The Seduction of Alex Parker(14)

Chapter 11


Emerson

After going for a late-night swim, I grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. As I was walking through the living room, I saw Alex lying on the couch. I didn’t even know he was home.

“Are you okay?” I stopped and asked.

“I’m fine. Just go to bed, Emerson,” he spoke in his annoying, commanding voice.

“Are you sure? You don’t look too well.”

“I said I’m fine. It was a long day and I’m tired.”

“Okay. Good night.” I walked away and he didn’t say a word.

When I got up the next morning at six a.m., I noticed Alex was still on the couch, asleep. I made a pot of coffee and went to my bedroom to get dressed. When I came back out, I saw him sitting up. He looked as pale as a ghost.

“Are you okay?” I asked in a panic.

“I don’t know. My heart is racing, my head is killing me, and my vision is blurry.”

“Are you having chest pains?”

“A little bit.”

“I’m taking you to the hospital, Alex.”

“NO! I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”

“Not up for discussion, you stubborn ass.”

I ran up the stairs and opened the door to what I thought was his bedroom, but ended up being his office. I closed the door and opened the one further down the hall. Holy shit! His bedroom was huge! I’d never seen anything like it. Going over to the dresser, I opened all his drawers until I found a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I ran down the stairs to him.

“Here. You need to get dressed,” I spoke as I pulled the t-shirt over his head.

“Did you go through my things?” he angrily asked.

“Yes, I did. Now shut the hell up and help me put on your pants. You could be having a stroke or a heart attack.”

He didn’t say a word as I helped him up from the couch, grabbed my purse, and helped him to Adam’s car. Opening the passenger door, I told him to get in. I drove to the hospital as fast as I could. Maybe I should have called an ambulance, but I could get him there faster. Weaving in and out of traffic, laying on the horn at stupid people who didn’t know how to drive, and checking on him every second I could, I pulled up to the emergency room and yelled for help. Two nurses came running out with a wheelchair and took him inside. I followed behind.

“Excuse me, but are you his wife?”

“No.”

“Then you’re going to have to wait in the waiting room. We’ll call you in as soon as we can.”

I rolled my eyes and took a seat in the waiting room. I didn’t have time to think about my reaction to being here until after Alex was taken away. My focus was on getting him here before he possibly keeled over and died. With shaking hands, I grabbed a cup of coffee from the lousy coffee machine in the waiting room and attempted to drink it without spilling it all over my clothes. I paced back and forth, watching the people who were here with loved ones stare at me with sadness in their eyes.

“For Alex Parker?” A nurse walked into the room.

“Yes.”

“You can follow me.”

She led me down the hall and to the room where Alex was lying in a bed. He looked pissed as hell when I walked into the room.

“You may stay until the doctor comes in,” the nurse spoke.

The room, the faint beep of the machine that Alex was hooked up to, and the smell were bringing back so many memories. Memories that sent me straight into a panic attack.

“Emerson, are you okay?” Alex asked.

I couldn’t breathe and my heart was racing a mile a minute.

“Emerson!” Alex yelled. I couldn’t answer him. He yelled for the nurse and she came running in, took one look at me, and led me over to the window.

“See that tree outside? Stare at it and breathe. Focus on nothing else. That tree is your focal point,” she spoke as she lightly held on to my arm.

My breathing was returning to normal and I was coming out of my attack.

“There you go, honey. Sit down in this chair and relax for a minute.”

I looked at Alex, who had a pained look on his face.

“Do you normally have panic attacks?” the nurse asked.

“I used to. But it’s been several years.”

“Do you know what set it off?”

I slowly nodded my head. “This place.”

“I’m going to get you some water. Sit tight.”

She left the room and I once again looked at Alex.

“What the hell just happened?” he asked.

“I can ask you the same thing,” I replied.

A man walked in and introduced himself as Dr. Malone.

“Are you his wife?” he asked.

Why the hell does everyone keep asking me that? “No. I’m his houseguest.”

“Then I’m going to have to ask you to step out of the room.”

I looked over at Alex. “I’ll call Phillip to come pick you up.” I got up from my seat and walked out, practically running out like hell. I pulled my phone from my purse and took a seat outside on the bench.

“Phillip, it’s Emerson. I took Mr. Parker to the ER and I need you to pick him up.”

“Is he okay?”

“I think so.”