There was silence on the other end, then a shaky response. "Is she ok?" Hazel's voice cracked. "Oh my God. Did he? No!"
"She's stable now," Noah confirmed, his throat tightening. "She needs you. Can you come?"
The tears in Hazel's answer were clear. "Tell her I'm on my way."
When Noah returned, he didn't announce that Hazel was on her way. He just sat back down and placed her phone on the tray.
Hazel finally burst into the room. She didn't run straight to Jossy, she froze for a second at the door, taking in the bruises, the IV, the exhaustion carved into her friend's face. Her hand flew to her mouth.
"Oh, Joss!"
She took it all in. Jossy slowly lifted her head, and she held out her arms. Hazel rushed to her, careful not to move the IV line, sinking onto the bed to hold her.
"I'm so sorry," Jossy cried into her shoulder. "I should have called you after our argument. I should have left him sooner. I thought I could handle it, but.."
Hazel pulled back just enough to look her in the eye. "Don't do that. Don't you dare blame yourself. It's all his fault! But, you're here. That's all that matters."
The relief in Hazel's voice was raw, almost desperate. She brushed Jossy's hair back, her hands shaking. "I was so scared when Noah called."
That night, after nurses finished their checks, Jossy lay back against the pillow, Noah sat in silence next to her bed, and Hazel dozed off in a chair by the window.
***
After their altercation, Damien had stormed out as usual, but he finally came back to the penthouse as was the norm. At the door, he felt that something was different. One, she had not locked the entrance door, and two, all the lights were on from the corridor to the living room and their bedroom. She wasn't where he had left her, lying on the floor in the sitting room.
Was she in the bedroom? He needed to be sure. He quickly rushed to the bedroom; it was empty. The bathroom was also empty. He checked the other two bedrooms, and he was now certain she wasn't home. Then a flicker of doubt hit him. Maybe she had gone to a hospital. Yes, a hospital made sense. He thought to himself.. She once did that after one of their fights, that was typical Jossy. She was selfish and careless, always thinking about herself and never about him, or how her actions made him look. Why would she go to a hospital? He hoped she would be back before she did something stupid.
Exhausted, he threw himself onto the bed, curses spilling from his lips, until he fell asleep.
When morning came, she still hadn't returned. She was gone a full night! and no word. Damien's chest tightened, and a cold thought formed. When she comes back, I'll teach her a lesson she'll never forget.
By mid morning, she still hadn't returned. Could she have..? No, she wouldn't leave me. He thought to himself.
Damian picked up his phone and called her, and to his shock, she had blocked him. That wasn't like her. I mean, they got into fights like any normal couple, but his Jossy didn't vanish. She had never blocked him. He needed to know what transpired here after he left last night. His thoughts drifted again..
Did she leave on her own? Maybe it was Hazel! She was always a bad influence on his wife.