“We’ll call you when your fiancée is ready to go home,” the front desk nurse says as I’m on my way out. “If all the scans come back clean, he might be discharged tomorrow.”
It takes me a second to realize she’s talking to me. “Uh, thanks. I appreciate you guys taking care of him.”
She smiles. “You’ll have to show us your ring once he does get a chance to propose.”
I twist the Claddagh ring on my finger. I hope I don’t look as guilty as I feel. “Sure. Thanks again.” I book it out the sliding glass doors before she asks more questions. I’m tired of questions. I’m tired of lies. I just want to go home.
I receive the call he’s ready to be picked up the next morning.
I stare down at my phone after I hang up with the hospital receptionist. Nathan is ready to be discharged, and I’m the one they expect to pick him up. How am I supposed to get back there without Dad or Jay finding out my cover story to get into Nathan’s hospital room yesterday?
“Meredith, sweetie, it’s a phone, not a bomb,” Dad says when he looks up from completing Nathan’s amazing admissions and financial aid package and notices me staring at my phone. “What’s wrong?”
“That was the hospital,” I say. “They called me to say Nathan’s ready to be discharged.”
“And they called you?” He raises his eyebrow, but I’m lucky that a life spent in I-cannot-tell-a-lie-ville means he doesn’t get suspicious of me now.
“I guess they put me down as his contact person.” This not-telling-the-full-truth thing was getting easier. Maybe all I needed was a little practice or a good reason not to tell the full truth. “Can you take me to the hospital to pick him up?”
Dad motions at his paperwork. “Sorry, sweetie, I need to finish this up. Why not take the bus?”
I scrunch up my face and stick out my tongue. It’s the face Mom always used to warn me about it getting stuck that way. “Busing is cruel and unusual punishment for someone with bruised ribs, Dad. What else do you got?”
“What about Jay?”
Jay. Why didn’t I think of Jay? He has a car, and ski team practice is finished by now. I lean over Dad’s oversized wooden desk and give him a peck on the cheek. “Thanks for the idea, Dad.” I wave and head out the door before he can question why I didn’t think to ask my boyfriend for a ride.
I pull out my phone again to text Jay.
Me: Can’t wait to see you.
Jay: Same place, same time.
I’m grateful Jay and I always do brunch after Saturday ski practice. Me hanging around outside the boys’ locker room in the athletic department looks less suspicious that way. Me asking Jay for a little pre-brunch detour to spring Nathan from the hospital will come across better too. I wait in my usual spot until Jay emerges, freshly showered and with his blond hair slicked back.
“Hey, babe.” He leans over and kisses me on the mouth. It’s a we’re-in-a-public-place, how-you-doing kiss versus a get-a-room kiss. Jay, to his credit, is very patient with me when even I don’t think he should be after two years of dating. I guess he has a lot of distractions with school and sports that figuring out ways to get me out of my clothes ranks low on his to-do list. Mom would call that being a gentleman, so I’ll go with that theory over some other ones people come up with—like cheating on me or just not interested.
“Hey, back.” I lean into him for a moment. He smells like soap and muscle rub. “How was practice?”
Jay shrugs. “Could be better. Some of our alternates quit.”
“Sorry.” I remember to be a supportive girlfriend instead of leading with what I really want to ask him. “I know how much the team means to you.”
Jay shrugs again. “We’ll get through it.” His eyes narrow, noticing my jitterier-than-normal tick. I’ve been spinning my Claddagh ring around on my finger so much even I expect it to fly off. He motions at my hands. “What gives? If you have something to say, just say it, Meredith.”
I get right to the point since he told me to. “Do you remember the transfer student that had the accident yesterday? Nathan? Nathan Vale?”
“Was he the reason you weren’t answering my texts yesterday?” Jay’s expression darkens before he’s back to being confident, unruffled Jay. “What about him?”
“You’re right. I did spend some time with Nathan yesterday.” I go for the truth. With my track record for rotten lying, it’s easier. “The hospital staff thought we were related, so they let me hang out in his room to make sure he was okay. If he hadn’t been touring Dad’s school, he wouldn’t be in the hospital in the first place, you know?” I tuck my hair behind my ear and take a breath. Time to get to the favor-part of the conversation. “Well, he’s being discharged from the hospital this morning and needs a ride to campus. Dad suggested I enlist your help. I know we always do brunch, but this is important too. What do you say? Up for an adventure?”
“With you?” Jay grins, his bad mood vanishing as quickly as it came. “Any day.”
He slings an arm around my shoulders, and we walk together to his car. I lean against him, reminding myself I need to be a better girlfriend. When Mom died, I locked my emotions down so deep that I didn’t think I or anyone else could ever dig them up again. While Dad withdrew to throw himself into his work, Jay showered me with patience. He hasn’t unlocked my full pre-accident emotions yet, but he has scratched the surface. I owe him for bringing me back around. I owe him for making me see there is a lot of life left to live. No matter how many late nights we’ve stayed up talking, though, I’ve never once mentioned the concussion knocking loose my sixth sense. That’s my secret. I don’t know if there’s anyone I can trust with that.
We drive to the hospital in silence, content to just be near each other. I like quiet moments like this when I don’t have to fill it up with talk. I wish every day could be like this.
Nathan is sitting in a wheelchair in the lobby, dressed in the same clothes he was wearing yesterday. He holds up a handful of paperwork when he sees me.
“Thanks for coming. They let me sign myself out once the doctor gave the all clear. Emancipated minor perk. They’re making me ride in the wheelchair to the car, though.”
“Nathan, Jay. Jay, Nathan.” I introduce my boyfriend to my I-don’t-know-what as fast as possible. “Dad texted me.” I hold up my phone as proof. “Nathan, if you accept Dad’s financial aid package, he says Jay will be your new roommate.” That’s about the worst idea I’ve ever heard, but what Dad says goes. “Who’s ready to go back to campus?” I babble on. “I know I am.”
“Are you Meredith’s brother?” Nathan asks, which, come to think of it, is an honest mistake, considering Jay and I do look alike in a blond-haired, blue-eyed Nordic kind of way.
“Hardly,” Jay laughs. “I’m her boyfriend. Going on two years, right, Mer?”
I just smile and nod because that’s what Jay expects from his quiet, complacent, no-waves good girl. Even if that’s not me deep down, even if I want to break out of the box I’ve put myself in since Mom died, it’s just easier to play the part. It’s familiar. Sometimes it’s easier to stick with what you know instead of going with the unknown.