Chapter 22
Elle
I sat in a hospital bed, Tess and Alice and Lexi around me. They were pleading with me, asking me to see sense.
“Go to the cops for Christ's sake Elle. The guy's f*cking dangerous. Get a restraining order against him.”
A restraining order. I'd heard it all before from many others. All of my friends back in California had sung the same tune. Now my new friends were demanding I do it as well.
“Yeah Elle, if you get a restraining order he won't be able to come near you or he'll be put in f*cking jail. Sounds like that's where he belongs.”
I didn't say a word. I'd only been awake for 10 minutes or so.
When Lexi had come running in, the world went fuzzy around me, everything fading in front of my eyes. She said I'd passed out right there in the parking lot.
She'd managed to lift me into the car and drove me to the hospital. It was nothing, I'd just fainted, but she wanted to be sure. I thanked her for that as soon as I woke.
Now it was dawning on me though. Brad was back in my life, haunting my steps. He'd been there in the audience as I danced. How long had he been watching me? How long had he been in town?
It wasn't that he'd ever made any real threats of violence against me. It was more a suggestion in the way he spoke, the way he looked at me. Back in California, and now here, he'd told me he'd always love me, that he'd never hurt me.
His actions, however, spoke otherwise.
But a restraining order? Was it even possible to get one. I had no evidence that he was stalking me, I never did. It was just a feeling I got back home, knowing his eyes were constantly searching me out. Didn't you need some sort of real threat against you to get a restraining order? Didn't you need evidence?
No one really got it. All my friends just went on what I told them, filling in the gaps and assuming he'd been violent against me or threatened to kill me or something.
The truth was, I felt kinda sorry for him. He'd loved me so much and I abandoned him. I'd hurt him more than anyone ever could. So I tolerated his stares. I tolerated it when he told me he still loved me. I tolerated it because I understood the sort of pain he must have been feeling.
That's why I left. I left so he could move on as much as I could. I left so that both of us could get on with our lives. I'd hoped that my absence would have brought him some peace, that he'd have found someone else and given up hope that I'd ever take him back.
But no. He was here. He'd tracked me down. I was back at square one.
The door to the room opened up and a nurse walked in.
“Right ladies,” she said. “You're going to have to step back and give me some room. There's a few tests I need to do.”
“But she just fainted, that's all. Can't we take her home?” It was Lexi.
“There is no such thing as just fainting. Most of the time it's harmless but on some occasions it's a symptom of a more serious problem.”
She turned her attention from the girls and onto me, her eyes consoling.
“I'm sure its nothing, but we'd like to keep you in overnight just to make sure.”
I nodded silently in the bed.
“OK girls,” she continued, turning back around, “you're going to have to leave us for a little while. You're free to stay in the waiting room if you wish, although visiting hours are almost over.”
“No, it's OK, you should all leave.” I said quickly. I didn't want to drag them all down.
“But I want to stay,” said Lexi. “Can't I stay with her overnight.” She looked around the room. “There, I can sleep in that chair.”
The nurse shook her head. “I'm sorry girls but no one can stay past 10, not unless a patient is seriously ill.”
“Lexi, it's fine, I'll be all right. I'm tired anyway so could do with the sleep.”
In truth I liked the idea of sleeping in the hospital for the night. I doubt Brad knew I was there. But he probably did know where my halls were by now.
Lexi begrudgingly nodded and stepped towards the door along with the other two.
“I'll be back tomorrow morning to take you home,” she said. She was so sweet, I loved her.
I smiled and nodded. “Thanks babe, you're a star.”
With that they all filtered out into the hall, leaving me alone with the nurse.
“So what brought this on?” she asked.
I sighed and prepared my lie. The truth would stay with me.