Fall From Grace(44)

After an hour, Shane strolled out into the waiting area with twenty-one stitches holding him together.  He leaned his elbow onto my shoulder and smiled, “Were you worried sick about me?”

I rolled my eyes.  “No, Shane.  I knew your big fat ego would block the knife somehow.”

The four of us walked out of the hospital around midnight.  Sharing a cab, we drove home in silence, the shadows of the city falling over us as we moved along the quiet streets.  Lea and I were dropped off first and the guys would continue the cab ride to their apartment.  The driver pulled in front of our building and I reached inside my jacket pocket for money, but the guys pushed the money away.

“Oh, Shane.  I forgot to mention it, but Brianna wanted me to tell you to call her.  We made her call a cab, sorry.”  I looked to Conner and Lea, “We thought it would be longer, and well, she was annoying to stare at really.”

Shane’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion, “Who’s Brianna?”

It figures!  I walked into the apartment laughing at myself for how jealous I had felt over someone Shane hadn’t cared enough about to ask her name.

Lea dropped her coat on the floor in the living room and threw herself on the couch.  “Are you okay?  Grace, that man almost... I mean, he stabbed Shane!  That could have been you,” she whispered, rubbing the back of her neck in amazement.  Her eyes welled up with tears.

I sat down next to her and put my arm around her shoulders.  “It’s okay now, I’m okay and Shane’s fine.”  I gave her a weak smile.

She brought her hand to her mouth, “I don’t know what’s more unbelievable, Alex getting arrested tonight, you getting attacked or Shane being a hero!”  She sighed and gave me a perplexed look.  “And, why in the world did you go to the bathroom solo?  That’s like, completely against the girl code or something.”

I just shrugged.  “I needed to get some air.”

Lea looked at me through squinted eyes.  “Why do I feel like you’re not telling me something?”  She sat upright on the couch and leaned forward, closer to me.

My cell vibrated and started ringing the blaring alarm sirens I programmed into it, making us both jump.  The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I did not want her thinking that Shane had gotten under my skin while I was drinking.

“Gray, you need to change that ringtone.  It scares the crap out of me every time I hear it.  Who is it, anyway?”

I grabbed my coat off the coat rack and fumbled through the pockets.  Touching the screen, I saw a number I didn’t recognize.  I didn’t answer.

“Who was it?”

“I didn’t recognize the number,” I said.  “Well, whoever it is, it has to be a wrong number.  The only person who would call me this late is you.”

My voicemail rang.  Lea looked at me expectantly.  I sighed heavily.  If she wasn’t standing there waiting, I would probably not even check the message and just go right to bed.

I touched the little voicemail icon on the screen and placed the volume on speakerphone so she could listen.  She’s the one that wanted to hear it anyway.

Shane’s low raspy voice echoed into the room.  “Grace, it’s Shane.  Give me a call back, tonight.  Doesn’t matter what time.”  There was a few seconds of silence and then, “Call me or I swear I’ll ring this phone all night.”  He chuckled and clicked the phone off.

Lea shook her head and giggled.  “Gray, he’s not going to let up.  He’s going to want payback for saving you.  A lot more than a little peck on the forehead.”