Amanda was just about to hop in the shower when she heard frantic knocking at her door. Michelle's voice was panicked on the other side.
“Amanda, Amanda, Mr. Hill just collapsed!”
Amanda swung the door open and immediately spotted Travis downstairs, curled up on the floor. He looked miserable; she’d seen him like this way too many times before.
It’s his stomach again. If he skipped a meal, lost sleep, got stressed, or even just got upset, it would start hurting. Over the past seven years, as long as Travis was near her, Amanda had taken care of him like it was her life’s mission. She made sure he ate, slept well, stayed calm—she did everything she could.
But Travis had a life outside of her. Work trips, dinners with friends, endless social events. That’s when the problems would start up again. He brought this on himself, she thought. No matter how careful she was, she couldn’t protect him from himself.
Amanda turned to Michelle. “Michelle, call security and have him to the hospital.”
Michelle stared at her, shocked by how calm she sounded. “You’re not going with him?”
Amanda just shrugged. “I’m not a doctor. Me being there won’t change anything. Go get security, Michelle, or he really might die from the pain.”
And with that, Amanda closed the door.
Downstairs, Travis was shaking from the cramps but he’d heard every word. The coldness in her voice stung. She was indifferent to him now—just like he’d always ignored her whenever she tried to explain herself.
Michelle was flustered. She stared at Amanda’s closed door, then back at Travis writhing on the floor. Gritting her teeth, she went to find security. Amanda was right—Travis needed a hospital.
The security team got Travis to the hospital fast. By the time he came around, he was already hooked up to an IV, lying in a stark white hospital bed.
His doctor, Marcus, was one of the best—especially when it came to stomach issues. He stood at the end of the bed, looking at Travis with a half-grin.


VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Too Pretty to Be Your Backup