Chapter 28
Jade
Jade - Send help
Trixie - ???
Jade - Just kissed Hunter in my office and if we weren’t interrupted let’s just say I wouldn’t be as wound up as I am now.
Lily - So you need help because you’re horny? I don’t think it's a good idea to sort yourself out at work Jade.
Jade - Jesus that’s not what I meant.
Beck - Wouldn’t be my first time.
Trixie - You’re disgusting.
Beck - What, late night shifts can get boring sometimes.
Lily - So what did you mean?
Jade - I meant I really need to be more professional at work but he’s making it impossible.
Trixie - Because your lady bits take over?
Jade - Yep, they’re in full control.
The rest of the day goes by in a flash and Mrs. Blanchard is more than happy with what I present her with, so I take the win, close down my computer and head for the door just as my mobile rings. I answer, “Hi, Henry, everything okay? I’m just leaving the office so I should be with you in half an hour.”
He’s breathing heavily as he takes his time answering, and my anxiety spikes. “I’m at the hospital with your mum. She hasn’t been feeling well. This cold has turned into Pneumonia, so they’ve admitted her.” I feel the blood drain from my body. I grasp hold of the door handle to steady myself as the ground shifts from underneath me.
“I'm on my way.” My voice is shaky as panic floods through me.
“Okay.” He holds on the line like he wants to say something else.
“This isn’t it, Henry. She won’t leave us. Not yet, She’ll recover. This is just a blip because her immune system’s so low because of her medication, okay?” I take in deep breaths to calm my racing heart and rush through the office my chest heaving as dread grips my heart in a chokehold.
“It’s all just getting too real. She’s my world, you both are. What…” He trails off and I can hear him trying to hold it together.
“Don’t say it Henry.” I beg my voice barely audible. “Just don’t.”
I sag into Henry’s side as we exit the hospital and he curls his arm around my waist before dropping a soft kiss to the top of my head. “Thank you.” He mumbles into my hair.
“What for?”
“Keeping me calm.” He sighs.
“I’m anything but calm Henry.” I choke out a laugh. Mum is staying in for a few days the infection isn’t too serious but the doctors want to keep an eye on her. I’m drowning in thoughts of what ifs and every worst possible scenario is running on loop in my head.
“Maybe not but you held it together in there when I was cracking. I just switched off. I couldn’t hear anything anyone was saying.” He releases a resigned breath.
“It’s okay Henry. You’re allowed to break.”
“I’m nothing without her.” His voice is strangled as he swallows.
Anxiety swirls in my belly as I know exactly how he feels.
“Let’s get you home.”
“Not sure I want to go back there just yet. The silence is deafening.” My throat clogs at his statement and I try to swallow the lump forming.
“I’ll stay for tonight if you like?”
Relief fills his sad tired eyes as he silently nods.
We stop off at my apartment to grab my overnight bag and Henry seems to have brought himself back around but when we walk up the steps to the townhouse he shares with my mum I notice his shoulders tense and he fumbles with the keys, struggling to get them in the lock. I wrap my hand around his and take them off him to let us in. I have a need to bring the mood around because Mum will be okay, I can’t think of the alternative.
She is here and she’s surviving.
“You look like shit, Evans.” I sass at Henry as I brush past him to place the keys on the kitchen counter.
He laughs. “You don’t look too fresh yourself, Wilde.” I look down at my clothes, spotting that my blouse is creased and half untucked. Checking my hair, finding that my normally perfect ponytail is to one side. Laughing, knowing I do in fact, look like shit, but not really caring.
“It’s been a bit of a night.” I chuckle as I open the fridge and hold up a bottle of wine. Henry nods in answer and I pour us both a large glass. “Talk to me, Henry. You’re not okay.” He goes to say something as he sits at the kitchen table but I cut him off. “Don’t even think about telling me you’re okay because I know you aren’t.” I hand him his glass of wine and sit opposite.
He blows out a breath looking up at the ceiling. In almost a whisper, says, “I’m so scared.” Bringing his gaze down, a lone tear runs down his cheek. “I love her so much. I know the operation went well and the tumor’s gone, but what if it comes back?” His voice breaks as he takes a moment to compose himself. “And her road to recovery is affecting her so much more emotionally than I could ever have imagined. It’s all taking its toll. I’m constantly on edge, and anxious.” He sounds absolutely exhausted. He picks up a photo album that Mum always has on our table. She says she likes to keep it where she can see it every day.
Why hide your photos away or never print them out when you can watch your life story again and again every day?
Her words roll around my head on a loop because she is right.
He flicks the pages and pauses when he reaches a particular snap his fingers caressing the outline of Mum’s face. It’s of him and Mum on holiday in Bali, both so carefree and relaxed. “I can’t think of a life without her, but lately, she hasn’t been herself. She’s so angry all the time and I’m at a complete loss as to how to help.” He sounds so lost and my heart physically aches. “I just know this slip will push her further backward.” He continues to flip aimlessly through the album before he slams it shut, pushing it away. “She’s always been in control, and it's been taken away from her. I feel so terrible for feeling this way, I’m not the one going through it.” He tugs on his hair, his frustration rolling off him in waves.
“Please don’t bottle this up, talk to me, or if not me, someone. Your health is just as important. Mum will get better; she’s too headstrong for this to stop her.” He nods with a look of pure defeat on his face. “And never feel sorry for your feelings. You’re not directly suffering from this, but you are living with it.” I reassure him. “I’m so happy that she has you looking after her but I’m going to make more of an effort to look after you too.”
Hunter - Tonight I decided it can’t be all that hard to bake a cake.
Jade - Okay?? Why are you baking?
Hunter - You seemed to like the cakes I brought in today so thought I would bake you one.
Oh. My. God. That’s fucking adorable.
Hunter - But it seems they’re harder to make than I thought.
A picture of definitely not a cake, more of a large lump of coal comes through. And I can’t help but laugh.
Jade That, Mr. Stone, is embarrassing.
Another picture comes through. He’s pouting at the camera, his hair all over the place, and has flour on his cheek. A-Fucking-dorable.
Jade - I’ll bring the cakes tomorrow.
Hunter - I think that’s wise.
I let out a deep breath . Without knowing what I’m going through he has instantly made me feel better. It’s like he knew I needed cheering up, and he did it in such a Hunter way.
Jade - Thank you.
Hunter - What for? That cake is an embarrassment.
Jade - For thinking of me.
Hunter - I’m always thinking of you.