Two Sides of Us

Chapter 8. Andrew

The moment I pulled Emily out of the water, I knew something was seriously wrong. Her eyes were unfocused, darting around as if trying to make sense of her surroundings. She mumbled about her head, her voice weak and slurred. Behind me, Rachel was screaming at the top of her lungs, accusing Emily of attacking her. The chaos was deafening, but my only concern was getting Emily to safety.

"Put her down, Andrew! I said put her down!" Rachel's shrill voice cut through the night air, but I ignored her, carrying Emily to a lounge chair by the pool. My heart pounded as I gently laid her down. Zoe and Sydney were already by my side, wrapping a towel around Emily's trembling body.

"Emily, are you okay?" I asked, my voice laced with concern. She groaned, her face pale, and then leaned over the side of the chair and threw up. Guilt twisted in my gut.

"This is bad," Zoe muttered, glancing around at the growing crowd of onlookers. "I'm calling 911."

Rachel was still yelling, her words slurred and barely coherent. "She attacked me, Andrew! That little—she's trying to steal you from me!"

I couldn't take it anymore. My patience snapped. I stood up and turned to face Rachel, my voice louder than I'd ever heard it. "Enough, Rachel! That's enough!"

The force of my words stunned her into silence. She stared at me, eyes wide, still unfocused from the alcohol. The pool area, once buzzing with activity, had quieted down, everyone too focused on the aftermath of the fight to continue their merrymaking.

"This is bad," I thought, taking in the scene. My fiancée had just assaulted a coworker—Emily, the woman I'd been struggling to understand my feelings for. The thought of how this might all play out in the office after the trip made my stomach churn.

I took a deep breath, trying to collect myself. "Rachel, go to bed. You're too drunk to be out here."

Rachel's eyes flashed with anger, but there was something else too—a brief flicker of hurt before she turned and stomped off, tears streaming down her face. I watched her go, feeling the weight of the situation settle heavily on my shoulders. This night was supposed to boost team morale, but now... now Emily was hurt.

Turning back to Emily, I knelt beside her again. "Emily, can you hear me? How are you feeling?"

She looked at me through half-lidded eyes, clearly dazed. "My head... it hurts," she whispered.

"I know, just hang in there, okay? Zoe's calling for help." I kept my voice calm, though inside, I was anything but. The adrenaline that had fueled me moments ago was fading, leaving behind a heavy exhaustion. I could feel the weight of my employees' stares, their judgment. My personal life had bled into my professional one, and the consequences could be severe.

Mark rushed over with a bag of ice. "Here, for her head."

"Thanks," I muttered, gently pressing the ice against the back of Emily's head. She flinched but didn't pull away. I could feel the tension in her muscles start to ease, just a bit, as the cold numbed the pain. Sydney took the ice from me, whispering, "This is probably best," as she took over.

We sat there in silence, the distant hum of conversation and the soft lapping of water against the pool's edge the only sounds. The minutes dragged on, each one feeling like an eternity. The distant wail of an approaching ambulance seemed too far away, too slow. I looked down at Emily, her face still pale, her breathing shallow. Guilt gnawed at me, sharper than ever. This was all my fault. If I had just kept things professional, if I had drawn the line more clearly...

"Andrew..." Emily's voice was weak, but it pulled me from my thoughts. Her eyes fluttered open, trying to focus on me. "I'm... I'm sorry..."

"Shh," I said, shaking my head. "Don't worry about that right now. Just focus on feeling better."