Igniting the Wild Sparks (32 page)

I distractedly whisper,
“Yeah, poor Rod.”

“I know. I think he’s going to have a hard time when she passes away.”

Staring at my desk, I nod. “He will. He’s already having a hard time with it now.”

“I wish there were something we could do for him,” Morgan says, walking over to the window to Rod’s normal observation spot. She adds, “The
stupid jerk shouldn’t be alone.”

That’s when I realize he’s not the only one alone. I am.

“I’m going to go down there.”

Morgan turns away from the window. “What? You’re going to drive down to Fayetteville today?”

“His mom lives in Durham.”

“Yeah, but his dad lives in Fayetteville. Eden was with him when she collapsed.”

“I’m going. He needs a friend.”

“What will Finn say?”

“He’s out of town. He comes home tonight, but he has to leave again tomorrow morning and will be gone until Sunday. That’s why he’s missing our first game.”

“Do you think he’ll be okay with you going that far
away for Rod?”

“His sister is dying. I think he’ll be
okay with me going.”

“Where’s Val?”

I shift to my computer to close out my work. “She is out for the day. She has meetings this morning and then she’s going to visit with Ali later this afternoon. I think they’re getting massages and their nails done. She’ll be busy. I’ll leave a note on her desk telling her that I’m taking a couple vacation days to help Rod. I think she’ll understand. She loves Rod.”

Morgan laughs. “And you. You’re like her daughter.”

“I wish she were my mother. Her kids are lucky.”

I visit Amos to get the name of the hospital and
to find out where Rod’s dad lives. He isn’t sure about the address, so he said he’d find out for me and give me a call. At least I can use the hospital as my destination and find a place to stay nearby. I told him not to tell Rod I’m coming so he can focus on his sister and not worry about watching out for me.

I leave Val a note, telling her where I am and that I’ll call her later, in the chance she comes back from her meetings and finds it. I map out my drive. It’s three hours away from here. Needing to get home to throw a bag together and get on the road, I shut my computer down, pick up my directions and grab my purse.

CHAPTER 14

I glance around the hospital’s parking lot for Rod’s gray truck, but the lot is so big, nothing stands out. After stopping at the Information Desk to find Eden’s room, I swing by the gift shop for a small bouquet of carnations. They seem to be a happy flower.

I’ve never met Eden, so this will be awkward for me to be here. I guess I never thought about that. She might not want a stranger here. Now my stomach is tying up in knots and I want to throw up all over my mint green T-shirt. Not a good look, so I take a deep breath and
step into the empty elevator.

When the door open to my floor, I step out and look both ways, unsure of where I’m going. I read the signs on the wall pointing
the way, trying not to peer into rooms and invade anyone’s privacy, since I’m about to do that to Eden. I round the fourth corner and see a brown-haired man in a white T-shirt with his back to me, gazing out the window at the end of the hall. A hand is in his hip pocket and the other is up at his face. Even though his hair is shorter and spiky, making him look edgier, there’s no doubt who it is. Rod.

I quietly walk to him, not knowing what to say or how to
even present myself; however, that is taken care of for me when he turns around and sees me approaching.

He
sadly sniffs, but his expression immediately morphs into confusion. “Hadders?”

Stopping in front of him,
I tentatively smile. “I think that’s me. Sometimes I go by other names.”

Rod smiles in disbelief and shak
es his head. “What are you doing here?”

I need to be strong for him.
Trying so hard not to cry, my smile broadens and I notice his accent has returned, more pronounced than when he talks about North Carolina in Richmond. I bite my lip before I whisper, “I thought you needed a friend.”

Rod’s
eyes fill with new tears. “Oh my God. You’re the best.” He bends and hugs me tight. My stomach aches, but I squeeze him back, happy to be needed and hoping he’s not telling me a lie, too.

Careful not to spill the vase of flowers, I slowly let go of him
. Still in awe, he says, “I can’t believe you’re here. Why’d you drive all the way down?”

“Is it okay that I am? I don’t want to intrude.”

He wipes his eyes with the heel of his hand and then shakes his head. “You’re fine.”

“How is she doing? Morgan said she’s not doing well.”

“The doctors put her in here as a precaution, but they said her body is so weakened from the CF. At first, they thought it was pneumonia, but it turns out to be a lung infection. The doctors say an infection or pneumonia will be what likely kills her. We just don’t know which or when. This could be it or it might be next time. It’s all a crap shoot.”

I cringe.
“I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t be here then.”

Rod clutches
my shoulder and tilts his head as a smile appears. “No. It’s cool. I’m glad you are.”

Glancing down the hall
to where a small group of people are walking to a room, I ask, “Are you sure? I can go.”

He
drops his hand and thrusts both into his pockets, nodding to a nearby room. “Yeah. Eden’s asleep. My mom is with her. They finally calmed her down with drugs.”

I gape at him. “Who your mom?”

He shakes his head and snorts. “No. Eden. She’s pissed off. She hates that we’re all hanging over her and doesn’t think she should be in here.”

I
look to the closed door and say, “She might be mad that I’m here. She doesn’t know me.”

“No, I want you to meet her. She m
ay be more civilized when it’s not a family member she’s abusing.”

“At least she’s talking.”

“Talking? Hell, she was yelling and throwing shit. They moved her to a room by herself and had to sedate her. She’s acting like she’s three, not 30. She threw one piss fit because she wanted to put more makeup on. My mom had to bring her in some to shut her the fuck up.” Rod takes his hand out of his pocket and pulls on my arm, and I trail him to a closed door. “You can meet my mom. She’s not as scary.” He grins at me as we stop at the door. “Most of the time.” He turns around, leans his back against it and pushes into the door, tugging me with him.

Inside the room, t
he shades are drawn, along with the brown and white curtain around the bed. Rod tows me with him to the other side, where a dark-haired woman with glasses is holding a magazine, looking at Rod and me, her expression inquisitive.

Rod quietly
says, “Mom this is my friend, Hadley.”

She
instantly smiles. “Your coworker?” He nods his head and smiles at me. Setting down her magazine, she offers her hand. “I’m Lizette Abramson. It’s so nice to meet you, Hadley. Greg talks about you all the time.”

I blurt out,
“He does?” Why?

Annoyed, Rod
grumbles, “Okay, Mom. Enough. Hadley came down here to see E.” He takes my vase and sets it on Eden’s tray.

His mom replies,
“You’ve been such a good friend to him. He thinks very highly of you.”

“Mom, zip your hole already!” he hisses, which makes me abruptly giggle.

As he continues to mouth his rant to his mother, I glance at the petite woman sleeping. She has an oxygen tube in her nose and an IV bag hanging next to the computer screen displaying her vitals. Her dark blonde hair is fanned over her pillow, and I notice the ends are dyed black in which her eye shadow nearly matches. Her dark maroon lips contrast heavily against her pale, porcelain skin. Even in sleep she looks rebellious. She’s nothing like I had expected.

“You came all the way down here for Eden?”
Rod’s mom asks. She looks from me to Rod, smiling tiredly. “That’s so nice of you. You’re such a good friend.”

“I wanted to be here because there have been so many times Greg has been there for me. I owe him a lot.”

He elbows me. “Shut your trap. You don’t owe me a thing.”

Lizette
asks, “Are you driving home tonight?”

“No. I thought I’d hang around for a couple days. I’m going to check into a hotel here in a bit.”

“Have you eaten?” she asks me and then says to Rod, “Your dad is in the cafeteria with Sherry and the girls if you two want to go down there.”

He
turns to me. “You hungry?”

I shrug.
“A little.” Not really.

She waves us off. “Eden will probably be asleep for a while. Go eat.”

Rod once again grabs my arm and leads me out of the room. He lets go of me as we walk to the elevator bank. “I still can’t believe you’re here. I didn’t think you’d get my message.”

My eyebrows pull together as I peer up at him. “What message?”

“I left you a voicemail telling you where I was going.” He pushes the call button and we wait.

“I didn’t get it.”

“Hadders, that phone of yours sucks major ass.” A preteen boy walks past and snickers.

I roll my eyes.
“I’ve heard. Morgan actually was the one to tell me where you were. Amos told her.”

“I bet she was glad to hear that I was gone.”

“No. She was sad to hear about Eden. She’s not evil.”

Rod
uncomfortably glances at the floor. “I know she’s not.” When he looks back up, he asks, “What did Val say when you said you were leaving?”

“
Val wasn’t there. I left her a note.” The elevator dings and we step in as an older couple exits.

“
Oh. Well, what did your boyfriend say?”

I swallow and
twist my ponytail while peering at my blurry reflection. “He doesn’t know.”

Rod’s bottom lip practically sweeps the elevator’s floor.
“What? You left without telling him where you were going and why? That’s kind of a dick move, Hadders.”

I huff, “Rod, he’s somewhere in Pennsylvania. He didn’t
even mention what city. He’s been gone since after practice Sunday and will be home tonight. And then, he has to leave in the morning to go to Kentucky until Sunday. So, he’s not really there anyway. I’ll call him later and let him know.”

“Do
n’t you think he’ll be mad?”

“Your sister is sick. He’ll understand.”

Propping his fist above the button panel, he shakes his head and ruefully smiles at me. “I don’t think Wilder will. He’s gonna blow a damn gasket.” The door opens and Rod hooks his arm through mine, once again tugging me. We walk down the hallway a short distance to the cafeteria.

Bewildered by his response, I probe,
“Why won’t Finn understand?” We enter the brightly-lit room and he stops suddenly, causing me to ram into his side as he looks around.

“There’s my dad,” Rod answers instead. I peer
across the room to a table where a blonde man wearing jeans and a white T-shirt is sitting alone eating a sandwich. Rod hauls me up behind the man and kicks the leg of his chair, making his dad look up and then over his shoulder. Rod sneers, “Hey, douche canoe.”

“I figured it was my ex-wife’s spawn I accidentally fathered,” he mutters with a chuckle. I smile as Rod once again yanks me forward.
When I completely see his dad, I take in his blonde hair, glasses, brown eyes and a graying, blonde goatee. Rod doesn’t look anything like him, but I know where Rod seems to have gotten his sense of humor.

His dad looks a little taken aback that his son ha
s company with him who witnessed their crude exchange. His face even reddens. “Hi. I didn’t know Greg had someone with him.”

“This is my friend
Hadley. This degenerate is apparently my dad.”

He sticks his hand out. “Tab Rodwell. Nice to meet you, Hadley. Greg has said nice things about you, unlike what he says about me, his supposed father.”

Rod snorts. “It’s never been proven by DNA.”

“You’re right. I need to get on that so I can get my money back.”

“You do that while I find a real psychologist instead of a dime shrink like you.”

Tab
laughs and says, “Why don’t you take Hadley and buy her some dinner instead of beating down your old man?”

Smirking, Rod says, “
Old
, being the operative word.” He puts his hands on his hips and looks around the light crowd in the cafeteria. “Where are Sherry and the girls?”

“Home. Josie has tickets to a concert
. Tabitha has a final project due tomorrow before her last day of school, and Ashley was bored. I’m gonna go back upstairs for a little while and then go home since Sherry has to work tonight. I think your mom is staying with Eden, if she doesn’t get kicked out when E wakes up. Hadley, are you driving to Richmond tonight?”

No. I’m going to get a hotel room soon.”
I tighten my ponytail as Rod’s dad stands and gathers his trash. “

Rod’s dad warmly smiles and waves his hand.
“No, you won’t. You’ll stay at my house. We have plenty of room. We have a guest room downstairs.”

I shake my head. “That’s okay. I’m fine in a hotel.”

“Please. It’s the least I can do. I insist.”

“Ha, ha, Hadders!” I uneasily scowl at Rod, which makes him laugh louder.

Tab pats my shoulder and says, “I’d better get upstairs. I’ll see you later, Hadley. And please, don’t hold it against me that Greg has my last name. It was required for the birth certificate and I lost the coin toss.” I giggle as Rod scratches his chin with his middle finger, making his dad roll his eyes with a chuckle.

“Clever, son. Did your sister teach you that one?” Which one? He has a lot.

“No. My stepmom did.” Tab laughs, shaking his head as he leaves.

Once we pick out our food and Rod shoving me out of the way at the cash register, we make our way over to the table where his dad was sitting. I pick up my salad and
Rod takes his burrito.

As I take a bite, he frowns
. “Don’t you ever eat anything besides a salad and yogurt?”

“No. It’s against my religion.” I smile down at my salad and feel his eyes rolling at me.

“How’s your stomach?” He picks at his burrito as he awaits my answer.

“Still hurts a little, but it’s better than it was.”

“Shouldn’t it not hurt so much by now?”

I transiently glance up at him between bites. “You have a pretty good swing.”

His gaze drops to the table. “Oh. Right. Sorry.”

Now feeling bad for reminding him that he was the one who hit me, I ask, “I thought you said you grew up in Durham?”

Looking up, he nods. “I did. My parents divorced when I was seven. My dad moved back to Fayetteville where he’s from because he was offered a job counseling wayward boys. He remarried and I spent time between the two cities. They’re not that far apart. I did that this Easter. Some of my time was at my mom’s and then the other was at my dad’s.”

“You have five or six sisters?”