Dominic lifts me off him and gets up to answer it. I run to the phone before he can reach it, wanting to deal with this fear head on.
"Hello?" My heart's beating out of my chest.
"Jessica, it's Cody."
"Why did you call this number? I told you to call the cell." I don't mean to be rude to him, but having this phone ring has me on edge.
"I couldn't remember the cell number. I can't find where dad wrote it down."
"Okay. Well, I was just heading out. Can I call you back?"
"No. We need to talk. I can't come out and get you on Saturday."
I sit down at my desk. "Why? Is the car giving trouble?"
"No." He's quiet for a moment. "Dad's in the hospital again. It's pretty bad, Jessica."
My heart, which was just getting back to a normal rhythm, speeds up again. I glance over at Dominic, who's n
