Cradle Creek

Chapter 68, Oh My Love

"You know the way, right?" Katie asked for the second time in an hour. Emmie nodded. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you? I don't have to go in. I can stay in the car."

Sullenly, Emmie nodded again.

"Do you need to call ahead? What if he isn't in?"

"Katie, please stop asking questions. I love you and I know you're trying to help. If he isn't in, I'll find out when he will be. If I call, I'll have to answer questions that I'm not ready to answer. He'll ask them when I am there and that will be soon enough."

Katie wrapped Emmie in a tight hug telling her that she'll be here when she gets back.

The ringing in her ears grew as she drew closer to Cradle Creek. Twenty minutes later, she found herself sitting in her car outside Drew's clinic, unable to go in. For almost forty-five minutes, she sat watching people coming and going. A little after noon, Drew walked out of the building, waving to an unknown person. Locking the door, he turned and came face to face with Emmie.

Emmie she heard him say through the closed windows of her car.

Emmie? He tapped on her window before opening the car door.

Emmie, what's going on, she heard through muffled ears. The roaring stopped and she looked at Drew, opening her mouth to speak but stopped.

"Woah, woah, woah, hey... I've got you, Em. Come on, let's get you inside."

Helping her out, he kicked the door closed behind her. The receptionist inside unlocked the door, holding it open for them.

"Does Katie know you're here?" he asked. She nodded.

Leading her to the first exam room, he helped her to the table.

"Do I need to call Jared?" he asked, confused.

"No. He's the fucking reason I'm here," she spat.

Woah, Drew thought as he handed her a tissue. He sat on the rolling stool, waiting for her to start.

"You, uh, you never knew who Maggie cheated on you with, did you?"

Drew shrugged, "No. At first I wanted to know, but in the end, it wasn't important. Why?"

"How'd you find out? I never asked. How'd you know the guy was wealthier and better looking?" Emmie said, ignoring the question.

Drew raked his hand through his hair, thinking, "It was a long time ago, Em. In hindsight, I guess I suspected."

"I never suspected," she said.

"That Maggie cheated on me? Why would you?"

"Because Jared's been cheating on me... with Maggie."

The statement made the walls of the exam room invert on him. He heard water rush through his ears and felt his jaw drop.

No, he said. No, he repeated.

Emmie sighed, feeling a little relief escape from her, sharing her pain.

"What," he breathed. He hadn't thought of Maggie in years— he hadn't needed to think about her. A trail of unanswered phone calls, one night stands, and plenty of failed relationships separated him from her. Today, Drew was happy, healthy and for the first time, in a stable and solid relationship. Why the sudden vice grip on his heart?

Emmie said, "Drew, I am sorry. I walked in on them yesterday at his house. I have no idea who she's been with. What she's been doing. I've been faithful..."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I don't know. But I know I need you to run an STD panel on me. I have no idea where Jared has been. Where she's been. I just need to know that I am safe and healthy."

He stood, running his hands through his hair again, and started pacing the small room.

"Drew, you needed to know or maybe I just needed to tell you."

He shut his eyes tightly, slamming his palm against the cold wall. Damnit he said softly.

Turning to face his friend, he looked her up and down and said, "You're right. You're absolutely right. You need a full panel done. I can't believe he did this to you. He seemed so infatuated with you."

"I guess he was, until he wasn't."

Sit tight, he said over his shoulder as he left the room. He returned a minute later with a silver tray and phlebotomy kit. She rolled up her sleeve as he snapped on gloves. Using the rubber tourniquet, on her left arm, he pulled several vials of blood. Placing a cotton ball over where the needle was, she applied pressure and he wrapped it with bright green tape.

"Emmie, I'll rush these, but it's going to take at least forty-eight hours before I get anything back. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"No, but it still sucks."

"Yes. Yes, it does."

"I'll call you when I have something."

She laughed finally. When he raised his eyebrows, she scribbled Aunt Katie's phone number on a prescription pad as she said, "My phone is in a million pieces along the interstate."

Walking through the waiting room, she saw the after lunch appointments had started piling up. For a small town, he had a pretty steady day.