Chapter 5 #2
A single tear rolls down her cheek when she peers up at me, and the sorrow I see in her eyes just about guts me.
“She’s the reason I came back here.” Her chin quivers.
My hand moves on instinct, slowly wiping the tear away.
Her breath catches in her throat, and she pulls away, shaking her head like she’s done something wrong.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Stone.” She sniffs as she wipes at another tear. “I didn’t mean to ruin dinner.”
“You didn’t.” I smile. “And I’d really like it if you’d call me Aaden.”
She seems uncertain but gives up a small smile. “Not at the office.”
I scoot even closer, needing to be as close as possible. I reach up and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, causing her to shiver. My body comes alive, liking that my touch affects her. “No, not at the office.” I grin.
She unknowingly licks her lips, and my eyes drop to her mouth. I inhale sharply, fighting the urge to pull her into my arms and kiss her. “You never did answer my question,” my voice rumbles.
Her eyelashes flutter. “What question?” she breathes.
“Why are you nervous around me?”
The flush that I’m quickly growing to love returns to her cheeks. She lowers her eyes again. “I’m sure most girls are probably nervous around you.”
I sit quietly for a moment, watching, waiting, unmoving. I want this, whatever it is that’s sparking between us, I want it more than anything I’ve wanted in a long, long time. “I’m not interested in most girls.”
Her entire body shivers. My blood races through my veins.
It’s the perfect opportunity to kiss her, but she’s not ready.
I won’t push her. Her gaze moves to something behind me, and she frowns.
I glance over my shoulder at the man sitting only a few tables away.
He’s holding his phone at a strange angle and watching us.
I turn back to Leah. “Reporters,” I mumble.
“They’re always looking for a story on anyone remotely important. ”
She stares at me, confused.
I shake my head. “I was last year’s most eligible bachelor, according to the local magazines.”
She grins when I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “Wow, a local celebrity.”
I hated that fucking article. Women came out of the woodwork after that magazine came out. Young, old. Rich, poor. All freaking crazy. It was so bad I stopped dating for over eight months.
The waitress returns, giving her back to Leah as she speaks to me, “May I get you anything else?”
I motion to my dinner companion, and Leah shakes her head as she places her napkin on the table.
“No, thank you,” I tell the waitress without looking at her.
She places the check on the table and walks away.
After tossing several bills down, I stand and pull Leah’s chair back.
After the heavy conversation in the restaurant, I decide to keep it light as we drive back to work.
I’m so comfortable around her, it’s strange. Like I’ve known her forever. I like it.
Pulling back into the parking lot, I jump out and make my way around to open her door. She takes my outstretched hand and allows me to help her out. “Thank you for having dinner with me.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” she smiles.
I reach down and take her hand, needing that connection once again. “May I take you out again sometime?”
Her eyes dance with excitement, but before she can answer, her phone rings. She digs it out of her purse and glances at the screens. “One second,” she says as she turns slightly away. “Hey, Mom, what’s up?”
I take a few steps back, wanting to give her some privacy. I notice her body stiffening and her face turning pale. The hand holding the phone to her ear begins to shake while her other hand flies up, clutching at her chest. I’m suddenly on high alert.
“Is she alright?” Her voice sounds pitched and frantic. My heart pounds, waiting for her to tell me what's happening. “Oh God,” she whispers, her eyes filling with tears.
My hands clench into fists when tears slide down her cheeks. Her pain sets off a primal need to protect, and I fight the urge to take the phone from her.
“I’m on my way.”
“What’s wrong?” I ask the moment she hangs up. She starts digging through her purse, frantically searching for something.
“My mother. They took her to the hospital,” she sobs. “I have to get there right away. Where are my damn keys?”
I grab her hands to steady her, then force her to look at me. “I’ll drive you.” I jerk the car door open, urging her to get back in.
“No, it’s fine. I can drive. I just need to—”
I cut her off before she can finish that statement. “I’m not letting you drive like this. Please, let me take you.” She covers her face with her hands and cries harder. Her shoulders shake with each sob. My resolve breaks because nothing is more important than letting her know she can depend on me.
“Shhh. Hey, it’s okay.” I pull her into my chest and wrap my arms around her. She clings to my shirt as her body shakes. Rubbing her arms, I try to soothe her. “Let’s just get you there and find out what’s going on.”
She nods and pulls herself away from my chest. I help her back inside my car then rush to the driver’s side. It’s only a thirty-minute drive, but it seems to take forever. I know she’s freaking out—not knowing is always the worst.
Once we park, we rush inside, and Leah goes straight to the nurse's station. “Eva Ward?”
After a quick look at the computer, the nurse informs us that she’s still being assessed in the emergency room. “You’ll have to wait in there,” she says as she points to a large room. “I’ll let the doctor know you’re here.”
Leah grabs my hand as we walk to the waiting room, and I grip hers firmly, hoping to give her some of my strength.
The waiting room is packed with dozens of people, but we find a few seats in the middle of the room and settle in.
I put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my side, wanting to shield her from whatever the doctors are going to say.
After a few minutes, they call her name.
“Miss Ward?”
“Yes!” Leah shouts, jumping up and rushing over to him. I follow behind her. “How is she? Can I see her?”
The doctor motions for us to follow him.
“She was unconscious when her nurse found her. She has an anoxic brain injury. It looks like she may have hit her head when she fell. With the advanced stage of her illness, she likely got dizzy, which caused the fall. We have no idea if her brain was without oxygen at any point, but she did stop breathing in the ambulance.”
Leah covers her mouth with her hand. When she sways, I place my hands on her shoulders and pull her against me for support.
“She hasn’t regained consciousness yet, and we had to put a breathing tube in,” the doctor explains.
Leah sags against me, and I wrap my arms around her to keep her from collapsing. “Oh my God,” she sobs. I feel her pain like a knife to my chest, and I wish there was something I could do to make it all go away.
“She’s alright for now, Miss Ward,” the doctor says.
“But if she doesn’t wake up soon, we may need to consider other options.
” Leah turns and buries her face in my chest. Her body is shaking with her sobs.
I hold her in my arms, smoothing her hair down with my hand, offering any kind of support I can.
“Can she see her?” I ask, knowing I need to take charge.
“Yes, but she won’t be responsive. But talking to her will help. She’ll know you’re here. It makes a difference.”
“We understand.” I nod. The doctor swipes his badge, and the emergency room doors swing open. I push her away slightly, taking her face in my hands to steady her. “You want to go in?”
She nods, unable to speak. I wrap my arm around her waist and guide her inside.
We pass several glass doors, following the doctor past the nurse’s station.
Stopping outside of room twelve, I push the door open and lead her inside.
A strangled cry escapes her throat when she sees the pale woman lying in bed.
She looks bad. Leah drags herself out of my arms and approaches her mother.
She still looks unsteady on her feet, so I grab a chair and place it right behind her. “Here, sit down,” I say softly in her ear. While holding her mother’s hand, she does as I suggest.
“Mom, please, I’m not ready for this,” she whispers. “Not yet, please. It’s too soon.” She wipes at her tears in vain, so I grab a box of tissues and place them next to her without saying a word.
We sit for what seems like hours, but her mother never moves.
No blinking, no squeezing her daughter’s hand, no words of comfort; just the sound of the monitor beeping, the ventilator hissing, and the occasional nurse coming in and out, checking her vitals.
At some point, Leah drifts off to sleep, still clutching her mother's hand. I sit in the corner, watching the most heartbreaking scene I’ve ever witnessed.
I haven’t lost anyone close to me, and I couldn’t imagine losing a parent.
“Miss Ward.” She jumps, the doctor's voice startling her. She sits up slowly, blinking her eyes in confusion. “You should go home and get some rest.”
“What time is it?” she asks, her voice thick with sleep.
“It’s after one,” I say.
Her head jerks around, eyes wide, when she finds me sitting in a chair in the corner. “You’re still here?”
I smile and nod, lifting myself from the chair.
“We’ll call you if anything changes.” the doctor tells her. “We’re ready to get her settled into a room.”
With some reassurance from me, she agrees to leave and lets me drive her home. Once we’re back in my car, her exhaustion takes over. Her head rests against the seat, and her eyes flutter. “What about my car?” She yawns.
“I’ll take care of it. And don’t worry about coming back into work until your mother is released.”
“Thank you.”
“What’s your address?”
She drops her head back against the headrest, mumbling her address. Seconds later, she’s out, and I’m left feeling more determined to be in her life, even if it’s just for moral support. But fuck, I hope it’s for much more.