The room had a rectangle table against the wall, one chair against the wall while two chairs sat facing the one. I sat in the chair facing the two detectives. “Olivia.” The one guy leaned back in the chair. “I’m just going to cut right to the chase.”
I didn’t know if it was at that moment that I started to shake, or maybe it was the fact that my body went into shock, but one of them got up, walking out of the room. “What am I doing here?” I asked through my chattering teeth. The other guy came back with a blanket and a bottle of water. The first thing I’d been given in fourteen hours.
“You really have no idea what is going on?” one of them asked, and I shook my head. I tried to put the blanket around me, but my hands were shaking so hard I couldn’t even hold it.
“Your fiancé, Dominic Albano, was arrested for swindling over thirty million dollars from his clients in a Ponzi. That is just scratching the surface,” he said.
I looked at them shocked, the back of my neck suddenly heated. “What?” I asked, looking at each of them. “I don’t understand. Dominic works as an investment adviser.” I told them exactly what he told me. “He also dabbles in the stock market.”
They both chuckled. “Dabble? The man is a con artist.” He shook his head. “How much did you know?”
I looked at them. “Nothing,” I told them. “For all I know, he works with the stock market, and he is an independent investment adviser.”
“He was your fiancé,” one of them said.
“Ex,” I told them. “Ex-fiancé, which is why I was at his house yesterday. I was returning his stuff.” They shared a look, and then one looked down. “I had no idea what he was doing was illegal. Had I known, there was no way I would have actually stayed with him.” They both looked at me with blank stares. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I do know this. I had no idea, not one that he was shady as fuck. I walked in on him having an orgy last week, so I was at his place to return his stuff.” I put my shoulders back, looking straight ahead. “With that said, I want my lawyer. I have nothing to hide, but I’m not going to chance it by saying something I shouldn’t.” It took another ten hours to get me out after Dominic admitted I had nothing to do with it. I walked out of jail, not expecting the media to be there camping out as they snapped pictures.
“The doctor said she can hear everything.” I hear Kallie say sniffling, and I could swear she is crying. “So we have to keep it upbeat.” Kallie is the best friend I’ve ever had. Actually, the only friend I’ve ever had who has ever had my back. Who would have thought that after agreeing to do a Christmas special at work, the two of us would get along so well? We work for the same magazine; she is a graphic designer while I am a fashion stylist. I basically tell her what I want, and she makes it happen. We clicked so well that we decided to become roommates.
“Kallie.” I hear Jacob, and I want to laugh. I would kill to lift my hand or even wiggle my toes. I focus on wiggling my toes, expecting my feet to move. I groan in frustration when they don’t, and the talking around me stops.
“Darlin’?” I hear Casey, then feel my hand picked up, and I groan again. He brings my hand to his lips, and I want to tease him about holding my hand. But instead, my head pounds; it’s almost like there is a jackhammer in there. I groan again, and this time, my eyes flutter open. But I close them just as fast when the light is too bright.
“Too,” I say in a whisper, licking my lips, “bright.”
“Turn off the lights,” Casey orders. “Jacob, get the shades.”
I open my eyes again slowly, not knowing if I will be able to, but they flutter open again. It’s better. “Hey there, darlin’.” I look over at Casey, seeing the anguish in his eyes. I want to ask him if he’s okay. I want to ask so much, but my mouth is so dry.
“Don’t talk. Jacob went to get the nurse,” Kallie says from beside me. I look over to see her face stained with tears. I’m about to ask her if anyone else is hurt, and I suddenly start to panic, thinking maybe the man hurt Charlotte or Billy before coming to me. But a nurse swings the door open.
“Well, well, that was quite a nap.” She smiles, coming over to the side where Kallie is. “I know that one is not going to let go of your hand,” she says, motioning with her head to Casey, who just glares at her, and she laughs. “So I’m going to take your vitals on this side.” She takes my blood pressure. “How are you feeling?”
“Head hurts,” I say, closing my eyes but not for long because I’m so scared I’ll get sucked under again.
She takes off the armband, the sound of the Velcro making me wince. “Only normal. You got a big bump on your head.”
Lifting my hand, I feel my head, finding the big bump on my head. “How?”
“I think when the shot fired, you got so scared you smacked your own head into the wall,” Casey says, his voice soft, while my hand is still warm in his. He doesn’t loosen his grip on me, and I don’t move my hand away from his.
The door opens, and this time, the doctor enters with a smile. Then he looks over at Casey who glares at him. “I see we are calmer.” I look from the doctor to Casey, wanting to ask what is going on, but the door opens again. Charlotte comes in, sobbing when she sees me with my eyes open. Her hands go to her mouth as she comes over to me and almost pushes Casey to the side.
“Oh my Lord,” she says, taking my face into her hands. “You had us all worried,” she says. “Can she eat?” she asks the doctor, and the doctor just looks at her.
“I’ve never seen an emergency room overtaken by family before,” he says. I want to correct him and tell him that they aren’t my family, but for this one time, I pretend I have a family who cares. A family who would go above and beyond for each other. “If you’ll just give us five minutes to examine her, then she’s all yours,” he says. Kallie nods, turning to walk out, followed by Jacob, Charlotte, and Billy. “You are obviously going to stay?” he asks Casey, who just looks at him.
“Obviously,” he says, and I look over at the nurse who is biting her lips to stop herself from laughing out loud. The doctor takes my vitals again, then looks at me.
“You have a concussion,” he says. “Your body went into shock, which is why you were unconscious for so long.” He puts his stethoscope around his neck, tucking his hands into the pockets of his white lab coat. “As I mentioned to you”—he looks at Casey—“after you let me speak …” I look back at Casey, who just rolls his eyes. “I told you she would wake up when she was ready.”
“I heard you,” Casey says.
“If everything looks good, she can go home tonight. But,” he says, and I look at him, “it’s best if she gets rest and no television or computer.”
“For how long?” I ask him, thinking of all the work that will pile up.
“At least seven days. After seven days, if you turn on the television or computer, and you get a headache, you have to turn it off and start over at day one again,” he says. I don’t even want to think about how I’m going to work if I can’t use my computer. “If the headache is really bad, I want you to come in.”