Playing Catch-Up

by Zoey Lennox

  “What do you mean he’s got Lacey?”

  The tears in Ramie’s eyes vanished, replaced by pure fear.

  “Oh my God.” Ramie snatched some keys off a hook by the fridge and beat Alexis to the door. “Don’t move. Stay exactly where you are. I’ll be with you in ten minutes.”

  “What’s going on?” Alexis asked.

  “It’s Lacey. Taylor’s ex has attacked her and it’s bad. Really bad.”

  Chapter 18

  There was no discussion about whether Alexis should join Ramie on her rescue mission. Alexis had spent enough time at the centre to have a vested interest in the kids, and if someone was hurt, she wanted to help. Her issues with Ramie were irrelevant.

  They took the van the centre used to ferry the kids around on days out. Old and rusty it was nothing to look at but did the job of transporting them to the hospital.

  Taylor was waiting for them outside A&E when they arrived. Her face was blotchy from crying and her vibrant red hair was a mess, like she’d been in one hell of a scuffle.

  “Where is she?” Ramie asked after they’d parked the van and negotiated their way across the busy road in front of the red brick building. “Did they say how badly she was hurt?”

  Taylor swiped at a fresh wave of tears. “No. They wouldn’t tell me anything. I heard them talking amongst themselves about possible fractures to her ribs, though. Do you think she’ll be okay? That’s not serious, is it?”

  It sure sounded serious. Lacey must be in agony, the poor girl.

  Ramie led Taylor to a nearby bench and pulled her down beside her. “We’ll have to wait and see what the doctors say. Tell me what happened. Did you get into a fight?”

  “It’s all my fault.” Taylor slumped over in her seat and buried her head between her legs.

  “Come on now.” Ramie rubbed comforting circles on her back. “I’m sure that’s not true. Were you at that party Corey and Jed were talking about? The one being held in the basement of the abandoned warehouse on Sibson Street?”

  Lacey straightened and wiped her cheek against her shoulder. “How do you know about that?”

  “I work at a youth centre with dozens of teenagers, remember? You can learn a lot if you keep your ears open,” Ramie teased. “You’re not in trouble. I just need to know what happened so I can try and help Lacey.”

  Taylor sighed. “Yeah, we did go, and we had a really good time until Tom showed up. As soon as Lacey spotted him, she wanted to leave, but I wouldn’t let her. I didn’t see why we should change our plans because that arsehole can’t accept we’re over.”

  Ramie took Taylor’s hand. “You’re right. You shouldn’t have to leave, but sometimes it’s best to be the bigger person and remove yourself from a potentially dangerous situation to keep yourself safe.”

  “I know that now,” Taylor said. “And I feel awful about it.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Ramie edged closer. “Can you tell me how it all started? Did Tom pick a fight with you guys?”

  Taylor grimaced. “Yeah. He left the party at the same time we did and began hurling insults at us. When he didn’t get the reaction he wanted, he changed tactics and started playing dirty.”

  “Dirty, how?”

  “By creeping up on us and kicking Lacey to the ground. She went down so fast, I thought for certain she’d been knocked out. She hadn’t though. That came later, after Tom kicked the crap out of her.”

  Taylor sobbed, each breath coming out in a strangled squeak. Ramie hugged her and caught Alexis’s eye over the top of her head.

  Alexis had gotten a bad vibe from Tom from the first time she’d laid eyes on him. What kind of person got cheap thrills out of attacking an innocent young girl?

  “Do you think she’ll be all right?” Taylor said into Ramie’s shoulder. “He kicked her so many times. I tried to get him off her, really, I did, but he was so strong.”

  Alexis’s stomach dropped at the mental image. Jesus. She hoped Lacey would pull through. She was just a kid.

  Ramie smoothed Taylor’s hair. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. Lacey’s got a lot of fight in her. Do you really think she’s going to roll over and let this Neanderthal win?”

  Taylor snivelled. “I hope not.” When she spoke again her voice was barely a whisper. “I really love her. I know we’ve not been dating long, but she’s been so good to me. I’ve had an awful time trying to figure out this gay shit, and she’s the only person I’ve been able to talk to.”

  Alexis’s heart ached. Dating should be all rainbows and unicorns when you were sixteen, not near-death experiences and run-ins with the police.

  “We’ve got to stay positive,” Ramie said. “Lacey needs us to be strong. Do you think you can do that for her?”

  “Of course.”

  “That’s my girl.” Ramie patted Taylor’s arm. “Do you know if anyone has called Lacey’s nan?”

  “Yeah.” Taylor rubbed at her bloodshot eyes. “The paramedic called her on the way over here.”

  “What about your parents? Have you let them know what’s going on?”

  Taylor looked away and butted the toe of her scuffed red Converse trainers into the ground. “I don’t want to call them. They don’t know about me being bi, and I could do without the drama. My family aren’t exactly liberal when it comes to these things. My aunt and uncle disowned my cousin when he came out last year. I’m sure my mum will be the same and completely freak out.”

  Were they really living in two thousand and nineteen? Judging by the way many kids at the centre had been treated, it sure didn’t seem like it. When were people going to realise that loving someone of the same sex wasn’t a catastrophe?

  Ramie held out her hand. “Hand over your phone, sweetie. Your parents need to know where you are. They must be worried sick about you.”

  Taylor resisted. “No, they won’t be worried. I bet they don’t even know I snuck out. They’re more concerned with my goody two shoes brother who never sets a foot wrong than me.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true. You can try and put this off, but you’re going to have to fess up sooner or later. The hospital staff are sure to have notified the police, and they’ll be here to take a statement from you shortly.”

  Taylor planted her head in her palm. “Fuck. This is going to be bad, isn’t it?”

  “Everything’s going to be fine,” Ramie assured her. “I’ll talk to your parents for you.”

  Taylor hesitated and then slapped her mobile phone into Ramie’s palm. “My mum’s going to flip.”

  Alexis took a step back, not wanting to intrude on such a momentous moment. She would never have the chance to come out to her own mother, but would have been devastated if she’d been rejected because of something she had absolutely no control over.

  “I’m going to check on Lacey,” she said.

  Ramie gave her a thumbs up as she scrolled through Taylor’s contacts. The last thing Alexis saw before she stepped away was Taylor biting on her stubby nails.

  Disinfectant and bleach assaulted Alexis’s nostrils upon entering the hospital. The mixture of chemicals conjured up unwanted memories. Memories that took her down a kaleidoscope of pain and right back to the night her father had dragged her out of bed so they could rush to be with her mother at the hospital. She had been admitted the day before for an operation which was supposed to help save her life. No one had suspected the operation itself would throw up complications and they’d end up losing her so suddenly.

  After sitting on an uncomfortable plastic chair in the waiting room for what felt like the longest time, she remembered being brought into a private room so she could say goodbye. She’d never forget her mother’s beautiful, lifeless face as she lay on the bed, a white sheet tucked right up to her chin.

  The haunting image still woke her up in the middle of the night. She feared it was permanently seared into the back of her eyelids.

  Keep it together, Lex. This isn’t about you.

  She pushed aside the wav
e of emotion and approached the reception desk. An African Caribbean woman stared at her from the other side of a Perspex screen. Her hair hung down either side of her plump face in hundreds of tiny braids, and she wore an oversized pair of tortoiseshell glasses.

  “Hi, I was wondering if you could help me? A girl called Lacey Evans was brought in by ambulance a while ago. Can you give me an update on how she’s doing please?”

  The woman, whose name badge read Tonya, tapped a few keys on her computer keyboard.

  “Are you family? I can only give out personal information to relatives.”

  Hmm. To lie or not to lie?

  “She’s a friend.” No point in adding more lies to her already impressive arsenal. “Can you at least let me know whether she’s stable? There are a lot of worried people outside and you’d put their minds at ease.”

  “I’m sorry,” Tonya said, sounding apologetic. “Come back with a relative and I’ll be able to release some information.”

  With a sigh, Alexis headed back outside and found that a woman had joined Taylor and Ramie in her absence. She was middle-aged, with masses of curly red hair. Must be Taylor’s mother.

  Alexis held back, not wanting to interrupt. She hoped the woman was kind. She couldn’t face any more despair this evening.

  When Taylor’s mother threw her arms around her daughter, Alexis breathed a sigh of relief. So, there were some good people left in the world.

  “Any news on Lacey?”

  Alexis startled when Ramie gently touched her shoulder. She’d been so caught up in her thoughts she’d not seen her approach.

  “No, they’ll only share information with family.”

  Ramie huffed as she rubbed her eyes. “Damn red tape. Lacey’s nan should be here soon. We’ll get the news together.” She cast a fond look in Taylor’s direction. “In the meantime, I think Taylor’s going to be all right. I’ve arranged for her to come into the centre next week and have a counselling session with her mum.”

  Ramie was so good at fixing other people’s problems. If only she were as good at facing her own.

  “Mrs Evans. Over here!”

  Alexis looked up at the sound of Taylor’s frantic voice and spotted an elderly woman shuffling across the carpark as fast as her aging body would allow her. She wore a green duffle coat which reached her thighs, and a garish pink nightdress peeked out from beneath the hem.

  The old woman reached the hospital entrance, and Taylor and her mum walked over to meet her. With Alexis and Ramie in tow, they all headed inside, where Lacey’s nan had a brief chat with Tonya and reported that the doctor would be out soon.

  They all settled in to wait, and it wasn’t long before a young doctor approached, her face flushed, her eyes bright.

  “Mrs Evans?” she asked, shaking the old woman’s hand. “I’m Doctor Carter, one of the physicians treating your granddaughter.” She went on to detail the injuries Lacey had sustained, pausing at the end of her assessment to add, “She’s been a very lucky girl.”

  If a cracked rib and a multitude of contusions was lucky, Alexis would hate to learn what unlucky was.

  “Can I see her?” Mrs Evans asked. Her face was pale.

  “Of course.” Doctor Carter swept a hand at her side, indicating that Mrs Evans should join her. “She’s being made comfortable by one of the nurses. Please don’t be alarmed by the machines she’s hooked up to. They’re tracking her vitals.”

  “Can I see her too?” Taylor asked.

  Her voice was so pitiful, Doctor Carter’s face softened. “Are you family?”

  “She’s her girlfriend,” Taylor’s mother answered.

  “Well in that case,” Doctor Carter gave Taylor a wink, “I think you and your mum should definitely come along.”

  The surprise on Taylor’s face warmed Alexis’s heart.

  The small group headed off down the corridor, leaving Alexis in the waiting room with Ramie, alone for the first time in over an hour. An awkward tension stretched out between them.

  Alexis hated it. How could something once so easy now be so hard?

  She cleared her throat. “Well, now we know Lacey’s going to be all right, I should probably head home.”

  She’d only be in the way if she stayed, and the tears she’d been suppressing were on the move. Only a matter of time until they started falling. God, she was pathetic. No wonder Ramie was having such a tough time deciding whether she wanted to be with her.

  She ducked her head and made for the entrance but stopped short when Ramie snagged her hand.

  “I’m sorry, Lex.” The pain radiating from Ramie’s eyes was palpable. “I’ll call you soon, okay?”

  Chapter 19

  The following Sunday found Alexis holed up in her flat, distracting herself from the fuck-up that was her life by watching old movies. Whenever the couples got into fights, she fast forwarded to the resolution, wishing she could do the same when it came to her own relationship with Ramie.

  She’d spent days rehashing every minute detail of their last meeting. Trying to figure out what she’d said or done to make everything go so astonishingly wrong.

  By the time the sun dipped behind the horizon and sleep finally came, Alexis was exhausted. She was none too pleased to be rudely awakened by a violent pounding on the door just a few hours later.

  “Alexis! I know you’re in there. Open up!”

  Alexis ran a hand through her hair and pushed herself into a sitting position.

  What was Lauren doing here?

  “If you don’t open this door, I’m going to knock it down!”

  “Yeah right. I’d like to see your weak arse try,” she muttered.

  Taking her time, Alexis got out of bed and pulled open the front door.

  Lauren swept inside, a fireball of strawberry blonde hair and indignation.

  “Why aren’t you answering your phone?” Her frantic gaze scanned the room and zoomed in upon the device in question. “You turned it off? It’s been over a week since you’ve been in contact. I’ve been worried sick. What if there had been an emergency and I needed to get hold of you?”

  Okay, yeah. She had a point.

  “Sorry. I just wasn’t in the mood for small talk.”

  Lauren’s expression softened. “Tell me what’s going on. Did things not go well with Ramie?”

  At the mention of Ramie’s name, Alexis’s lower lip wobbled. Damn it, Lex. Hold it together.

  “Oh sweetie.” Lauren flopped onto the bed and brought Alexis down with her. “Tell me what’s wrong. You should have come to me if you were hurting. You don’t have to suffer in silence anymore.”

  Alexis swiped at her eyes, surprised at how ready she was to uncork the bottle of emotions which had been swirling around inside her.

  “I went to see Ramie at the centre like you suggested,” she said. “And she broke down and said she didn’t think things were going to work between us.”

  “Did she say why?” Lauren tenderly smoothed down a messed-up section of Alexis’s hair.

  “Yeah.” Alexis hiccupped. “She said she thought I wanted more than she was able to give me and that she needed some time to sort out her head.”

  “And do you want more?” Lauren pressed.

  “I’ve wanted more from pretty much the start. I’ve tried so hard to keep my feelings under control, but my heart just won’t listen. I’ve really fallen for her, Laur.”

  “I know you have.” Lauren swept Alexis into her arms. “It’s been beautiful watching you come into your own.”

  “Yeah well, fat lot of good that’s done me,” Alexis muttered, squeezing Lauren back. “All I’ve done is open myself up for a shit load of pain. I could strangle Kenya for screwing with Ramie’s head. She really did a number on her, and now I’m the one paying the price. You’d think Ramie would realise by now that I’d never hurt her, but no, she’s still got these barriers clamped around her heart.”

  “You can’t really be mad at her,” Lauren said. “You said she’s
been upfront with you about this no strings arrangement from the start.”

  “I know.” Alexis sniffled into Lauren’s shoulder. “But part of me always hoped she’d change her mind if enough time passed.”

  Lauren pulled back and met Alexis’s gaze with earnest eyes. “I think the best course of action you can take right now is to respect Ramie’s request for time and wait for her to come to you.”

  Alexis closed her eyes and let out a sad little sigh. “And if she comes back and says she can’t give me more?”

  “Then the question will no longer be will Ramie be willing to give you more, but will you be willing to accept less?”

  Chapter 20

  Rain pelted Alexis from all directions as she alighted the bus. She had picked up some sugary snacks at a convenience store on the way home from work, and they now dangled from her wrists in plastic carrier bags which grew heavier with each footstep she took.

  She had heeded Lauren’s advice and given Ramie her space, and as a result had suffered an emotional roller coaster of a week. Would she be willing to accept less if Ramie was unwilling to give her more? Not so long ago, the decision would have been a no brainer, but these days, she wasn’t so sure.

  She descended the steep set of concrete steps to her flat, all the while envisioning lowering her weary body into a bubble bath. The steaming water was a foolproof way to unwind after a brutal week, and she quickened her footsteps, eager to get to the other side of the front door.

  “Alexis?”

  She shrieked at the unexpected voice and dropped her keys on the ground.

  “Sorry, it’s only me.” Ramie stepped out of the shadows and Alexis’s heart rate picked up. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “What are you doing here?” Alexis’s voice came out harsher than she intended. She had been waiting for this moment, and now it was finally here she wasn’t prepared.

  “I thought it was about time we had a chat. Are you free? I don’t want to intrude if you’re busy.”

  Alexis wanted to fob her off. Give her a taste of the overwhelming anxiety she’d been subjected to, but she just couldn’t do it.