Dear Rosie, (Love Letters #2)

Usually I wouldn’t answer, but…

I hit accept.

“Hello?”

“Hi, um, is this Nate Waller?” a female asks.

“Who’s calling?” I ask instead of answering. The caller’s voice sounds vaguely familiar, but I can’t place it.

“This is Presley. I’m the one who works with Rosalyn.” Coldness twists around my heart. “You gave me your card at that picnic and said to call if Rosalyn ever needed anything.”

I brace my free hand on the counter. “What happened?” My throat is tight.

“Um.” Presley’s voice trembles, and I lean harder against the counter. “We—Someone—She’s gonna be okay.” She stops to suck in a noisy breath.

“Presley.” I try to snap her name, but it comes out as a whisper.

“Sorry, sorry. She’s okay. But… she’s hurt.”

That coldness crackles through my veins. “Where is she?”

“The hospital.”

“Which one?” I push away from the counter, willing my legs to keep me upright.

My Rosie is hurt.

“Just wait, okay.”

“Where’s Rosie?” My voice is stronger now.

I stride toward the front door.

“Let me explain.”

“Explain what?”

“She’s gonna need your help.” Presley’s voice cracks again. “You said to tell you if she needs help.”

Her words slice through me.

My girl is hurt and needs my help, and I’m just standing here.

“I’ll do anything for her. Just tell me where she is,” I grit out.

Presley’s exhale is rough. “They’re taking her back for a CT scan, orsomething like that, in just a moment. So even if you raced here, you wouldn’t see her.”

I stop walking and close my eyes, forcing a slow breath. “Tell me what happened.”

“I promise she’ll be okay, but I’m a crier. So I’m going to cry while I tell you this, but it doesn’t mean anything bad.” She finishes on a hitch.

“Okay.” I keep my eyes closed. “My mom’s a crier too.”

She sniffs. “So, we were loading the van, and some guy driving down the road had, like, a medical emergency or something behind the wheel.” My heart rate trips with each word out of her mouth. “Rosalyn, she… she saw them and shoved me out of the way.” Presley’s voice cracks.

My eyes open as I listen to her take another choppy breath.

I need her to keep talking.