Following Me by Linde, K.A. (best books to read in your 20s .txt) 📗

thirty-two messages and fivevoice mails?  That was just absurd.  What was his problem?

Devon didn’t even want to readthe messages.  She clicked out of them and turned to the voice mails.  Thesewere all from this morning.  She shrugged and pressed the phone to her ear.

“Devon, you might hate me, butanswer your phone!”

She stopped the message, notwilling to hear the rest.  The next one started playing right after that.

“It’s Hadley.  She’s in thehospital.  She’s at Northwestern Memorial.  I don’t care if you hate me, butthink of Hadley.”

The voice mail ended, and Devonstared down at her phone in shock.  All the softness and ease of being withBrennan this morning drained out of her face…out of her whole body.  Hadley wasin the hospital.  Shit!

Devon jumped off the couch in arush, throwing her phone into her purse.  She slammed her hand down on thebathroom door just as the shower shut off.  Brennan cracked the door, holding atowel around his waist.  He was still wet, and his hair was hanging low, almostover his eyes.  She was momentarily distracted by him.

Then, she shook her head andreminded herself what was really important.  “Hadley,” she gasped out. “Garrett called, and she’s in the hospital.”

“What?” he cried, rushing pasther.  “What hospital?”

“Northwestern Memorial.”

“That’s not far from here,” hetold her.  “Let me throw on some clothes, and we’ll go.  I’ll call Jenn fromthe car.”

Devon wasn’tsure why, but her mind focused on the strangest things under stress.  Brennanhad a car?

BRENNAN KNEW HIS way aroundNorthwestern Memorial better than Devon thought most people should be able tomaneuver a hospital.  Devon was anxious and kept bumping into him as theywalked through the building.  The ride over had been extremely short.  She hadalmost felt bad taking a car, considering the L wouldn’t have been much moreeffort.  But she did enjoy watching him, albeit reluctantly under thecircumstances, driving his little Jetta Hybrid through the busy streets withhis Wayfarers on.

He found what he was looking forand approached a desk with a lanky man standing behind it.  “Excuse me, we’rehere to see Hadley Bishop,” Brennan told the man.

The man scanned his computer,running his finger along the screen.  “Ah, she’s in the ICU.  Go straight downthis hall, then turn—”

“Thanks, I know the way,” Brennansaid, cutting him off and loping down the hallway.

Devon followed at his heels,wringing her hands like a maniac.  She wished she had a pen to flip, but shehad already checked in her bag, and she didn’t find one.  Brennan walked down afew corridors and then stopped when they reached the waiting room to the ICU.

He steadied her before theywalked to the nurses’ station.  “Do you know what she’s here for?” he asked.

“Well, I have a guess.”

Brennan nodded.  “Your guess isprobably right.”

“I know,” she whispered, staringdown.

“Are you ready for this?”  Herubbed her arm.

“I don’t know.”

“I wish you didn’t have to seeher this way.  This isn’t like her.  She should have never overdosed.”

Devon gasped.  She didn’t knowwhy.  She knew that was the reason Hadley was here, but saying it out loudsounded so much worse.

Tears sprang to her eyes, and shewas suddenly glad that she was outside the room.  All the adrenaline fromgetting to Hadley was wearing off, and she felt exhausted.

Brennan’s arms wrapped aroundher, and she leaned into him, thankful that he was here, that he hadn’t goneinto work.  He kissed the top of her head, and he held her in his arms as shecried through the pain.  She was crying for more than Hadley, but the knowledgeof what Hadley had done was the most potent at the moment.  Why were thingsfalling apart?  She felt so guilty for being happy with Brennan thismorning when Hadley was suffering all alone.

“You couldn’t have done anythingabout it,” he whispered against her hair.

“I know,” she said.

“You don’t.  But she’ll be okay,and she’ll realize it was her mistake.  You can’t blame yourself.  It’s notyour fault.”  He was rocking her gently.

“I know,” she repeated.

“You can’t have this on yourshoulders, too,” he said, pulling back to examine her.

He bent down and firmly pressedhis lips to hers.  Devon sighed into him, thinking she would never get tired ofthis.

“Chin up.  Let’s go see her.”

“Alright,” she said shakily.

They turned the corner and walkedup to the nurse.

“We’re here to see HadleyBishop,” Brennan said to the nurse.

“One moment please.  Let me seeif she can have visitors,” the nurse said, staring down at her computer.  The nursespoke through an intercom to someone and waited for a response.  “Alright, youtwo can go on in.  She is in room six.  Please be mindful of the nurseworking.”

“Thank you,” Brennan said with anappreciative smile.

They walked through the door intothe ICU.  It was a large hallway of rooms with all glass doors on each side. Each room was easily accessible from the nurses’ station.  They walked down thehallway to Hadley’s room.  Just as they arrived at the glass door, Garrettwalked out and slid the door back into place.

Devon’s stomach lurched at thememory of his body covering hers.  He wouldn’t meet her eyes, and she wasglad.  He should be ashamed.  He looked the worse for wear, and Devonwondered how long he had been here with Hadley.  The pang of guilt hit heragain.

“Glad you made it,” Garrett said,finally looking at her.

She glanced away, not having thestrength to challenge him.

“We would have come sooner, butDevon’s phone was off,” Brennan said with a shrug.

“You had your phone off at work?”Garrett asked, confused.

“I didn’t have to work today,”Devon said, not sure why he even cared.

“She was already with me,”Brennan explained before Garrett could ask another question.

Garrett’s eyebrows scrunchedtogether, and his eyes wavered between them.  She didn’t want to know what hewas thinking.

“Can we see her now?” Brennanasked impatiently.

“Oh, of course,” Garrett said asif he hadn’t realized his body was blocking the entrance.  “She’s doing a lotbetter than when they first brought her in.  She’s sedated, and they pumpedeverything they could out of her system.”

Devon glanced through the glassat her best friend, and a sob escaped her throat when she saw her.  Sure, theyhad been estranged this summer, but Hadley was still her best friend.  They hadlived together for almost three years, drank at stupid frat