Adrift: Book Two of The Crashing Tides Duet

by Ruby Rowe

Needing something else to think about, I stare at Elliott. The top of his hair has grown out, so it’s sexy when he slides his fingers through it to push it back.

  Even though he’s not well, he’s still handsome in his black button-up. His crooked nose, courtesy of his abusive father, adds an arresting and mysterious appearance to his face. If only it hid the dark circles around his eyes. I’m worried about his health.

  “What’s wrong? Did I get uglier overnight?”

  I reach across the table and take his hand.

  “Not at all. I was admiring your handsome features.”

  “You’re the pretty one tonight in your low-cut dress.”

  I glance down and admire my newfound cleavage.

  “I think my boobs are already growing.”

  “I haven’t seen you much lately, so I can attest it’s true. I noticed the change right away.” He grins, and I sigh. I’ve missed him and our flirtatious banter.

  “I think I’ll show sooner this time since it’s my second pregnancy, and I’m worried I’ll gain forty pounds that I won’t be able to lose.”

  “Don’t worry about shit like that.” He narrows his gaze. “You’ll always be gorgeous, and Jake and I would be dicks if your body changing bothered us. I mean, you’re having our baby.” His mouth twitches.

  “It sounds weird to say that, right? Our baby.”

  “Yeah, but it’s the truth.”

  “At least there will be three of us to care for him or her.”

  “I think we should name it now.”

  “We don’t know the sex.”

  He furrows his brow, and is that sadness in his eyes? A fleeting look is all I’m given to guess.

  “I want to know its name soon, so let’s give it a neutral one.”

  “Like what?” I ask.

  “I don’t know. What about Alex? We could call her Alexandria if it’s a girl.”

  “I like it. Oh, what about Payton? If it’s a boy, we’ll use an E in place of the A.”

  “You look excited about that one and must already suspect she’s a girl.” He grants me a playful smile. “I like it. Run it by Jake.”

  “OK. We’ll use Payton as often as possible, and when we need a pronoun, Payton will be a she until we determine otherwise. I don’t like using it.” I cover my belly. “Payton’s our little human, growing every day. She’ll never be an it.”

  “No, but she might arrive with a penis.” We both laugh, and I’m grateful to have this fun, hopeful time with Elliott.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Elliott

  “I’m nervous about this,” Nicole says as we sit in the outpatient surgery waiting room.

  “I’ll be fine. I have the most renowned pulmonologist in the city, and Dr. Raynard and the oncologist are ensuring I get the best care.”

  “Still, they’re going to put a needle in your lung and remove a part of it. Something could go wrong, and then Jake and Sailor will want to murder me.” She twirls the end of her ponytail. Messing with her hair is something Nicole’s always done when she’s nervous.

  I feel shitty for putting her in an uncomfortable position. She’s tough and levelheaded, so I thought she’d handle it better. “Sailor’s already going to be mad when she finds out I’m helping you, and I thought there was a chance we could be friends. She was surprisingly cool with me at your Super Bowl party.”

  I grasp her hand to still her. “Sailor will understand once the dust settles. Please calm down before I feel worse for accepting your help.”

  After staring at our hands a few seconds, she looks me in the eyes. I see it now. Nicole still has feelings for me. I release her hand and clear my throat.

  “Even though we’re not together, I still care about your well-being,” she says, “and I think the woman you love should be by your side. If I imagine myself in Sailor’s shoes, it’s what I would want.”

  “Elliott Roberts,” a woman in scrubs calls out.

  “Everything will be OK, and I’m sorry I put you in this position. It’ll be the last time.”

  “Make sure they know to update me on how you’re doing.”

  “I will.”

  Jake

  I’m sitting at my work desk when I receive a call on my cell phone.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi, Jake. This is Nicole.”

  “Hi, what’s up?”

  “I don’t know how to tell you this, and Elliott’s going to be so angry with me for calling.”

  “Nicole, what’s wrong?”

  “I’m at the hospital with him. He’s getting a lung biopsy and didn’t want you or Sailor to know about it, but I can’t keep something like this from you. It’s serious.”

  “I’m coming right over. Text me the information.” I don’t give her time to reply. I’m out of my chair and heading for the door. “Rudy, I have an emergency. I’ll call you later,” I say to my partner as I hurry past his desk.

  As soon as I’m in my car, I call Sailor. “Please answer,” I mumble.

  “Hello.”

  “Sailor, I’m sorry to call.”

  “It’s OK. My students are in P.E. class.”

  “Listen, Elliott’s at the hospital getting a biopsy on his lungs. I just left work. Do you want me to pick you up?”

  “Of course. I’ll find a sub to cover for me. Elliott’s doctor’s appointment’s today, but it’s only eight-thirty. What happened?”

  “Nicole called me. From our conversation, it sounds like this procedure was scheduled ahead of time.”

  “What?” she asks angrily.

  “We’ll get answers once we’re there. I’ll pick you up soon.” She hangs up on me, and I slam my hand on the steering wheel.

  Elliott, what the fuck were you thinking?

  Sailor

  Jake and I enter the hospital and start our walk to the outpatient surgery waiting room. He slips his hand into mine.

  “Say something. You’ve been too quiet.”

  “I can’t talk. If I do, mean things about Elliott will spew from my mouth, and we don’t know if he’s OK. I feel bad for even thinking them.”

  “Will you be able to keep your cool with Nicole?”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Shit,” he mumbles. After walking into the waiting room, my eyes dart around the generously sized space, and the second Nicole and I make eye contact, she shrinks in her chair. Jake and I stride over and take the two seats across from her.

  “Hi,” Jake says. “What’s going on?”

  “His pulmonologist should be out soon. His procedure was scheduled for eight.”

  “What kind of procedure?” I ask assertively.

  “Sorry. They’re taking a biopsy of his right lung to check for cancer. When I was over during the Super Bowl, I went upstairs to use the bathroom and heard Elliott coughing. It sounded bad, and he couldn’t stop, so I went inside his room to check on him. He was coughing up blood.

  “He promised me he would get a chest X-ray, and when he did, the radiologist spotted a mass. Elliott then had a CT scan and saw an oncologist who thought the tumor was malignant. He ordered more tests, and the biopsy was one of them.”

  Feeling hot all over, I take two deep breaths and pray I don’t vomit.

  “Why didn’t he tell us?” Jake asks.

  “He said he didn’t want to worry you and Sailor until he knew for certain it was cancer. I think he only came to me because of what happened at the party.”

  “Family of Elliott Roberts,” I hear a man say from behind me. Nicole gives a hesitant wave as I look over my shoulder. I’m guessing it’s the doctor walking toward us, but I wouldn’t know since I don’t know shit!

  “Hi, I’m Dr. Hernandez, the pulmonologist. Mr. Roberts is in recovery.” The man pulls a thin cap off, revealing a head of thick raven hair. “The biopsy went well, and the results should be back in about a week.”

  “Does he have a tumor?” Jake asks.

  “Yes, and there’s a high probability it’s malignant. The mas
s is in the right upper lobe, and he’ll likely need surgery to remove it. The biopsy will help determine the best course of treatment. Someone should be out soon to take one of you back to see him.”

  “Thank you, Dr.,” Jake says before he weaves our fingers together. “He’ll get through this. He’s the strongest man I know.”

  “I can’t see him right now. Will you go back?”

  “Of course.” He glances to Nicole. “What other tests has Elliott had?”

  “Blood work, and he also had a PET scan to see if there were any signs of cancer in other parts of his body.”

  “Were you with him for that?” I ask rudely.

  “Um, the PET scan, yes, but I want you to know that I kept insisting he tell you. When he refused, I offered to help him until he got answers. He swore he’d tell you then.”

  “Interesting. You two are better friends than I realized.”

  “Sailor, it’s not what you’re thinking.”

  “You don’t know what I’m thinking.” Surprised by my bitchy tone, which Nicole probably doesn’t deserve, I huff out a breath. “Thank you for being there for him and for at least calling Jake today.”

  “Elliott was worried if you got upset it could potentially harm the baby, but it wasn’t right for him to have the biopsy without you two knowing. That’s why I called.”

  My mouth falls open as Jake clutches my hand tighter. I can’t believe Elliott shared so much with her. She gets out her phone and begins pushing buttons, using it as a distraction to make this situation less awkward.

  “Family of Elliott Roberts,” a man says. I look over my shoulder again, and a young guy is waiting by the same door the pulmonologist exited.

  “I’ll be back,” Jake says before he kisses my hand, “and be nice. This isn’t her fault,” he whispers.

  Jake

  I’m a wreck as I step around a curtain to see Elliott. His eyes are closed, and there are too many different beeping sounds penetrating my ears.

  There’s a blood pressure cuff around his arm and a white gadget on his finger with a cord attached. A monitor is displaying numbers and moving lines I don’t understand. I’m impressed that Elliott knows what all this means, but right now, I’m not impressed with him.

  “You can talk to your friend.” The female nurse inside the tight space smiles at me. “It might perk him up. The sedative he was given to help him relax during the bronchoscopy made him drowsy.

  “His voice will be raspy, too, from the scope they inserted in his throat during the procedure. Mr. Roberts, you have company. Can you wake up for me?” Elliott opens his eyes halfway before shutting them. “I’ll be back soon,” the nurse says.

  I walk over to the side of the bed. “Bro, it’s Jake.” He opens his eyes, and his forehead creases as he tries to focus on my face.

  “Hi.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Rough. Why are you here?”

  “Nicole called me.”

  “Where is she?”

  “She’s in the waiting room, but I don’t think she’s the girl you should be asking for.”

  “Sailor…”

  “Yeah, that’s the one. She’s here and super pissed, but I think she’ll give you a free pass today.”

  He starts to speak, but his words are garbled. He drifts off again, and damn, I want whatever drugs he’s having. I could afford to relax right about now.

  “The baby…” he mumbles. “I was worried.”

  “I understand, but you’re important, too.” Nodding, he holds his hand up like he’s reaching for something, so I clutch it with mine. “We all need each other, and don’t you forget it. You’ve always got me, man. Always.”

  My eyes sting from damn tears, so I inhale a deep breath. Elliott can’t die.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Elliott

  Sailor’s in the driver’s seat of Jake’s car when it pulls up at the curb. Jake opens the passenger door, and he and a nurse help me up from the wheelchair. Sailor’s staring my direction as I get inside, so I find the nerve to look at her.

  “I’m–I’m sorry,” I croak. Damn, talking hurts like a bitch.

  “Stop, you need to rest your throat. If you’re wondering, Nicole went home, but she’s going to call you later to check on you. I even told her she could come by soon if she wanted.”

  I reach over to touch Sailor’s cheek.

  “I know you’re sorry,” she adds, “but we’re not talking about it today. I want to go home and take care of you. That’s what people in serious, committed relationships do. They take care of one another.”

  She gets out of the Nissan and switches to the back seat so Jake can drive. As soon as he’s buckled in, he hands my discharge papers to her.

  “There’s like a million instructions on there,” he says. “We need to watch for a high fever, and he might cough up a little blood from the procedure. Elliott, you better fucking tell us if something doesn’t feel right. No more hiding shit.”

  Nodding, I close my eyes to rest on the way home.

  ***

  “Elliott, here’s your applesauce,” Sailor says. I open my eyes, and seeing her holding the little plastic cup, I sit up on the couch. “Your discharge papers said to start with a soft diet. If you can swallow this OK, I’ll fix you some soup. Jake went to the store to grab some groceries. How’s your throat feeling?”

  “Better.”

  She sits next to me and touches my forehead with the back of her hand.

  “It doesn’t feel like you have a fever, but Jake’s buying a new thermometer so we can keep a watch on it.”

  “You don’t need to baby me.”

  “Elliott, you’re a damn doctor. You know a high fever is something we should be watching for. Don’t you insist that your patients follow their discharge instructions when they leave the ER?”

  Rolling my eyes, I take a bite of my applesauce.

  “That’s what I thought.” Feeling Sailor’s gaze lingering, I look at her. “You can’t protect me from heartache,” she says. “I’m going to feel it again in my life, and it won’t happen only once.

  “Even after Payton’s born, we won’t have total control over her safety. I’m sure you know that from the injuries you see in the ER. Accidents happen. Sickness happens. You can’t hide your illness to guard my feelings or to protect our child.”

  She run her fingers through the back of my hair. “Jake and I love you, and we want to help you through this, so stop being stubborn and leave me to my rightful girlfriend duties.”

  “OK. I’ll be the patient.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I want to find out if the baby’s mine.”

  Sailor shifts farther away to face me, and I’m wondering where that sentence came from since I sure as hell didn’t plan on saying it.

  “I thought we agreed not to find out.”

  “I need to know … in case…”

  “You’re going to be here when she’s born. End of discussion.”

  “You don’t know that, and I’m telling you right now that we’re not going to pretend through all this. You can think positive all you want, but there’s a difference. We hope I’ll be here in September. We don’t know it.” Feeling my throat burn, I cough.

  “You shouldn’t be talking so much. We can discuss it later.”

  “No, we’re discussing it now. If you and Jake don’t want to know the results of the test, it’s fine, but I need to find out.”

  Gnawing on her cheek, she stares at me, and each second feels like a lengthier unit of time.

  “OK, we’ll talk to Jake about it.”

  “Thank you.” I rub her arm. “Baby, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was sick. I didn’t mean for you to hear it from Nicole.”

  “I said we weren’t talking about it today.”

  “Yeah, but I need to know how pissed you are.”

  “Fine. If you’re determined to discuss it, we will.” Pursing her lips, she points at her chest. “I’m an
gry and hurt. Seeing Nicole already in that waiting room, holding all the answers to a situation I was completely in the dark about, was humiliating. I thought I was not only your girlfriend, but one of your best friends.”

  “You are. I was only trying to protect you and our baby.”

  “You say that, but I still find it odd you chose to tell her before anyone else and allowed her to help you with such a personal matter. It’s something you should think about.” She stands. “I need to call the school. I’m taking tomorrow off.”

  As Sailor walks away, I consider what she said. If Nicole hadn’t caught me coughing up blood, I don’t believe I would’ve gone to her about my condition. For that reason, I think Sailor’s reading more into this than she should be.

  Jake comes through the front door with bags of groceries.

  “You’re eating. That’s a good sign,” he says.

  “I’m feeling better. I’d rather be chowing down on a burger than Maddie’s leftover applesauce, though.”

  “I bought you some pudding cups, too.” He grins.

  Asshole.

  He strides to the kitchen, and my phone rings. I pick it up from the end table and see that it’s Nicole.

  “Hi.”

  “I didn’t know if you would speak to me again, and I had to know, so that’s why I’m calling already.”

  “Neither of them should’ve found out that way, but it was my fault.”

  “I’m sorry. I was so afraid something would go wrong during the biopsy, and if it had, I never would’ve forgiven myself for not telling them.”

  “I get it, and I’m sorry I put you in that position. You’ve taken all this to heart more than I expected.”

  “I care about you. Are you feeling OK?”

  “Yeah. I’m tired and my throat hurts, but otherwise I’m good.”

  “That’s wonderful. Let me know if you need anything at all.”

  Jake sits next to me on the couch and eyes me hard.

  “I will. Take care.”

  “You, too.” I lay my phone down and look back at Jake.

  “Was that Nicole?”