Faker - Sarah Smith Page 0,41
head. “She’s listed in my contacts as ‘My Best Mate Kait (lin).’”
“Cute.”
I hear Tate leaving what sounds like a voice mail message before I slip into a light sleep.
eleven
A shrieking gasp jolts me awake. I squint my eyes open and see Kaitlin standing over me. Her mouth hangs wide and her eyebrows are pinched together. I know that expression well. It’s her signature horrified look.
“Oh my God.” She covers her mouth with her hand and grips the bed railing with the other. “I rushed here as soon as your coworker called me.”
“Um, why?” I look around for Tate, but he’s nowhere to be found.
She shoots me an annoyed, dumbfounded look. “Because you’re in the hospital.”
“Didn’t he tell you that I’m fine?” I’m half speaking, half moaning.
“Emmie, get real. You are not fine. You’re in the hospital, for crying out loud.”
I hold up the morphine drip button. “I have pain meds. I’m set.”
She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. She’s wearing a pink hoodie zipped over gray yoga pants and flip-flops. Guilt hits. She must have dropped everything and rushed to see me the moment Tate called her. I feel bad for being the cause of her worry.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Her frown is one of utter confusion.
“For making you worry. You didn’t need to drop everything to come here. I know you’re busy with Libby—”
She cups her hand over my mouth. I smack it away.
“Stop. You’re my best friend and you’re sick. Of course I’m going to drop everything to check on you.”
“What about Libby, though?”
“She’s with Ethan’s mom.” She pulls a chair to the bed and sits, then sniffles.
“Cold?”
She shrugs. “Libby caught a cough and runny nose from day care. And, of course, that means I get it too.” She pulls a tissue from her pocket and wipes her nose. “I feel terrible you’re going through this alone. You should have called me when you first got to the hospital yesterday. I would have driven like a bat out of hell to be with you.”
“I wasn’t alone. Tate drove me here and checked me into the ER. He waited with me the whole day while they examined me and admitted me, and when the doctor talked to me.”
She flashes a relieved smile. “I’m glad.” A moment later her lips purse. “Wait, you said Tate helped you? Tate is the guy who called me?”
I nod.
“I thought you didn’t like him? I thought you said he was insufferable?”
I shift, pushing the covers off my chest. “Yes to both of those statements.”
“Did something happen to change things between you two?”
I contemplate telling her about the kiss in his car, but I don’t want to get into it here.
“He’s just trying to be nice.”
“I wonder what brought on the sudden kindness.”
I’m wondering the same thing. “Where did he go?”
“There was no one else in the room when I walked in.”
“Maybe he went home.” An unexpected ping of disappointment hits. I have no right to feel this way. He’s done more than enough for me and deserves to enjoy what little is left of the weekend.
Kaitlin starts to ask another question, but Tate walks back in, cup of coffee in hand. “Oh. Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize!” Kaitlin pulls him into a hug. He’s wide-eyed as his arms hover over her back, barely touching her. I chuckle at how his large, muscled frame swallows her petite body.
“This is Kaitlin,” I say.
She returns to my side. “Thank you for taking care of Emmie.”
“Of course. Here, I’ll step outside and give you two some privacy.”
Tate walks out of the room. When Kaitlin turns to face me, her jaw is wide open. “Holy hell,” she says in a loud whisper.
“What?”
“He is gorgeous. Why have you never mentioned how good looking he is before?” She steals another glance at the doorway.
I roll my eyes. “I never really thought about it. I was too busy being annoyed at him to notice.”
She plops on the foot of the bed and raises an eyebrow at me. “I’d bet good money he likes you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
She counters with a knowing smirk. “A man would never spend an entire Saturday taking care of a woman he can’t stand.”
I shake my head, but inside I wonder if what she says is true. She pats my leg and checks her phone.
“Thank you for coming to check on me, but you should go pick up Libby.”
“I told you. I can stay.”
“It’s fine. I’m fine.”
“You sound like a broken record.”
I clutch her hand. “Kaitlin, don’t push yourself. You’re sick. You