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“What’s going on between you and Josh?” Asking blunt, personal questions was usually territory that Nate stayed away from. Mainly, because he didn’t feel like people’s private lives were any of his business. And usually he didn’t care. But he was curious. Still, he knew if Bailey wanted to talk about it she would, and if she didn’t, she wouldn’t.
“Nothing is going on.” She stated, her voice and facial expression void of emotion. “Absolutely nothing.”
“You know I’m here. If you want to talk.”
“I wish there was something to talk about.”
Her cryptic answers weren’t sitting right with him and he was going to push further when his grandma startled him, appearing at his side seemingly from nowhere.
“I texted you nine-one-one.” Panic filled her voice. “You didn’t answer.”
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw that he’d missed several calls from her as he explained, “It’s still on silent from the rehearsal. What’s wrong?”
If this emergency had anything to do with not being able to find her glass of wine, he was going to have to sit her down for a very serious talk.
“It’s Eliza. She said she wasn’t feeling well and went to rest. You need to go check on her. She’s lying down in the sitting room. It’s the second door to the left off the foyer.”
His heart began racing with adrenaline. “Bailey.” He motioned for her to follow him.
“No!” Nana yelled, stopping both he and Bailey in their tracks. “Bailey doesn’t need to go.”
“Yes she does. She may need medical attention,” he rushed to explain as he caught a strange exchange passing between Bailey and his grandma.
“I think it is more of a,” Nana’s voice lowered as she leaned into them, “lady problem. I think she might be uncomfortable with Bailey checking on her since she doesn’t know her.”
“She wouldn’t feel more comfortable with a woman?” This didn’t make sense.
“Just go,” Bailey instructed with an authority that he’d only ever heard her use when she was in scrubs at the hospital or naked in his bed. “My phone’s on. If you need me, just call.”
Nate’s mind was telling him something was off. Something wasn’t right. But, that part of him was drowned out by the voices screaming at him to go find Eliza and make sure she was okay.
He didn’t waste any time doing just that. He made it across the dining hall with speed that even he didn’t know he possessed. When people tried to stop and talk to him, he ignored them. The blinders he had on would only let him see one thing: Eliza. He needed to get to her and make sure she was okay.
As he approached the large, wooden arched door, his entire body was on full alert. His chest was so tight it felt like it was in a vice being squeezed and his limbs were tingling with adrenaline. He kept trying to tell himself that Nana had a tendency to exaggerate situations, but his internal pep talk was falling on deaf ears. All he could hear was the pounding of his heart and the rushing of his blood.
Desperation to find her flooded through him. He needed to find her. See her. Touch her. Hear her tell him she was okay.
He tried to push the door open but it didn’t budge. Panic exploded through him as he tried again. Determined to put all of his strength behind his next push he turned the knob as he leaned back and to his shock the door opened out instead of in. He rushed inside. All he could make out was that it was small and dark. Before his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he heard Eliza’s panicked voice call out, “No, don’t shut the—”
The walls shook from impact as the door slammed shut just as he made out her small frame reaching out towards him.
“Door,” she finished quietly, slumping in defeat.
