

Tonight, I was taking everything that was mine.

Two hours later, it was all packed and loaded.

Lydia came for the keys and looked around the empty place, concerned.

"Emma, are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure."

I handed her the keys and climbed into the van with the last box.

In the passenger seat, my phone buzzed.

Hiram.

[Finished cleaning up Chloe's place. Feeling any better?]

I stared at the text, then shut off the screen without replying.