Page 46 of His Flash Mate
I blinked back to reality and lifted my gaze to his.
“Yeah?”
“Are you testing me?”
“What?No.I’m just having an off day.If you don’t need anything else, I’m going to…”
I pointed down the bar and drifted away before either of us could voice a reason for me to stay.
My designated ringtone for my mom—a remix of “These boots are made for walking”—started echoing from my drawer barely an hour after arriving.Shocked by the sudden sound, I fumbled to pull it out of the drawer to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Are you Abbye Elmantas’s daughter?”
“Yes.Who is this?”
“I’m with your mom.She’s been in a car accident.”
I bolted to my feet and grabbed my purse.
“Do you know if she’s taking any medications?”the man continued.
“She’s not currently.Is she okay?”I asked, already running for the elevators.
“She is awake and has been answering our questions.She hit her head and hurt her arm.We’re taking her to Phoenix Health downtown.They’ll be able to tell you more.”
“Okay.I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
The elevator never moved more slowly in my life.When I reached my car, I forced myself to pause and take three slow breaths.Between each one, I said the same thing.
“She’ll be fine.She’s awake and talking.Drive safe, or you’ll be roommates.”
After the shaking calmed a little, I drove to the hospital, beating the ambulance there.I watched them bring her in on the stretcher.
The blood on her face and a brace around her neck made my heart stop for a second, but her eyes were open, and she was talking.
When she saw me, she said, “I’m okay, baby,” and I nearly broke down.
She hadn’t called me baby since the divorce.
Everything after that happened in a weird jumble of fast and slow.The exam results took forever, as did trying to find out what had happened.A delivery van had hit her car.The driver said he hadn’t seen her.According to the police officer who spoke with me, the guy kept apologizing and asking if Mom was okay.
She was, thankfully.After a head scan, they confirmed a concussion with no brain bleed, mild contusions on her head and face from the windshield glass that had broken free, a broken left arm, and some crazy bruising from a seatbelt that saved her from a lot worse.
The nurse in charge said it would take them some time to set and splint Mom’s arm, so I let her know I’d be back and gave her my number just in case.Then, I had a short stress cry in the car because mom didn’t have any insurance and the nurse had already told me they wanted her overnight for observation.
The whole way back to work, I tried not to think of the debt we were in or how much it would cost to replace Mom’s car, which was totaled, or how much an overnight stay would cost, along with all the tests and follow up casting after the guy’s insurance paid out, or how long Mom would be out of work and would solely depend on my income.
Okay, fine.That was all I could think about.
So my mind wasn’t actually on work when I sat down at my desk again.
“Don’t bother,” Lianna said from behind me when I woke my computer.“You left without a word for three hours after I expressly warned you yesterday.This is a full-time professional position, not some back-alley food stall you can run when you feel like it.Pack your things.You’re done here.”
I was so dumbfounded and then angry that I didn’t respond as she stalked away.My gaze shifted to Whitney and Shana, but neither would look at me.
Fed up with the bullshit, I picked up my purse, started back toward the elevators, and called Miranda.She answered on the second ring.
