Chapter 128

The officers asked a few more questions and excused themselves. It was clear that Jess was shaken and trying hard to keep from falling apart. Sabrina still held her hand, trying to offer her some support. Will and Spencer glanced at each other, feeling useless.
Spencer watched the scene unfold around him. He was a fish out of water. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could offer. There was no place for him in that room.
“What’s wrong?” Will asked when he noticed Spencer looked off.
“I want to help. But I don’t know what to do.”
Will looked at him for a moment. The wheels turned in his mind. From what he knew of Spencer, he was an intelligent man. The solution would come to him, but now wasn’t the time for solutions. They needed to focus on getting Emma and Jess recovered and home. He understood him, though. It was everything Will could do to remain standing. The crushing oblivion loomed closer and closer. And no matter what, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t done with this mess. Something else was coming.
“You’ll think of something,” Will assured him. “We don’t need to think that far ahead right now. Just one step at a time.”
“That’s right,” Sabrina added.
Jess opened her mouth to say something when a nurse walked in.
“I was sent to inform you all that Miss Wells is awake.”
The heavy black clouds that hung overhead parted and gave way to the first sunshine Will had ever known. It seemed everyone else also felt the same as the tone in the room lightened.
“Let’s go see her!” Jess called out.
“Oh no, Miss Royce,” the nurse said. “You need to stay in bed.”
“Listen here. I can be a great patient, or I can make your life miserable. Get me a wheelchair and take me to see my friend, now. Please,” Jess flashed a devilish smile. She looked towards Spencer and winked.
Spencer stifled a laugh. The few minutes he’d known her were interesting. Jessica Royce was interesting, indeed.
“There she is!” Sabrina cheered. “Miss, it would do her a world of good to see that Emma is okay.”
The nurse smiled and nodded. After a few moments, she loaded Jess into a wheelchair along with her IV bags, and the group walked the short distance to Emma’s room. Will’s body buzzed with the anticipation to see her again. To know that she was safe. The rounded the corner, and the nurse ushered them in.
“Miss Wells,” she said. “You have some visitors.”
The room was silent, save for the sounds of the machines. Much to their delight, she appeared to be okay. There were a few IV’s dripping into her. Other than what had already been explained to them, she was fine. Will felt as though his blood was ice and could finally begin to thaw. Emma looked over at them, a small smile lit up her face.
“Hey,” she greeted. Sabrina and Jess were the first ones to her. The three of them laughed and cried. Sabrina scolded them both for putting her through the craziest ordeal of her life.
“Don’t you two ever do this to me again!” she admonished.
“Sorry,” Emma said. “Next time I get kidnapped, I’ll make sure they return me in a timely fashion,” she giggled.
“Don’t joke like that,” Spencer said.
“There won’t be a next time,” Will added. Emma took a good look at everyone. Sabrina looked a mess. Her long hair was thrown up in a semblance of a bun. Usually bright, chocolate eyes looked dull and tired. And she was wearing a plain t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. The Sabrina she knew would never be caught in public looking like that. Sabrina treated the world like her personal runway. Seeing her in that state almost seemed to solidify how dire the situation had been.
“Damn right there won’t,” Jess said.
“Thank you,” Emma said to them. “Where is Lizzie?” Emma was anxious to see her baby. There was a fear she couldn’t shake. As though they’d gotten to her too.
“Alex is with the babies,” Sabrina answered. “I’m sure he’s waiting to hear back from us soon.”
Alex’s absence was more obvious than Will realized at first. The girls had each other for support. His best friend opted to stay behind. He’d never admit it out loud, but Will sorely needed him there. If anything, this situation had taught him how valuable friendship was. For so long he had only relied on himself. Look where it got me.
“You need to teach Will how to properly pack a diaper bag. That man packed baby ball gowns. Complete with a tiara,” Sabrina teased.
“You got her a tiara?” Emma laughed.
“Everyone needs to know she’s a princess. At all times,” Will defended.
“We’ll add ‘Packing a baby bag 101’ to the parenting curriculum”
“It was pretty bad,” Spencer added. “There may have been like one actual diaper in the bag. Even Lizzie laughed about it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Will rolled his eyes as they picked on him. “You’re just jealous my baby is better dressed than yours.”
“I want to see her,” Emma lamented. “But I think it would be best to wait until this infection clears all the way up.”
“Are you still hurting?” Jess asked.
“Not as much now.”
“I’m going to call Alex and check on the babies. And then I’m going to arrange for someone to come and fix you guys up. Just because you’re in a hospital doesn’t mean you have to look like it,” Sabrina said, placing her hands on her hips. Her friends looked terrible, and she wouldn’t stand for it.
“Oh my God,” Jess gushed. “Someone to fix this mess on my head?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Yes, girl! You know how to brighten someone’s day!”
The nurse came back in and insisted that Jess go back to her room. Rest was important for recovery. Jess bid everyone goodbye.
“You guys need to come back and visit. Especially you, Spencer. But wait until I’m dolled up. Can’t have you seeing me like this again,” she winked at him and then allowed the nurse to roll her away.
“Wow,” Emma giggled. “Spencer, you’re blushing.”
“Uh…” he scrambled for words. “Your friend is interesting.”
“I think she wants to be your friend too,” Emma wiggled her eyebrows. “Has been flirting with you like that the whole time?”
Spencer’s face went brighter red. Not even Will could resist cracking a smile.
“The entire time,” Will said, much to Spencer’s embarrassment.
“Sorry to tell you, she’s not going to let up. Unless you give her a definitive ‘no’, she’s going to keep it up. She’s bold as hell. And wait until she feels better. It’ll get much worse.”
“Oh my God,” Spencer covered his face with his hands, feeling it get redder if that was possible.
“The police may come in here to ask you some questions,” Will said, bringing the mood back down.
“I know,” Emma sighed. “Will, listen. I know you don’t want to hear this, but Grace was involved. She’s the one who did most of this to me. Her plan was to kill me and then somehow convince you that Lizzie was her baby and that you two would raise her together. If they catch her, I think she needs serious help.”
“They won’t catch her,” Will’s voice dropped.
“Please tell me you aren’t helping her. Will, please. She’s dangerous! She’s unhinged, She’s…”
“She’s dead.”
Those two words fell from his mouth like lead weights. Emma’s eyes went wide, and Spencer wished he was anywhere else but in that room.
“Will…”
“She shot herself in the head. So, she’s no one’s problem anymore. She’ll never hurt you again.”
As he sat with that knowledge, and the shock began to wane, he realized that he didn’t sad that Grace was gone. More than anything, it was the dramatic nature she chose to go in. It was a deliberate attempt to hurt him, to stay in his memory. Unfortunately, she succeeded. But not in the way she had hoped. He wouldn’t mourn her. That process began the second he learned she’d been deceiving him. But seeing that… it could have been anyone’s face and that act would have affected him the same way. It was… just a little harder to reconcile. It was harder to accept the fact that he didn’t have some blame in how she chose to end things. It would take some time, but he knew he’d get over it.
“Are you okay?” Emma whispered.
“I will be. It was… shocking.”
“You saw it?” she nearly screamed.
“Please, Emma. I don’t want to talk about her. Ever again.”
“Okay.”
Spencer looked between the two of them. The realization hit him like a freight train. It would never be him. Emma would never choose him. She wasn’t even aware of it, but she wanted to be with Will again. It was her own fear holding her back. They would be friends, of course. But being around her would be painful for a while.
It’s fine, he thought. As long as she’s happy.