“You’ve got to get her to listen to me. Please?” Once again there was a long pause before he replied.
“That is not going to happen tonight, I can assure you. I’ve got to go.”
“Shit! He hung up on me.” Alex looked up at Sal and Tiffany standing patiently nearby. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing nerves.
“She’s with Tyler,” she said. “So at least I know she’s okay. He’s not going to let me talk to her right now, though.”
“Well, maybe that’s for the best. Let her calm down a bit and think through what she thinks she saw. She’ll realize she didn’t see you reciprocating that kiss,” Tiffany said. “Let’s get you out of here and we’ll try and come up with a strategy to get her to listen to you. You can try calling her tomorrow.”
Tiffany had already ensured Alex was processed for release and all the paperwork had been signed, so they simply gathered her few belongings and headed out of the hospital with Tiffany pushing Alex in a wheelchair, per hospital regulations.
A short time later the three of them arrived back at Sal and Tiffany’s house and the two of them helped Alex into the spare bedroom. Alex didn’t say much but kept her cell phone in her hand and repeatedly looked at it, silently willing it to ring. She fought the urge to continue making calls to Sydney, knowing they would likely go unanswered.
When Tiffany prepared pasta for dinner, usually one of Alex’s favorites, Alex ate little. She had very little appetite and spent the time simply pushing the food around her plate. Despite her mind racing with the anxiety and frustration, Alex was physically exhausted. She put up little resistance when Tiffany suggested she head for bed.
TYLER SAT DOWN beside Sydney on the couch and she lifted her head and took a deep breath.
“So who was that?” she asked.
“Alex.” Tyler said simply.
“How does she have your number?”
“I gave it to her after the flowers, just in case you or she needed anything.”
Sydney turned away, thinking of that day. Of the concern Alex had shown and how she had comforted her, stood guard for her, expecting nothing in return. How was that possible if their relationship was just a conquest? Sydney was confused by her own feelings as she tried to work through the chain of events. Soon her emotion, her anger, egged on by too much wine, again overpowered her logic.
“I hope you told her to fuck off and hung up on her.” Sydney’s anger was not backed by a lot of energy and her body fell back against the couch once again. She looked up to see a slightly shocked look on Tyler’s face. She rarely used language that caustic. He looked down at the empty wine bottle, then at his still half full glass, and Sydney realized she’d finished the last of the wine while he was on the telephone. Tyler put his arm around Sydney’s shoulders, drawing her against him, her head resting on his shoulder. Sydney couldn’t stop the tears and quiet sobs.
“I told her tonight probably wasn’t a good time for you guys to talk. But maybe you should think about talking to her tomorrow,” Tyler said quietly as he rubbed her arm and shoulder in an effort to comfort her. “Maybe there’s more to the story than what you saw.”
“Oh, I’m sure there’s more to the story than just the kiss I saw.”
Tyler and Sydney remained on the couch in that embrace, saying little. Sydney was eventually overcome by emotional exhaustion, assisted by the excessive amount of wine.
Sydney woke early the next morning with a moderate headache and cotton mouth. She found herself lying on the couch covered by a blanket, her shoes sitting beside her on the floor. She realized she had either fallen asleep or passed out on her best friend. She quietly got up, putting on her shoes and folding the blanket. She wrote Tyler a quick note thanking him for listening and promising to see him at work. Then she silently let herself out of the house and headed home.
ALEX SLEPT WELL into the next morning, though it was a restless and disturbed sleep despite the medication Tiffany had insisted she take. Her eyes came to rest on the phone on the bedside table and she fought the urge to try another call to Sydney.
She sat up, then gradually stood, testing her own strength and abilities. When she found she could stand and walk without assistance, she made her way to the bathroom across the hall. She decided that she would shower first, then call Sydney. It was almost twenty minutes later that she shut off the water and carefully climbed from the shower. Moments later she heard a knock on the door.
“Hey, Alex, you good?” Sal called.
“I haven’t had a real shower in almost a week. I needed that. Don’t worry, I’m fine. Just moving a little slower than normal, that’s all.”
“When you’re ready come on out and we’ll figure out some breakfast for you.”
Alex dressed then went back across the hall to the guest bedroom. She sat down on the bed and reached for the cell phone. Fear caused her to hesitate, but she eventually pressed the speed dial and put the phone to her ear.
When Alex arrived in the kitchen several minutes later, virtually shuffling into the room, Sal pointed to a seat at the table and put a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of her, followed shortly thereafter by a glass of juice.
“If you don’t eat all of that Tiff will have my ass,” he said as Alex sat down.
“She leave for work already?” Alex put her cell phone down on the table next to her.
“Yep.”
“Did she tell you she slipped me a mickey last night?” Alex caught Sal’s slight smile.
“She might’ve mentioned something along those lines,” he said. “We both knew there was a possibility you’d try and drive your dumb ass somewhere you don’t need to be right now.”
Alex noticed Sal pause as if debating his next words. “Did she call?” he finally asked, nodding towards the cell phone. Alex shook her head in reply.
“Did you call her this morning?”
Alex looked at Sal and then back at her plate. “I left another message,” she said, then quickly shoveled her mouth full of eggs and toast so she wouldn’t have to say anything more for a moment.
Sal sat down across from Alex at the table.
“What are you gonna do?”
“Keep calling. Try and get her to talk to me, to understand.” Alex took a deep breath. “I talked to Tyler. He said she went to work. She shouldn’t be alone right now. Something’s not right with this Garvis thing. It’s just not making sense.” Alex shook her head and picked up the phone to try again.
SEVERAL HOURS LATER, when Sydney had not returned any of the previous messages left on her cell phone, Alex called her office number. She was surprised when Cathy, the receptionist, answered the phone.
“Hi, Cathy. It’s Sergeant Chambers from the L.A.P.D. I thought I was calling Ms. Rutledge’s direct office line.”
“Oh, hi, Sergeant. Yes, you’ve got the right number. Sydney forwarded her line to my desk for the day and asked not to be disturbed. I think she’s just trying to get back in the groove of things after everything that’s happened. I’ll tell her you called the next time she opens her door.”
“Okay, uh, thanks.” Alex hung up and sighed in exasperation. She was relieved to at least confirm Sydney was safe at work, but surely Sydney couldn’t ignore her calls forever? Surely she would open up and let Alex explain at some point? Alex returned to flicking the channels on the TV remote until Sal announced he was going for a run.
“You sure you’re okay here for a while? Need anything before I head out?” he asked as he tied his running shoes.
“I’m good. Get out of here already.” As soon as he left Alex muted the television and called Sydney’s cell phone for the first time since calling her office number that morning. After ringing several times it went to voicemail.
“Syd, please call me. We need to talk. Please let me explain. It wasn’t what you think. God I miss you. Please call me.” Alex hung up when she was unsure what else to say. She looked at her cell phone for several minutes then selected ano
ther number from her contacts list.
“Hello?” Alex heard Tyler say.
“Hey, Tyler, it’s Alex again. How is she?”
“All things considered, she’s better than she was last night.”
“She won’t pick up my calls. And she’s had her office line forwarded to the receptionist. Is that just to avoid me?”
“Probably. She may not be happy that I’m talking to you either.” After a while he finally brought up the question Alex knew he’d been wanting to ask. “Who was the other woman?”
“She’s not another woman. I swear, there is no other woman, Tyler.” Alex knew her best shot was to convince Sydney’s best friend of her sincerity.
“She was my ex, from a long time ago. She came to see me at the hospital. That’s the first time I’ve seen her in over a year. I don’t know why, but for some reason she moved in and kissed me. I didn’t kiss her back and I broke it off as soon as I registered what was happening. But that’s all I think Syd saw. I tried to go after her to explain, but I couldn’t. I yelled to her to stop, but she just kept going.” Alex took a deep breath, then continued more slowly.
“God, Tyler, I feel terrible. The last thing in the world I want to do is hurt her. And Tyler, she shouldn’t be alone right now. Something’s not making sense about this whole copycat thing and Garvis.” Alex paused. “Be there for her, Tyler. If she won’t let me near her please promise me you won’t leave her alone? Not until I’m sure everything is good.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
She heard Tyler take a deep breath.
“It’s almost the end of the work day,” he said. “I’ll talk to her. Maybe I can get her to give you a call, or at least answer yours.”
“Thanks, Tyler.” Alex hung up, hoping Tyler could help her make some progress with Sydney.
SYDNEY HAD JUST finished listening to Alex’s most recent voicemail when there was a soft knock on her door. She looked up to see Tyler peeking his head into her office. She waved him in and leaned back in her chair as he closed the door and took a seat across from her without saying anything.
Sydney’s first reaction to Alex’s messages was that Alex sounded concerned and sincere and Sydney admitted to herself that a part of her, a big part, missed Alex greatly. But then the anger took over again. Anger at Alex, but also at herself for allowing herself to be so swept off her feet. Angry with herself for being jealous of a woman she didn’t even know and a relationship she didn’t understand.
When she leaned forward and looked at Tyler he handed her two telephone messages.
“Cathy gave me those when she saw me heading this way.”
The first was work related, a junior attorney calling with a question about a prior case. Then Sydney turned to the second one. It was from Alex, a message to call her. Sydney tossed both messages onto her desk and once again leaned back in her chair, rubbing her tired eyes.
“She called me too,” he said. When Sydney raised her eyebrows in question he went on. “She wanted to know if you were okay. She tried to explain to me what happened. What you saw. She tried to put it in context.”
Sydney looked at him skeptically.
“Hey, for what it’s worth, she sounded sincere. Are you going to dodge her forever?”
“I don’t know.” The angry look left Sydney’s face. “I need to figure out how I feel. What I feel. To use your words, I need to put my life and Alex’s in context.”
“She also made me promise not to leave you alone,” Tyler said. Sydney just looked at him. “She said something about Garvis doesn’t make sense.”
Sydney began to gather her files. “Well, I don’t need a babysitter, but I was going to invite you to dinner anyway.”
Chapter Nineteen
ALEX SPENT THE afternoon and into the evening hoping Tyler had a chance to talk Sydney into calling her. Anxiety and frustration had driven her almost to the point of exhaustion. She waited patiently until after dinner before finally calling Tyler once again.
“Tyler, how is she?” Alex asked without preamble.
“Listen, she’s really shaken up about this. I don’t think it’s so much anger at you as it is doubt about herself and where she fits. Part of her thinks you led her on and she’s angry she fell for it.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth, Tyler. I swear it,” Alex said in a pained voice.
“Well, it’s up to you to convince her of that,” Tyler said. “I had dinner with her and now she’s sending me home. She insists she doesn’t need a monitor.”
“You can’t leave, Tyler!”
“Well, she’s insisting on kicking me out.”
“Shit!” Alex rose from the couch and began walking toward the hallway and the guest bedroom beyond. “Don’t leave until I get there,” she said as she went to gather her belongings.
When Alex exited the bedroom with her bag she found Tiffany and Sal waiting for her near the front door. They had clearly heard part of the conversation and knew what she intended to do.
“How do you intend to get there?” Tiffany asked. “It’s not safe to drive while you’re on that medication.” She crossed her arms in defiance.
“Not a problem,” Alex replied. “I haven’t taken the pain meds today.”
“I knew it,” Tiffany grumbled under her breath. She shook her head in exasperation. “Do you have them with you at least?”
“Yeah, they’re in here somewhere.” Alex indicated to the bag she carried as she continued toward the door.
Sal walked beside her to her truck with Tiffany trailing behind. “Call if you need anything.”
“Thanks, buddy.” Alex slowly climbed into the cab of her truck. Ignoring the pain the movement caused. She started the engine and rolled down the window. “You’re handling this better than she is.”Alex nodded toward Tiffany, still standing behind Sal looking angry.
“I know you, Alex. The way I see it we were kinda lucky keeping you reined in this long.”
“She’s pissed at me, isn’t she?”
Sal turned and looked back at Tiffany. “She loves you, Alex. She’s just worried.” He reached out his hand and Tiffany finally gave in and joined him beside the truck.
“You damn well better be careful, Alex,” she said as Sal put his arm around her. “Don’t you dare ruin all my hard work.”
“I will, Tiff. I promise.”
“Good luck,” Sal added. They both waived as Alex backed from the driveway.
EXACTLY THIRTY MINUTES after leaving Sal and Tiffany’s, Alex’s phone rang. She had just turned her truck around in Sydney’s expansive driveway and backed up to face down the sloping drive. With her back to the structure she felt at least she would see anyone approaching from the street. She looked at the caller I.D. on her phone then answered as she shut off the engine.
“Yeah, Tiff?”
“Are you there?”
“Yes,” Alex said. “I just pulled up.”
“What are you going to do next?”
Alex sighed in response, letting her head fall back against the seat. “I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought that far ahead.”
“Uh-huh.”
Alex could almost picture Tiffany rolling her eyes as she spoke.
“You need to be in bed, Alex. You need to take your pain medication and get some rest. It’s the only way your body will heal. You keep going like this and you’re just going to end up back in the hospital.”
“I will, Tiff. I just...” Alex paused because she didn’t really know what to say next. She didn’t know how to express her remorse over what happened between her and Sydney. She had no idea how to explain the feeling that Garvis’s death was not the end of that horror. Alex just knew she had an overwhelming need to protect Sydney, whether the woman wanted that protection or not.
“Just get yourself some real rest as soon as possible, Alex.”
“I will, I promise, Tiff. As soon as I can. Don’t worry.” Alex signed off and slipped the phone in her pocket. “Now what?�
�� she quietly asked herself as a surge of exhaustion washed over her. The simple thirty minute drive from Sal and Tiffany’s place to Sydney’s house had taken a lot out of her. “What exactly are you gonna do now?”
SYDNEY LEANED BACK on the counter, her arms crossed over her chest. Tyler had been delaying his departure, finding every excuse to stick around. He’d insisted on helping clean up after the meal and was now wiping down the kitchen counter for the second time.
“Really, Ty,” she said. “I’m fine. I can take care of myself you know.”
Tyler looked up with a sheepish smile and shrugged. “Yeah, well—”
Sydney’s cell phone rang and she glanced at the screen, part of her somewhat disappointed that it wasn’t Alex, though she wasn’t sure if she would have answered it then. Alex’s insistent calls and pleas, and apparent non-stop concern, were slowly but surely breaking down Sydney’s stubborn barrier.
Sydney noted the call was coming from Tiffany and a spark of concern shot through her as she answered.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Sydney. It’s Tiffany.”
“Is everything okay?” Sydney asked, resisting the urge to inquire directly about Alex.
“Well...”
Concern shot through Sydney at the woman’s hesitation and the last barrier dropped.
“What’s wrong? Tiffany, is Alex okay?”
“Alex isn’t exactly cooperating with proper medical advice.”
“What do you mean?” Sydney asked. “Was she released from the hospital?”
“Unfortunately, yes. She was released yesterday.”
“What’s going on, Tiffany? Where’s Alex right now?”
“How about you go to a window and look out at your driveway. Tell me what you see,” Tiffany said.
“What the...” Sydney made her way to the front window in the living room, Tyler following behind her, gathering his jacket and keys as he went. Sydney looked out toward her driveway and saw Alex’s truck backed in. The silhouette of a solitary figure could be seen seated in the cab.
White Roses Calling Page 27
