Tesla lifted her head up off of her paw and let out one quiet "Woof!" before she put her head back down.
"Not you, too?" I said in an exasperated tone. She ignored me the whole ride home.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Alex
After Cam left the ER, I went to find Liz. Leslie had been gone looking for her for a long time, and I'd started to get worried. As I walked down the hallway toward the pharmacy, Liz rounded the corner looking much better than she had a few hours before.
"Are you okay?" I asked with genuine concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Liz said waving me off as she looked down. I could tell she was embarrassed, but I had no idea what had happened. "Just wasn't feeling very good earlier."
"That's bullshit and you know it," I said grabbing her arm and forcing her to look at me. "What's going on with you, Liz? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry, Alex," she said looking very apologetic. "I don't know what's going on, I just felt incredibly tired."
"Liz, if you have a problem..." I began not knowing how to say what I was about to say. "If you have a drug problem, I can get you help, you know."
"Me? A drug problem?" Liz said incredulously. "Jesus H. Christ, Pierce, not you, too!"
"What? You were acting strange, Liz!" I shot back as she moved away from me crossing her arms over her chest and setting her jaw.
"I don't have a drug problem," Liz said again. "I thought you were my friend."
"I am your friend, and if you have a problem, I'll help you," I pleaded. "Just tell me what's going on!"
"Go to hell, Alex," Liz said as she wiped angry tears from her cheeks before turning her back and walking away.
"What did I do?" I shouted after her. "I just want to help!"
I threw up my hands and walked back to the ER where Leslie cheerfully informed me that my shift was over and I was free to go. I went to the locker room to gather my things hoping that Liz would be there so we could talk about what had happened, but she was gone. Her locker was open and empty, and as I pulled on my coat, I wondered if I should pick up breakfast and take it to her place as a peace offering.
"Hey, Alex," Leslie called as she ran after me hold the gold box containing the roses Cam had brought. "Don't forget your flowers!"
"Oh, yeah, thanks," I said taking the box and tucking it under my arm.
"You okay?" Leslie asked. "You look a little down."
"I'm fine, just worried about Liz," I admitted. "There's something wrong and she won't tell me, but we always tell each other everything."
"I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready," Leslie reassured me.
"But what if it's too late?" I asked, "What then?"
"I'm sure if she needs help, she'll ask," Leslie said as she turned and headed back inside to the warmth of the ER. "If you need to talk, I'm here!"
I trudged home through the snow, deciding to skip breakfast and sleep. I was supposed to go out with Cam at seven, and I'd been awake for more than twenty-four hours. I shoved the image of Violet Metzler hugging Cam out of my head, and by the time I got home, it was all I could do to shed my scrubs, set my alarm and fall into a deep sleep.
I woke up before my alarm went off, and for a moment wasn't sure where I was. The sun had set and the streetlight cast strange shadows on the wall of my bedroom. I grabbed my phone and saw that Cam would be picking me up a couple of hours, so I got up and made a cup of coffee as I ran a shower.
The caffeine and hot water combined to jolt me out of my sleepy state and I decided that I wasn't going to start the evening by being mad at Cam for what Violet had done in the ER. I'd been tired and worried about Liz, so I'd read more into Cam's interaction with Violet than I should have. Besides, it was me he'd brought the flowers to, not her.
I wound my hair into a loose bun at the nape of my neck, swept black mascara on my lashes and a bit of red lipstick on my lips before I slipped into a form-fitting, little black dress that had a deep v-neck and a pair of black, patent leather stilettos. The overall effect was quite sexy and I smiled as I looked at myself from all angles in the mirror next to the front door.
Cam arrived a little while later and let out a low wolf whistle when I opened the door. He looked handsome in a grey suit that was obviously custom made since it emphasized his wide shoulders and cut in at the waist. He'd shaved, and although it looked like he'd made an attempt to tame his wild, rust-colored curls, they defied him.
"You ready to go eat?" he asked as he helped me with my coat.