Midnight

23. Staring into the Sun

My breath rushed back into my desperate lungs as Jared carried me to the car. As if I was resuscitated from death. I fought at his arms to release me. Vomit acid rushed up my esophagus the moment I was on my feet. I hurled bending over to grasp my knees for support. Jared insisted on helping me to the car but I continued to brush his hands away. I didn't know what to think. What just happened? I reached for the door knob of the precious DBS and my unsettled stomach came up once more unto the shiny exterior of the car.

"She's throwing up a fucking weeks worth! I don't know what to do! She won't let me!" Jared yelled into the phone. Oh no!

"Stop! Stop! I'm ok!" I tried to wipe the corners of my mouth with my forehand.

"She's talking now..." Jared said into his phone. I knew who he was talking to, this wouldn't end well, he was about to go ballistic. "Come on, we need to go." he ushered me into the car, frowning momentarily at the new paint job I gave the door.

"Take slow breaths, Cala." Jared coached. I could tell I had scared him along with everyone standing outside Camilla's house watching us. I feared that if I looked out the window for Camilia I would see him again.

Jared handed me the phone. I stared at it blankly. What was I going to say to him? Dehydrated wasn't going to work this time and I could clearly remember what had just happened. I think I'm going crazy. Jared shook the phone at me insisting that I take it. I grabbed it slowly and placed it to my ear.

"Hello." my voice was nasally and annoying. God, sounding sick can only make it worse.

"Cala! I'm on my way! Are you ok? What happened?"

He was losing it. I could hear it in his husky voice. I could hear his oxfords running out of a building.

"I'm ok Ethan..."

"Don't!... Cala. Don't lie to me! Not now. Not anymore. You're not o-fucking-k!"

"I don't know what just happened Ethan. I'm sorry." My eyes wailed with tears again as my voice cracked.

"Jesus Cala, don't cry, please. I'll get there as soon as I can." he softened his immediately.

"You're coming here? To South Carolina? I thought you were in Sacramento?" I managed to clear up my tone enough to be understood.

"Yes. I'm leaving Sacramento."

"Ethan don't! I'm fine now. Finish your meeting and I'll see you at five."

"No..... no. How do you think I'm going to get anything done with you on the other side of the country in the state your in."

I hung up.

"He's unreasonable! I said I was ok! Why is he making a deal out of it!? Now I'm the reason he can't work! I didn't ask him to drop everything! I didn't ask him for anything!" I fussed not even looking at Jared.

"I know. Just calm down." Jared mediated with a controlled tone. His eyes focused on the long dirt road ahead.

"Calm down! How!? Ethan's crazy as shit! Why'd you have to call him!?"

"Hey, he called me."

"See! That's not fucking normal! He can't get shit done at work for monitoring me. I don't need looking after."

Jared pulled over on the dirt road and shut the engine of the car off. He pressed a button on the dashboard and a screen slowly slid out. Jared entered in a few numbers. Before he spoke.

"You must've missed the part back there where you were unable to breathe. The real question is; who was that man? And does Ethan need to know?" his abruptness frightened me quiet. "You haven't seen Ethan go crazy yet. If that man has done something to you, you'll meet an Ethan you won't recognize."