The Introvert's Guide to Speed Dating (The Introvert's Guide 2)

In the last fifteen minutes.

Oh, God. If I left now I could get there in ten and—

I couldn’t.

I had to get Leo from school.

I had to pick him up.

But Grandma was in hospital. I had to go. Could I pick Leo up early? No. I couldn’t. I couldn’t take him to hospital.

Oh, my God. What was wrong with her? What was happening?

My eyes landed on the flowers.

Ollie.

Would he—

No. I couldn’t ask him, could I?

I reread the message from Aunt Jasmine.

I didn’t have a choice. I had to ask him.

Frantically, I dialed his number. “Pick up, pick up, pick—”

“Hey! Did you get the flow—”

“Ollie!” I yelled. “Are you busy?”

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?”

“Are you busy? Are you working? I need your help.” I tucked the phone between my shoulder and ear, shoved all my things in my bag, and ran out of my office. “Please, I’m desperate.”

“No, I just got done with a meeting. What’s wrong?”

“My grandma has been taken to the ER. I don’t know what’s going on, but I need to get to her—” I broke off as my voice grew thick. I couldn’t cry now. I had to drive.

“Oh, shit. What can I do? London, what do you need? Do you need me to take you?”

“No, I need—” I ignored the stares of my coworkers as I ran out onto the sidewalk and toward the parking lot. “Leo.”

“You need me to get Leo?”

“School. I can call them now.” I could barely breathe. “I can’t take him there with me but I have to go and see her and I have no one else to ask and—”

“Calm down. It’s fine. It’s okay. I’ll get him, okay? I know where the school is. What time?”

“Half—half past,” I choked out. “I’ll call them. Tell them. They know Seb, can you take Seb? He won’t know. Can you—”

“I’ve got it. I’ll go back and get Seb, get Leo at half past, and we’ll tell everyone, okay?”

I got into my car and took a deep, shaky breath. “Th—thank you. Thank you.” A tear rolled down my cheek.

“I’ll take him home, okay? Do you have a spare key?”

“M—my neighbor. To the left. Mrs. Cooper has one.”

“Okay. I’ve got it. It’s fine.”

“Thank you.” I hung up before I burst into earnest tears. I had to get my crap together and I had to do it now before I called the school.

I did that quickly, explaining that I had a family emergency and a friend would be picking Leo up. They understood, especially when I said Sebastian would be there, and I tossed my phone to the side.

The hospital.

I had to get to the hospital.

Now.

I started the car and threw it into gear to pull out. I tore out of the lot and onto the main road, turning in the direction of the hospital. I drove faster than I had in my entire life, and there would probably be a ticket showing up on my doorstep soon, but I didn’t care.

I had to get to the hospital.

I arrived in record time and parked in the huge parking lot. I got out of the car, barely remembering to grab my purse and phone, and ran toward the building. The emergency room was clearly marked, and I ran as fast as I possibly could toward it, around the side of the monstrous hospital.

I slowed as I approached and pushed my way in. I scanned the room desperately, and my eyes finally found my family.

“What’s happening?” I asked, rushing to them. “What’s going on?”

Aunt Jasmine looked at me with red eyes. “We don’t—”

“We don’t know,” Ivy said, her voice a little stronger. “Mom got a call from the senior center that she’d been complaining of really bad chest pain on the left side.”

“They rushed her here.” Holley sat back in the metal chair. “Mom called us, and we tried to call you.”

“I was at work. I—”

“Oh, my God, Leo!” Ivy exclaimed.

Aunt Jasmine looked at me with horror. “Oh, no!”

“It’s fine,” I said quickly, sitting down with them. “I called Ollie on my way out the door. He and Seb are going to get him from school.”

They all sagged with relief.

“So… What happens now?” I asked.

Aunt Jasmine looked down. “We wait.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN – OLIVER

RULE SIXTEEN: DO ANYTHING YOU CAN TO HELP.

EXCEPT COOK. DON’T DO THAT.

“Will she be okay?” Leo looked at me across the dining table.

“I’m sure she will, mate,” I replied. I felt awful saying that because I just didn’t know. It’d been four hours since I’d collected him from school and brought him home. In that time, I hadn’t heard from London or anyone else and I hadn’t wanted to text her.

I’d also managed to burn frozen chicken nuggets, so we’d settled for takeout pizza instead.

We’d promptly agreed that London’s pizza was better.

“I hope so.” He stared at his plate. “Ollie, are you my momma’s boyfriend?”