All Things Beautiful, page 30
“Casey. Casey, can you hear me? Darling, please wake up.” Leighton repeated the words again and again. She glanced up to see a loose circle of concerned faces, except for Devin, who, even with his bleeding nose, had rolled Jeffrey onto his stomach, twisted one of his arms behind his back, and straddled him. Jeffrey would be subdued when he resumed consciousness.
“Casey, please. Please wake up. I need you. The thought of… I can’t…without you.” Leighton struggled to finish her sentence. “I can’t lose you.” She pressed her forehead to Casey’s and squeezed her hand.
Casey’s bravery left her speechless. The courage she’d showed protecting the children while sacrificing herself stunned Leighton. Her throat constricted and her eyes stung, but she refused to cry, refused to believe this was over. She cupped Casey’s face without jostling her. “Please, darling.”
Mark touched her shoulder. “Hey, the EMTs are here. Let’s give them room to do their job, okay?”
Leighton moved aside for the emergency personnel. She’d hold Casey’s hand until someone ordered her to do otherwise.
More emergency vehicles cut their sirens as they came to a halt in front of the building. The EMTs urged everyone back as they attended to the injured.
“How long has she been unconscious?” A wiry woman with short-cropped blond hair addressed Leighton as she kneeled.
“A few minutes. I’m not sure.” It felt like hours. Leighton looked to Devin for help.
He shrugged as another EMT assessed his nose.
The woman shined a light in Casey’s eyes, took her vitals, and palpated her neck.
Leighton, powerless to hurry things along, wanted to scream. Casey needed a hospital. She needed doctors. Why weren’t these people hurrying?
“BP eighty over palp, heart rate one-eighteen, sats eighty-nine percent, GCS thirteen.” The EMT held out her hand. “C-collar.”
Leighton touched the arm of another EMT tapping on a tablet. “Is she going to be okay?”
He didn’t look up. “There’s no way to know for sure until we get her to the hospital. The doctors will give you an update as soon as they can.”
“She may have an injury to the back of her head. Can you tell them that?”
“Yes, ma’am. They’ll do a thorough assessment in the ER.”
Stefan squeezed Leighton’s shoulder so hard she flinched. He pointed to the entrance.
Phoenix stood in the doorway, looking as pale as Leighton’s dress. “Somebody help. I need an EMT.” He visibly shook.
A police officer squeezed past him. “Are you injured?” She glanced around the room.
“No, my friend is.” Phoenix tugged her back outside.
“Where’s Jaiden?”
Stefan’s voice was never that high pitched. Leighton glanced around but didn’t see him.
“Who sent the alert? Has anyone seen Jaiden?” Stefan turned in a circle. “Where the fuck is Jaiden?” He rushed toward the entrance and almost slammed into the returning officer.
She elbowed Stefan aside and tapped the EMT treating Devin’s cut. “Unresponsive male out back. I can’t find a pulse. I need your help.”
“Hold this to your nose.” The EMT pressed gauze into Devin’s hand. “Someone will help you in a minute.” He grabbed his bag and jumped up.
Stefan followed them, holding on to the door for a little too long, as though his legs might not carry him.
Leighton closed her eyes. Police officers responded to car accidents and violent crimes every day. If the officer hadn’t been able to get Jaiden’s pulse…
She trembled. For the second time that night, Leighton wished she could be in two places, but she couldn’t leave Casey. She wouldn’t leave Casey. Leighton refused to think how she might lose two people in her life tonight.
Maxine’s phone clattered to the floor, but she didn’t retrieve it. Instead, she looked at Leighton with wide eyes. “The alert came from Jaiden’s phone.”
A chill ran through Leighton even though the room was already freezing because of the open door. This couldn’t be happening. Was she having a nightmare? As she fingered the stinging half-moons in her palm, acid swirled in her stomach much like the truth did in her head.
“Ma’am, you need to let go of her now.”
Leighton was semi-aware of someone unfurling her fingers from Casey’s hand. She tried to stand on shaky legs as the EMTs moved Casey onto a stretcher.
Casey looked so small.
Stefan returned, moving like he’d had his spine fused.
Leighton had never seen him so pale.
“They’re doing CPR, but…” He shook his head.
She’d been strong up until that point, but it was too much. It was all too much. Leighton’s tears dropped onto her dress.
Chapter Thirty-eight
Leighton looked up from Casey’s bedside to find Maxine in the doorway. The hospital room didn’t have a window, and Leighton didn’t know the time. She’d dozed a few times while holding Casey’s hand.
“How is she?” Maxine moved to the foot of the bed. Like her, she still wore her party attire.
Leighton shifted her stiff body in the uncomfortable chair and tugged the thin hospital blanket around her. Her dress left her chilled, and the blanket had lost its heat from the warmer hours ago.
“She regained consciousness on the way to the emergency room, and they said she was distraught. Once the doctors saw her, they gave her something to help her rest. Her neurological tests and scans came back fine, thank God.” Leighton tucked Casey’s blanket around her shoulder and tried to ignore the dark bruises springing up around her neck.
“Thank goodness.” Maxine’s sharp exhale echoed in the small room.
Leighton was so relieved Casey had awakened. It allayed some of her fears, and hospital personnel had been able to assess her condition better. Plus, if she’d remained unconscious, Leighton wasn’t sure Casey would’ve wanted her family informed, and she would’ve had to make that decision. It would’ve taken some research to find them since Casey had listed Mark as her emergency contact on her paperwork for Atelier Vaughn.
“It was an exhausting ordeal, and she’s been resting. We’ve spoken little. Her voice…” Casey sounded like a decades-long, two-packs-a-day smoker, and Leighton prayed her vocal cords would recover. “But the doctor said long-term damage was unlikely if it wasn’t apparent in the initial work-up.”
“That’s good news, and Lord knows we could use some.” Maxine set a bag on the end of the bed. “I brought you a change of clothing, a jacket, and some comfortable shoes. There are extras for her so she has something to wear when she’s released.”
“Thank you.” Leighton exchanged it with the bag under the bed that held Casey’s dress and shoes. “Could you please take her clothing with you and have it cleaned? I’ll ask her if she wants to keep it or not. Seeing it again might be triggering. I know it was for me.”
Tonight—or last night, since she had no idea of the time—she’d ruined her dress. The hem had ripped, and grime covered the lower half, but she didn’t care. Casey was her primary concern now, though Kalyssa was never far from her mind. “Where are the kids?”
“With Aileen, asleep. She texted me a couple hours ago.” Maxine moved a box of tissues and sat in the chair beside her. “I installed Kalyssa’s booster seat into Aileen’s car. She already had Andy’s from bringing him to the party. I offered to take Kalyssa, but she was adamant she wanted to stay with Andy, and I didn’t want to upset her further. If she wakes and changes her mind, Aileen has my number.”
Leighton squeezed her arm. “That’s fine. I trust Aileen. Kalyssa is protective of him, or maybe Aileen mentioned cookies before bed, so don’t let her decision get to you.”
Maxine straightened. “I’m not.”
It’d been an evening wrought with complex emotions, and they needed to go easy on one another. The events had left Leighton raw, and Maxine likely suffered from emotional exhaustion, too.
“Did you watch the recording?” Leighton dreaded asking, but she had to know. She was heartbroken over what had transpired. Never in her worst nightmares would she have imagined the man she’d married would kill one of her students. Her heart went out to Jaiden’s family likely grieving in another wing of Mount Sinai.
“Yes.” Maxine stared at the foot of the bed and didn’t elaborate.
Leighton squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. I could’ve retrieved it for the police later. You didn’t have to volunteer.”
“I wanted to, for Jaiden, and so you didn’t have to.” She looked at Leighton with tears in her eyes. “He’d just thrown two bags of trash into the dumpster when Jeffrey emerged from the shadows. Jeffrey gestured toward the front of the building, and Jaiden held out his arms like he tried to stop him from heading that way. He shoved Jaiden in the chest. Jaiden stumbled, but regained his balance and pushed him back. Then Jaiden did that football player move.” She mimicked the stance.
“The Heisman pose?” Leighton would’ve bet Maxine’s football knowledge to be nonexistent.
“Yes. That’s when he sent the alert.”
Leighton could feel her shaking. “Are you able to tell me more?”
Maxine pulled a tissue from the box. “He looked up, and Jeffrey hit him. Jaiden’s head hit the brick wall, and he landed face-down in the snow and didn’t move. Jeffrey flexed his hand for a few seconds, then stumbled to the front of the building.” A sob escaped her. “Jaiden never moved again, never picked up his phone glowing under the snow. I watched every second of the recording, including the moment Phoenix found him, the entire time they did CPR, when the medical examiner and crime scene techs did their thing, and when they took his body away. I figured we owed him, for someone to be witness to his heroic death, even if not in real-time.”
Leighton let go of Casey’s hand to wrap Maxine in a hug. On a normal day, Maxine wouldn’t allow anything so demonstrative, but tonight she cried quiet sobs into her neck while Leighton rubbed her back.
“He’s a hero. He put everyone’s safety before his own. We’ll never forget that.” Leighton had told Jaiden’s father as much when she’d spoken to him on the phone earlier. The police had already broken the news, but she wanted to offer his family her condolences. Part of her blamed herself for what happened, even though she had no control over Jeffrey’s actions. Why hadn’t she seen his true colors when she’d agreed to marry him? She hoped he’d be behind bars for a long time.
Maxine leaned back and discarded her used tissue for a fresh one. “I think we should return Jaiden’s tuition to his family. They may not need it, but they can put it toward his funeral costs.”
“I agree. It’s the right thing to do.” Leighton had been thinking the same. “When everything settles down, I want to reach out to his parents and set up a scholarship in his name. It might be nice to make it available to BIPOC students, if that’s something they’d want.”
“It’s strange to think of someone taking his place next year.” Maxine gave her nose the daintiest blow.
Casey stirred. Leighton pressed a hand to her arm, but she didn’t wake.
Maxine inhaled. “I’ve been meaning to speak to you, but it’s been so busy. I finished meeting with all the students to give them the opportunity to leave Atelier Vaughn with a full refund after what happened.” She gestured between Leighton and Casey.
Leighton’s stomach plummeted for the umpteenth time in as many hours.
“Everyone wanted to return, except Jenna.”
Leighton covered her mouth. “Oh, no.”
Maxine shook her head. “It’s not like that. She’s never fit in like your other students, and from what I’ve gathered, her father pressured her to apply. Even I noticed her paintings often left something to be desired. However, she seems to have found her calling in the gallery. Her volunteer hours double anyone else’s. She has a natural gift for charming walk-in customers and loyal clients alike.” Maxine crossed her legs. “They say that confidence comes from repeated success, and since she’s been working in the gallery, hers has blossomed. She leads all students in gallery sales, though none of the paintings sold have been hers.”
Leighton had been aware Maxine had taken Jenna under her wing, mentoring her in the intricacies and challenges of running a gallery. They appeared to have an affinity for one another. It wasn’t uncommon to find them laughing and chatting over coffee.
“She won’t be returning as a student, but I’ve offered her an internship as my assistant. Perhaps if she continues to show interest and be successful, we can offer her a job.” Maxine fluttered her hand. “I’m not getting any younger, and I won’t be doing this forever.”
Leighton mulled it over. “I like this plan, although I don’t enjoy thinking of you not being down there. How long do you think it will be before the atelier is making a profit? We’ll have to consider all these changes, although thinking about finances moments after Jaiden’s death feels wrong.” Still, she’d only gained one additional investor and not a large one at that.
“Sales at the party were more than I expected. The gallery might make a bigger name for itself than the atelier, at least at first. Give it time.”
Leighton looked at Casey. “What about her? Let’s assume she’ll make a full recovery. Do you envision her being a student next year? I’m willing to do whatever it takes to pay her tuition.”
Maxine uncrossed and recrossed her legs. “Let’s discuss that later.”
Leighton’s stomach did another nosedive.
“I watched other recordings while I was at the monitor. I wasn’t aware of the chronology of events until then. Everything happened so fast.” Maxine paused and gestured toward Casey. “She saw him first. In an instant, she picked up the kids and threw them in the elevator. I’m not exaggerating, Leighton. They say people can gain superhuman strength when under duress, and I witnessed it. She kept him at bay until the doors closed and the children were safe.”
“Yes, and I’m forever grateful, but why did she put herself in harm’s way after that? He couldn’t have gotten upstairs without a code. She knew that.” Leighton shook her head in bewilderment.
“Oh, my dear, that’s not why she held her ground.” Maxine touched Leighton’s cheek. “She was afraid you’d come downstairs.”
All the while, when she’d been so intent on getting to Casey, Casey had been protecting her. What had she ever done to deserve her? She kissed Casey’s hand. “You brave, wonderful woman.”
Casey’s nurse rolled his computer station into the room. “Has she been awake?” He secured the loose tape on her IV.
“Just that one time.”
“That’s okay. Rest is good for her. Have her use the call button if she needs anything.” He looked at a monitor and typed something into his computer before he rolled it out the door.
Maxine opened her purse and took out an unmarked, white envelope. “Please give this to her when she wakes. She’ll want it.”
Leighton turned it over. It was sealed. “What is it?”
“You’ll have to ask her.” Maxine busied herself clasping her purse closed.
Leighton set it on the hospital table beside Casey’s water and her cold cup of coffee.
“You know, I wasn’t honest with you.” Maxine fiddled with her rings.
Leighton’s mind raced. “When?”
“When we talked about your mother and me. We were never unfaithful to our husbands, but as you know, I stayed late into the night while she was in the hospital. I assumed it was because of her pain medication, but one night, she asked me to kiss her, and I did. After, I asked her why. Deborah had requested nothing like that in all our years of friendship. She said she wanted something beautiful to have when she moved on.” Maxine pressed her lips together. “She died the next morning.” A tear streaked down her cheek, but she didn’t seem to care.
Leighton slipped an arm around her. “She loved you. It makes sense that she’d want to remember the love of her life at the end.” It pleased her to know her mother and Maxine had found soulmates, even if their situation had been far from ideal.
Maxine rested her head on her shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Then Maxine stood.
“Keep holding her hand and give her that envelope. Tell her we’re all thinking about her, and neither of you needs to worry about the kids. Aileen and I will take care of them as long as it takes. Be here for her right now.” Maxine kissed Leighton’s cheek. “I love you.” She gently touched Casey’s leg, took her purse and the bag, and left.
Leighton’s phone had died, and she didn’t have a charger with her. In a bit, she’d ask if someone working at the circular desk in the hall had one. Casey’s nurse had encouraged her to get something to eat or drink, but she’d declined. She’d eat when Casey ate.
She dozed.
When she woke, fingers combed through her hair. Her head rested on something, an arm. Casey’s arm. Leighton raised her head, and Casey smiled at her.
“Hi.” Her voice sounded raspy.
Afraid of crying if she spoke, Leighton kissed the back of Casey’s hand, turned it over, and kissed her palm.
Casey motioned to the cup of water, and Leighton gave it to her. After a few sips, she licked her lips.
“Are you in pain?” Leighton rubbed the rough hospital blanket over Casey’s leg.
Casey squinted, like she took inventory. “Tired mostly.” She switched to a whisper. “My throat hurts, and I have a headache, but I think I’m okay.” She sipped her water, then handed it to Leighton. “Where’s Andy?”
Leighton squeezed her fingers. “Asleep at Aileen’s. You don’t need to worry about him.”
“Was he upset?”
“Only for a minute, but he and Kalyssa are fine, thanks to you. They watched cartoons through most of the activity. Maxine and Aileen took care of getting the kids settled. I needed to be with you.” Leighton blinked away her tears. “Maxine would’ve said if there were any problems. Kalyssa is with him. I’ll check on them in the morning, and I can bring them to visit you tomorrow. Mark will want to come, too, I’m sure. I convinced him to go home instead of sleeping on the floor at the foot of your bed.”
