“I’d like to do the exam now,” Violet whispers softly, the epitome of unimaginable strength laced with fragility.
Marlo nods her head and moves across the room to collect the supplies. I pull my chair closer to the bed and gently touch Violet’s arm.
“I’ll be with you the entire time, Violet. You are not alone in this.”
Her eyes flutter shut, and in direct contrast with her tear-stained cheeks, the smallest of smiles plays on her lips.
“Thank you for that,” she whispers.
“I have to say, Tiny One, you and I make a great team,” Marlo says with hip bump when she meets me at the nurses’ station.
“I think you’re right. We’re like yin and yang, Batman and Robin…”
“Dumb and Dumber?” We both laugh, and she narrows her eyes. “Just so you know, I’m totally Batman in this scenario.”
“Pshh, whatever!” I hand the chart back to Violet’s nurse, Alice, and say my goodbyes and thank yous. I turn my attention back to Marlo. “I’m a little surprised to see you here. How did I not know you were a SANE nurse?”
Marlo shrugs and smiles. “There’s no real reason, I guess. It just never came up. Caroline and I usually work these cases together. I was surprised to see you, too.”
“Yeah, I’ve been taking a lot more of the crisis call lately. Caroline needed a break.”
“Right,” Marlo says with a chuckle. “Sure she did.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“So, that’s how you’re gonna play it? The only person less transparent than you is that ten-foot tall lumberjack you’re wallowing over. I’m impatiently waiting for you both to get your head out of your asses, in case you’re wondering.” Marlo picks at her fingernails and sighs, feigning boredom.
“How about a foot up your ass,” I mutter under my breath.
“There’s the Celia I know. It’s about time.” Marlo slaps my back. “Now if you’d just inject a little of that sass into your love life, maybe you wouldn’t have to take call twenty-four hours a day to distract yourself.”
I shake my head and exhale an irritated breath. I know how it looks to everyone watching. I’m the fool who can’t move on with her life. I’m the stupid girl who clings to the past and refuses to see the wonderful man standing right in front of her. I want to yell, “I see him! I love him!” but that will only pose more questions. I’m not ready for that, so I do what I do best. I shoot for vague. I strive for ambiguous. I evade.
“Things aren’t that simple, Marlo. Not everything in this world is black and white.”
“Bullshit.”
“Huh?”
“I call bullshit.” She rolls her eyes and huffs at me. “Look, Cain’s had his eye on you for what feels like an eternity. I knew how he felt before you and I ever met. This isn’t breaking news to me. But I’ve noticed over the past few months, Celia, you’ve started watching him, too. At first, it was out of curiosity, but over time it’s changed. It’s evolved from friendship, to flirty, to, dare I say, love?”
She eyes me and cocks her head in question, but I bite my lip and remain silent. By the smirk on her face, my expression tells my story even though I don’t say a word.
“Right. So, as I was saying, he’s been waiting for you for much longer than you realize. And as delectable as you are, you sweet little thing, a man can only be pushed away so many times. I’d hate for you to wake up one day and find you’ve missed the Cain Train. He’s not my type, like at all, but he’s got his own swagger, ya know? He’s all ‘Oh, I’m so tall. Look at my ginormous green bean,’” Marlo mimics in a deep, husky voice while grabbing her crotch.
“What the hell? Green bean?”
“You know, because he’s the Jolly Green Giant,” she explains, staring at me expectantly. I shake my head, and she waves me off. “Oh, whatever! You know what I mean. Why am I talking about the man’s green bean?”
“More like bean stalk…” I chuckle to lighten the mood.
“Ugh, Celia! My ears can’t un-hear that shit!” She covers her ears and pouts at me. “Anyway, I may give him a hard time, but I know he would do anything to fix things with you. The question is, what are you willing to do for him?”
“All I can offer Cain is my friendship,” I whisper. “He wants more from me than I’m able to give. If I can’t be everything for him, he wants nothing at all. I have to respect his wishes.”
“Right,” Marlo says, drawing out the word. We walk out together, arm in arm, and she stops me before we walk through the doorway. “Take it from someone who knows all too well what it feels like to wait for someone to wake the fuck up. The day will come when he gives up on you, Celia. You will lose him.”
Her goal may be to spur me into action. She wants me to feel the urgency of her words and race to Cain’s side. Knowing that’s exactly what I want to do, but can’t, makes me nauseous and weak. The thought of seeing Cain with someone else is unimaginable, but I’m in no position to stop it from happening. I give her a nod and a tight smile, hoping she’ll accept my response as the end of the conversation.
“I have to say, I don’t see you as the type to wait for anyone. I take you for a leave ‘em in the dust kind of girl,” I say with a shoulder bump.
After tonight, it’s become clear to me I don’t know Marlo as well as I thought I did. I should know better; things are never as they seem.
We emerge from the hospital as the sun is slowly rising. The backs of my eyes throb from lack of sleep and the change in light. I wince and groan as I fumble for my sunglasses.
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t always that girl,” Marlo says somberly. She looks away and bites her lip. “Listen, what you heard in there? No one knows anything about—”
“And they never will. I would never break your trust,” I interrupt. She gives me a tiny smile in return. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask. Since you didn’t press charges, are you worried that—”
“No. I don’t give him a second of my thoughts.” Marlo lifts her head defiantly as we walk across the parking lot. I sense her words are less than truthful, but it’s what she needs to believe. “I left town within a week of the attack and never set foot back there again. I’ve had no contact with anyone from my past since then. Those memories and that place don’t own me anymore.”
I unlock the door to my car and throw my bag in the back seat. I meet Marlo by the trunk and tip my head toward the hospital. “Do you think she’ll press charges?”
She shrugs. “It’s hard to say. She’s got both of our numbers, and I hope she’ll use them, and that she can pull through this. She’s got a tough road ahead,” she says as she tugs her keys out of her purse. “You’re coming to The Courtyard next Friday night, right? Adam’s performing for open mic night.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Seriously, why do I surround myself with lovesick fools?” Marlo asks with a playful smile.
“Whatever. You’d be lost without us.”
She narrows her eyes at me, and I giggle.
We wave goodbye, and my door is nearly closed when I hear Marlo shout my name. I peer out of the car.
“Yeah?”
“Remember what I said, girl. He’s not gonna wait forever, and regret is a bitch with six-inch heels digging into your lady parts.”
She tosses her big curls over her shoulder with a wink and struts across the parking lot like she owns the place. Honestly, Marlo owns whatever room she walks into, and this parking lot is no different.
After she leaves, the air around me seems vacant and lonely. The loss of her snarky mouth and larger than life personality are tangible, and I’m left feeling empty and … regretful. Her warning settles in my bones, travels through my veins, and circles around my heart.