Chapter 44 CHAOS: A CRAZY EX
MERRIELYNN.
I woke up slowly, blinking against the bright fluorescent lights overhead.
For a moment, I couldn’t remember where I was, and panic surged through me. But as my eyes adjusted, I noticed the sterile white walls and the faint hum of medical equipment.
The infirmary.
I glanced down and saw the IV line taped to my arm. My other arm—my injured one—was in a sling, but the bone-crushing pain from earlier was gone, replaced by a dull ache. I let out a slow breath, relief washing over me.
“You’re awake.”
Emorie’s voice was soft, but it carried a sharp edge of worry. She was sitting in a chair by my bed, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. Her usually bright face was pale, and her wide eyes were filled with concern.
“Emorie,” I rasped, my voice cracking.
She was by my side in an instant, brushing her fingers against my good arm. “I’ve been so worried. Tobias said you were—” She cut herself off, pressing her lips together like she didn’t want to say it out loud.
“I’m fine,” I said, though my voice sounded weak even to me.
“Fine?” Emorie shot back, her tone incredulous. “You dislocated your elbow, Mere! You’re lucky Tobias found you when he did.”
“Speaking of,” Tobias said, appearing at the foot of my bed. He was holding a cup of water, which he handed to me with a small smile. “How are you feeling?”
I took the cup with my good hand, grateful for the coolness of it against my palm. “Better,” I admitted. “Thank you, Tobias. For everything.”
He shrugged, but his concern was evident in the way his eyes lingered on me. “You scared me,” he said quietly. “You were bleeding a lot, and I didn’t know if…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Never mind. The important thing is that you’re okay now.”
I nodded, taking a sip of water. The cool liquid soothed my dry throat, but it didn’t ease the heavy feeling in my chest.
Tobias stepped closer, his presence steady and comforting. “Do you need anything? Food? Another blanket? Just say the word, and I’ll get it for you.”
“No, I’m okay,” I said, managing a small smile. “You’ve already done enough.”
“I’ll hang around for a bit, just in case,” he said, pulling up a chair near the door.
Emorie gave him a grateful look before turning her attention back to me. “Mere, I need you to tell me what happened,” she said softly.
I froze, the memories of the confrontation with Juniper flooding back. The slam of the door, the slap, the searing pain of my elbow dislocating—it all played in my mind like a bad movie.
“Emorie,” I started, but the words caught in my throat.
Her expression softened, but her worry didn’t fade. “You don’t have to tell me everything now,” she said, her voice gentle. “But I need to know you’re safe. I need to know what’s going on.”
I hesitated, glancing at Tobias. He caught the look and stood up, brushing his hands on his jeans. “I’ll give you two some privacy,” he said. “Mere, remember what I said. If you need anything, anything at all, just let me know.”
I nodded, watching him leave the room. The second the door closed behind him, Emorie sat back down and leaned closer.
“Okay, spill,” she said, her tone no-nonsense.
“Emorie, I…” I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “It was Juniper.”
Her eyes widened, and she sat back slightly. “Juniper? As in Cormac’s ex Juniper?”
I nodded, staring at my hands. “She cornered me in the hallway. She said she warned me to stay away from Coramc, and when I didn’t listen, she…” My voice faltered, and I gestured weakly toward my injured arm.
Emorie’s jaw tightened, her fists clenching at her sides. “I’ll kill her,” she muttered.
“Don’t,” I said quickly, reaching out to grab her hand. “She’s not worth it.”
“Not worth it?” Emorie shot back, her voice rising. “Mere, she hurt you! She could have done so much worse. What if Tobias hadn’t found you? What if—” She cut herself off, shaking her head like she couldn’t bear to finish the thought.
I squeezed her hand, trying to calm her down. “I’ll be fine,” I said softly. “She wanted to scare me, and she did. But it’s over now.”
Emorie didn’t look convinced. “What about Cormac?” she asked. “Does he know?”
“I don’t think so,” I admitted. “I haven’t told him, and I doubt Juniper would want him to find out.”
Emorie frowned, her worry deepening. “Mere, this isn’t just about Cormac anymore. You’ve got his jealous ex coming after you now. How are you supposed to handle both of them?”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I’d been so focused on my deal with Cormac, on surviving these last few days at his table, that I hadn’t considered the bigger picture. Juniper wasn’t going to let this go, and I had no idea how to stop her.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
Emorie softened, leaning forward to wrap her arms around me. “You don’t have to do this alone,” she said firmly. “You have me, and you have Tobias. We’ll figure this out together.”
I nodded against her shoulder, grateful for her support even as the weight of everything threatened to crush me.
How was I supposed to move forward when the people around me seemed determined to pull me back?
For now, though, I focused on Emorie’s steady presence and the fact that I wasn’t alone. It was a small comfort, but it was enough to keep me going—at least for today.