After I end the call on my end, I’m at a loss for what to do. Thankfully, I’m not alone long before Roman and the rest of his guys show up.
I’m so glad to see him that I throw my arms around him, crushing our bodies together.
“Hey. Any news yet?” he asks as I hold on to him like he’s the only solid thing in the world right now.
“Not yet.”
Finally, after several minutes, I extract myself from him and we all find a seat or, in most of the men’s cases, find a wall to prop up against while we wait in a heavy silence. There’s nothing to say, no small talk to make after the horror we all just witnessed.
In fact, the next time I speak is when Paul and his brother Steven come through the door.
“Is she okay?” Paul asks me.
“We’re still waiting,” I tell him. “Hopefully it won’t be much longer…” I say just as a man in dark green scrubs appears.
“I’m Tessa’s fiancé. How is she?” Paul asks the man.
“Her physical injuries are not life-threatening,” the doctor begins as he raises his hands and pats the air in a soothing gesture. “She’s got quite a few scrapes and bruises, and…” he hesitates, as though he is searching for the correct words. “…some trauma that is consistent with a sexual assault. Right now, she’s dehydrated, so we’re going to keep her overnight for observation. In the morning, we’ll see how she’s doing and get a mental health evaluation…”
“Wait, like a psych exam?” Paul asks.
“What Tessa’s been through was incredibly traumatic. She’s going to need to talk to a professional to deal with the events she endured over the past twenty-four hours. When we asked her how long she thought she was in the storage unit, she told us she thought it was several days rather than hours. She’s incredibly paranoid…”
“They put a tracker in her neck!” I interrupt him. “Were you able to get it out?”
The doctor pats at the air again soothingly when he replies. “We didn’t find any devices, not even microscopic ones, which leads me to believe her paranoia is extreme. She also keeps asking for blankets. I think she had eight the last time I checked.”
“Maybe she’s just cold,” Paul suggests, mirroring my thoughts exactly.
“Everyone copes with surviving a crisis differently,” the doctor says. “All we can do is be patient and ensure that Tessa receives the support she needs. And as of right now, she’s only asking that Charlotte visit. I’m very sorry,” he says to Paul. “She told me about the wedding you two had planned. It’s a shame something so awful ruined what would have been a beautiful day.”
“Ruined it?” Paul echoes. “What do you mean ruined it? Does she — did Tessa say she doesn’t want to marry me anymore?”
The doctor looks to me and says, “That was just my impression, but hopefully Charlotte can spread more light on the subject?”
“Ah, yeah,” I agree. “I’ll go talk to her and report back,” I tell Paul.
He gives a nod but doesn’t say another word. His face is just blank, like he’s trying to figure out how his future with Tessa went from bright and happy to this…not being able to see her or talk to her while she recovers from the worst possible terror imaginable.
Back in Tessa’s room, I freeze in the doorway when I realize the doctor wasn’t exaggerating. The mountain of various colored blankets layered on her is so high that I can barely see Tessa’s head sticking out of the top.
“That’s quite a collection of covers you’ve got there,” I say to try and lighten the mood.
“They wouldn’t bring me anymore,” she tells me softly. “Said they had to save some for the other patients.”
“I think you have plenty, don’t you?” I ask. When she doesn’t respond, I tell her, “So, um, Paul and Steven are both here.”
“I still can’t see him, Charlotte!” she gasps. “Please don’t make me!”
“I’m not,” I quickly assert. “No one is going to make you do anything, okay? He’s just worried about you and wants to know how you’re doing. The doctor said you told him the wedding is off.”
“It is,” she agrees.
“You’re sure? We could probably postpone for a few weeks or months, just tell the caterers and florists to all hold off…”
“I’m cancelling, not postponing,” Tessa informs me. “Will you…could you let Paul know?”
“You want me to tell your fiancé that the wedding is off?”
“Please?”
“Of course. Sure,” I say. “It’s just…he’s going to be devastated.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“This is a huge decision and you’ve been through hell. How about you just sleep on it tonight; and if you are still sure in the morning, I’ll tell him then?”
“Fine,” she agrees with a sigh. “But I’m not going to change my mind.”
My throat burns and tears fill my eyes at hearing how adamant she is about calling off the wedding. Yes, I was jealous that she was getting her happily ever after, but I still wanted Tessa and Paul to have forever together. They love each other and should get to spend their lives growing old together. Now, I just hate that Tessa may be throwing her relationship away all because of what those assholes did to her. It’s not fair. It should’ve been me they kidnapped and hurt. I don’t have a husband anymore. My life is already ruined while Tessa’s was just about to start…
“Can I get you anything? Something to eat maybe?” I offer, not sure what else to do or say.
“The nurse is bringing me a sandwich, but I’m not really hungry.”
“You should try to eat something to get your energy up. The doctor said you were dehydrated.”
“Not anymore,” she says, holding up her arm with the IV in it. “I feel like a bloated balloon with all this stuff pumping into me.”
“Well, let me know if you need anything,” I tell her. “And if it’s okay with you, I would
