Seeing Red (29 page)

Jill: Awesome news, Oly. Tell me about it. What are
you shooting? Which part of the island?

Xander: JILL! Stop avoiding. You’re deflecting.
What’s your problem? You have to go.

Oliver: Yeah, Jill. You have to go. Heather’s really
excited. Do you want to let her down too?

Jill: Now, that’s a new low, using guilt to get me
to go. You know I wouldn’t want to disappoint Heather.

Xander: Whatever. Who cares about H. You ARE going,
Jill, and that’s that.

Oliver: Don’t have a pretty dress or something?

Jill: You guys are ridiculous. I’m logging off.
Bye.

She logged off, closed her laptop, and continued to
take notes with a notepad. Her mind kept drifting to the gala and
to the island instead.

Alexander was standing outside the classroom when
Jill walked out. She made a low grunt.
What now?
“You’re
going and that’s that,” he walked away and yelled over his
shoulder, from a few feet away, “with me.”

She rolled her eyes again and threw herself on one
of the red velvety couches in the student lounge.

That evening, Heather made dinner. They sat and
talked over a few beers with no males present. It was a relief.
Heather was really the epitome of a southern belle. She was proper,
sweet, and kind. She was honest without being hurtful, and her
sunny disposition was contagious.

“So, the twins’ birthday is next weekend. I haven't
spent it with them in eleven years. I don’t know what to get
them.”

“Oh honey! Let’s, throw them a party.” Heather
squealed.

“A party? I don’t know. I don’t think they’d be into
that.”

“So, let’s make it a surprise party. I’ll plan the
entire thing. Please? Pretty please?” Heather pouted and clasped
her hands together while she pleaded.

“Sure. Why not. Another?” Jill asked, pointing to
the empty beer bottle.

“Bless your heart, sugar. Who says no to beer or
wine?”

“My sentiments exact. . .”

Ten minutes later

“Ow! That’s freezing!” yelled Jillian.

“Wow. I really didn’t think that would work. One
moment you were offering me another beer and the next you’re a
statue staring into space. I was about to call Oliver.”

“What?” She yawned, confused.

“You were gone, Jillian, as in out of it. No signs
of life.”

“For how long?”

“Almost ten minutes. It would have probably been
longer had I not thrown ice water on your damn head.”

“Wow. You cursed.”

“You’re rubbing off!”

“I don’t curse anymore.”

“Yeah, right, Jill. You have the vocabulary of a
sailor. Anyway, what happened? Are you okay? You didn’t pass out. I
didn’t think the cold water would work.”

“Ha! Good to know. I don’t really rememb . . . Oh
wait. Yes, I remember something: a hospital. Shit. Shit! Give me
the phone, Heather, hurry.”

“What is going on? What hospital? Who are you going
to call?”

“I’m not sure. I think I’m going to call
Alexander.”

“You think?”

“I just saw a hospital. I think Alexander is
involved somehow, but I’m not sure. I don’t always get the full
picture, and with cold water on my head, well, I get even
less.”

“So, I should have
not
thrown cold water at
you?”

Jill shrugged. “Sorry I scared you. You must think
I’m a weirdo.” She dialed Alexander’s number.

“I already thought you were a weirdo, hon’. Knowing
that you are psychic doesn’t change anything.” Jill smiled at
Heather. She was so understanding and tolerant: a great friend.

“Pick up the damn phone, Xander!” Jill yelled into
the phone.

“You missed me, babe?” Alexander said instead of
hello.

“Thank God, you answered. Xander, are you okay?”

“Yes, of course. Why?”

“I just um . . .”

“You had a vision, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. You were in the hospital. That’s all
I remember, and it was all so faint and fast that I’m not really
even sure what I saw.”

“Could it have been Oliver instead of me?”

“I suppose, but I don’t think so; I feel it was
about you.”

“Feel?”

“Yeah. I just felt you. I’m pretty certain it was
you.”

“And I feel different than Oliver?” She had never
put thought into that, but they did. They did feel different to
her—subconsciously and in reality.

“I guess you do, because it was you, Xander. I felt
it. Anyway, I’ll call Oliver just to double-check, but promise me
that you will be extra careful tonight, okay.”

“Okay.”

“No, promise me! Please.” She pleaded, practically
shaking.

“I promise, Red. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.
Call Oliver though, okay? Just in case.”

“Okay. Bye, Xander.”

“Wait, Jill?”

“Yeah?”

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“Bye, babe.”

“Bye. And please be extra careful these next few
days. Okay?”

“Okay. Okay, good night.”

“G’night.”

She immediately called Oliver.

“It wasn’t Alexander or at least nothing has
happened to him yet. I’m calling Oliver just in case,” she
explained to Heather while the phone rang.

“Hello.” Oliver answered sleepily. It was late but
not late enough to be asleep.

“Sorry I woke you, Oly. I just wanted to check up on
you to see if you were okay.”

“I’m fine. I guess I just fell asleep watching
television. What time is it?”

Jill glanced at her watch. “10:15 p.m.”

“Wow, that was more like a coma than a nap. Anyway,
what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just got this feeling that maybe
something was wrong with—”

“Feeling?”

“Well, you know? Don’t make me say it.”

“You had a vision?”

“Yes, but it was a quick one. I just saw a hospital
and that’s it.”

“Was I in the hospital? Was I hurt?”

“No. Well, I don’t really know, but I think I sensed
Alexander. I just called him and asked him to be extra careful
tonight and for the next few days. But, since you’re twins, I could
be off, so I thought I’d call you too.”

“So you called my brother first?” It was more of a
statement than a question.

“Jeez! What is wrong with you two? I called him
first because I thought he was the one in trouble. If I had thought
it was you, I would have called you first. Regardless, who cares?
You are both fine. Thank God. Now, please be super careful for the
next few days, okay.”

“Okay. I will. I promise.”

“Hey, by the way, I’ve been reading more of the
journals. Maybe you can come over for dinner this week, and I can
tell you some island gossip I read about.”

“Sure. Sounds good. Anything important or just
gossip?”

“I haven’t read anything worthwhile or in regards to
Rocco but some juicy gossip that I think you’ll find
enjoyable.”

“I love me some gossip. See you next week.”

“Okay, Oly, I love you. Please, be careful. I don’t
know what I’d do without you.”

“Thanks for the heads up, Jillian. Love you.
G’night.” She hung up, feeling anxious and suddenly exhausted.

“So, what happens now?” Heather asked.

“Nothing. We wait and hopefully nothing
happens.”

“Don’t you think it’s already fate? You can’t change
destiny, so if you saw it, wouldn’t it happen even if you didn’t
warn them.”

“I’ve thought about that a lot during the years, but
what other options do I have? Sit and wait for someone to be
injured? At least I told them, and maybe if something were to
happen, my warning would have lessened the impact. I don’t know. I
just had to tell them.”

“I get it. You’re right.”

“I have to go to bed, Heather, after I dry off. I am
exhausted.”

“No problem, hon’. Sorry about the water. Good
night.”

It was 3:25 a.m. Thursday when the phone rang.

“Hello?” she said, her heart beating wildly. Calls
at this time were never good.

“Jillian! He had an accident; he’s at St. Joseph’s.
I’m heading there, but it’ll take me at least an hour. Please go.
Shit, I guess your vision did come true!”

“Wait, what?” She thought it was a dream.

“Please, Jill, go. I’m on my way. Take your cell
phone.”

“Is he okay?”

“Damn it, Jill. Go! I don’t know.”

“Oh my God, I’m on my way.” She hung up and grabbed
the first thing she saw: a pair of raggedy jeans, a t-shirt with
the university logo, and black Converse sneakers. She shook so hard
that she fell trying to put them on.

Thump!

“Hey, what’s going on? I heard a noise.” Heather
walked in sleepily.

She didn’t even realize she was sobbing. “Oliver
called. Xander had an accident. I need to go to the hospital. I
wasn’t able to help him. He ended up exactly where I saw him.”

“Wait. I’ll go with you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“You’re shaking. You can’t even put on your pants.
Let me just get dressed.”

Five minutes later, they were in Heather’s car,
headed to the hospital. “I’m sure he’s fine, Jill. Try to
breathe.”

Jill couldn’t speak. What would she do if something
happened to Alexander? She was so mean to him. She kicked him out
of her life. He had practically professed his love, and she turned
around and kicked him in the ass—over and over again.

They arrived at the hospital in less than twenty
minutes. She ran in with Heather right behind her.

“I’m here for . . .” She trembled so badly that she
couldn’t speak.

Heather spoke to the nurse at the reception, “We’re
looking for someone that had an accident: Alexander Jacobs.” The
lady typed his name. An eternity passed, and Jill felt as if her
legs would buckle.

“I’m sorry . . .” That’s all Jill heard. I’m sorry
always preceded “
but he didn’t make it.”
Everything went
black and she passed out. Heather caught her just in time. Her head
spun. The nurse rushed around the reception area and helped her to
the nearest chair. She called something into a phone, and seconds
later, another nurse was by Jill’s side, giving her something to
smell.

“Ma’am, are you okay? Do you hear me?” The nurse
said, hovering over Jill.

“Sweetie, are you okay?” said Heather. “You need to
say something, Jill. You’re white as a ghost.”

“Xander’s dead?” She barely got the words out.

“You didn’t give me a chance to finish ma’am. I was
trying to say that I’m sorry but there is no one here by that
name.”

“What?” Did she misunderstand the name of the
hospital? “Aren’t we at St. Joseph’s? Was anyone brought in for a
motorcycle accident?”

“No ma’am.”

“Very tall man. About 6’3” with blue eyes, dark
blond hair that goes to about his chin?”

“We have a Jacobs that somewhat fits that
description, but that is not the correct name, and I can’t give you
the name due to privacy laws, and . . .” The nurse kept babbling
and as she babbled . . .

“Give me a phone! Someone . . . I need a phone!
Where is my cell? “She was frantic. She looked at her caller ID,
and the phone number listed was not a familiar number. She pressed
redial.

A woman, sleepily, picked up. “Hello.”

“This is Jillian Stone. I’m a friend of Oliver and
Alexander Jacobs. Were you just with an Oliver or Alexander
Jacobs?”

“Yes, Alex was just here but rushed out. Who’s
this?”

Click. Jill hung up. She hadn’t bothered asking who
it was when the phone rang at three in the morning. When the caller
had said that she was right about the vision, she assumed it was
Oliver saying that she had been correct in thinking it was
Alexander who was hurt. Now that she thought it over, the caller
probably just meant that she was right about an injury and the
hospital. Jill didn’t realize that it was Alexander, not Oliver,
who had called. That meant that Oliver was in the accident, not
Alexander.

“Excuse me, ma’am. Ma’am! Is that person that was
brought here with the last name of Jacobs . . . was . . . is . . .
his name Oliver?”

“Yes. Are you family?”

“Yes.” She suddenly felt a jumble of emotions:
guilt, relief, fear, anguish and most importantly love. She felt
guilty at being so relieved that it was not Alexander who had been
hurt. She had yet to even ask if Oliver was alive. She was
overwhelmed by the love she now felt for Alexander. She couldn’t
believe she hadn’t realized it before.
Fuckity Fuck. Fuck! I
love Alexander.
It wasn’t even a question anymore. All
confusion was gone. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind. She
felt anguish because she knew how Oliver felt about her, and she
knew that she could never act on her feelings for Alexander. It
caused her more guilt to think that Oliver, her constant, her rock,
was in the hospital and she thought all these things for another
man. Not just for another man, for his own brother. His twin
brother!

Heather stared at her. Jill’s emotions were probably
playing on her face like a movie reel. The hysteria of it being
Alexander wasn’t the same now that she knew it was Oliver, but she
was still frantic for Oliver because she loved him. She loved him
unconditionally. She loved him because he was her family, and she
loved him for Alexander, because if something happened to Oliver,
Alexander would be torn to a million little pieces. She needed to
find out how he was doing. She needed information.

“Please tell me he’s okay?” She asked the nurse,
calmer this time.

“He was in a bad car accident and unconscious. He’s
in intensive care. That is all I can tell you right now. I’ll let
the attending physician know that you’re here. You are?”

“I’m Jillian, his sister.” She lied without even
batting an eyelash.

She paced back and forth, waiting for someone to
tell her something. Heather had gone to get her coffee. She waited
and waited, and it turned to be the longest hour of her entire
life.