Lie, Lie Again - Stacy Wise Page 0,24
up the glass. The urgent care should still be open. It might be a better option than the ER—less wait time. It’s probably packed tonight with the rain.” Without listening for a response, Riki pulled off her socks and stepped into her Ugg boots before grabbing a broom and dustpan from the tiny hall closet. Her clothes were already wet, so she didn’t bother taking her umbrella, which she was surprised to see was propped in the corner of the closet.
As she swept up the mess, Embry appeared, huddled beneath a kid-size umbrella. She was wearing old Levi’s and a Duke University sweatshirt. The sweatshirt must’ve been a gift from her older brother. Riki had heard all about him—the Duke University graduate and doctor. “Is everything okay over there? I heard some shouting a minute ago.”
“Sylvia slipped. She thinks she broke her wrist. I’m going to run her to the urgent care once I get this cleaned up.”
“Oh no! Do you need some help?” She turned back to grab a look at her apartment. “I can sweep that real quick. Carson’s in the playpen, and Kylie’s watching a show we just started.”
“Thanks, but it’s okay. Go back in with the kids. We’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure. Send me a text if you need anything at all. We’re here.”
Riki swept up the mess, careful to avoid stepping on the broken glass. If Brandon had been home, would he have rushed over to help? He was probably already out bartending by now. Riki had often wondered where he worked, but she’d refrained from asking. It was better to not know. The way her slippery mind worked, she’d end up an alcoholic, ordering drink after drink just so she had an excuse to sit at his bar. With a final sweep, she collected the last shards into the dustpan and walked them carefully over to the trash area.
She returned to find Sylvia with her cheek pressed to the table. The rest of her face was drained of color, just like the diluted marinara sauce. Riki’s gut reaction was to leave her undisturbed, but her sense of duty kicked in, as it always did. “Are you ready to go?”
“I’ll drive myself. You don’t have to babysit me. I’m fine.”
“Not a chance. I’ll get my keys.” She rushed to her room and tore off her wet clothing for a second time today before swiping a towel across her damp skin and wriggling back into a pair of jeans and slipping on a hoodie.
As she was about to leave, she grabbed two books from her shelf—The Devil Wears Prada and The Da Vinci Code. Either would suffice to keep Sylvia’s mind off the pain. They were old, but she’d saved her paperback copies because they were two of her favorites. She’d read whichever one Sylvia didn’t want.
“Okay, are you ready?” she asked, collecting her umbrella from the closet.
Sylvia sighed. “I suppose. Let’s go.”
The drive to the urgent care took only ten minutes, but it felt like the last stretch of a long road trip. Rain poured down and sloshed against the tires. Sylvia was silent the entire way, staring at the blurry windshield as if her force of will could get them there faster. Maybe it was the pain, but Riki got the feeling she was uncomfortable for an entirely different reason, which in turn made her anxious. Her attempts at small talk crashed and burned.
It had to be the pain. Sylvia was always pleasant. That was such a weird word. Pleasant. Nice but untouchable. That’s exactly how she thought of Sylvia. It was like living below a famous person—not a movie star but a news anchor—someone who had an air of intelligence and commanded respect. Maybe it was because she was older and always looked so polished and professional. She had been very welcoming when Riki moved to the complex. Not like Embry, but perfectly nice. And after all this time, she didn’t know her nearly as well as she knew Embry. Riki tried to recall what Sylvia did for a living. Was it marketing? Something like that. Regardless, she worked at a place that made boxes for shoe manufacturers and pizza conglomerates. But that was the extent of what she knew. She didn’t even know if she had any family nearby, and Riki had told Sylvia all about her own mom, dad, and sister on their first meeting. Had she been so eager to talk about herself that she’d failed to ask Sylvia any