Chapter 21
In spite of his infallible memory, Collin almost failed the Contracts test. Fifteen minutes into his exam, he awakened when his head bobbed in his hand, which was propped up by his elbow on the desk. A string of drool extended from the corner of his mouth. He wiped his face on his shirtsleeve and picked up the pen, which had slipped from his fingers to the floor. With a stimulating slap to his own face, he blinked, focusing on the first question.
The sleepless night was only partly the result of his late-night activities keeping him out of bed until the wee hours of the morning. When Olivia failed to answer her cell phone, he had decided to visit her in person, knowing he needed to speak to her before she left for the hospital. He didn’t know what he was going to say, but it would certainly involve groveling at her feet and begging for forgiveness. He made the trek across town, splurging for an Uber to hasten his progress.
No one answered the intercom at the main entrance, when he buzzed her apartment. He waited, sending call after call and text after text to her unresponsive cell phone. At last, another resident arrived to open the lobby door, and he slipped inside and bounded the seven flights of stairs to her apartment. Again, however, his efforts were fruitless, though he pounded on the door and called her name until a neighbor stuck his head out and threatened to call the police. Dejected, Collin was about to abandon his quest, when the door to Olivia’s apartment cracked open and a woman with bloodshot eyes and hair askew blasted him with a few choice expletives.
“I’m sorry.” He backpedaled at her fury. “I was looking for Olivia Marshall.”
“She moved out.” Her face disappeared into the darkness, and the door shut with a clunk that echoed in the open stairwell behind him, leaving Collin alone in his abject misery.
A wretched figure, he returned home and fell, exhausted, into his bed, but sleep never came. All night, he listened to reruns of his cruel phone conversation and imagined the stricken and wounded expression on Olivia’s face. When morning came, he shut off his alarm before it rang, splashed cold water on his face, and dragged himself to the early-morning appointment Steven had arranged with his good friend, Dean Whittier. Adrenaline kept Collin awake through the course of the meeting. A few hours later, however, sitting in the front row of the testing room, his burning eyes struggling to focus on the page before him, he surrendered, at last, to his exhaustion. Fortunately, he awakened in time to complete the test.
As instructed, Collin waited until the last person had turned in their final examination and left the classroom before approaching Burkhalter’s desk. On his professor’s face was the customary smug expression, though he regarded Collin with wary eyes.
“Mr. Sterling. A little slow today, aren’t you?” He held out his hand for Collin’s final. “What grade do you expect to receive?”
Collin glanced toward the door, anticipating Dean Whittier’s arrival at any moment. Uncertain how he should proceed, Collin decided to stall for time.
“I’m not sure what grade you plan to give me, Professor Burkhalter, but I earned a perfect score on this exam.”
“I doubt that.” Burkhalter wiggled his fingers, as if to encourage Collin to hand the test over.
Collin held the pages out of reach. “Professor Burkhalter, I want to apologize for using my cell phone during your lecture that day. But you do realize that was my only infraction for the entire semester, right? I’m uncertain how we became fast enemies.”
“I assure you, Mr. Sterling, you’re not my enemy, any more than a single ant could be my enemy. However, this conversation is becoming tiresome. Your time is up. If you don’t hand in your examination immediately, I’ll be forced to give you a zero on your final.”
“And if I do hand it in? What will you do?”
As Burkhalter stretched the corners of his lips, Collin pondered what exactly made the difference between a smile and a sneer. His was most certainly a sneer, with a slight curl to the upper lip. Amazing that such a minute physical modification could produce such disparity in meaning.
“If you hand in your test, I will grade it, as I will grade every other examination in this pile.” He pointed to a stack on his desk.
“And will you give me a fair grade?”
“I’ll certainly give you the grade you deserve. But my patience grows thin, Mr. Sterling.”
The sound of the door clacking open made both of them jump. Collin blew a long stream of air, relieved to see Dean Whittier stride into the room, his glower darker than his bronze skin.
“Thank you for waiting, Collin. I’m sorry I was delayed.”
If Burkhalter was shocked by Whittier’s arrival, he hid it well. His sneer morphed into an ingratiating smile. “Dean Whittier, I assume you read my latest recommendation concerning Mr. Sterling. I should have his examination graded within thirty minutes, and the results will be on your desk.”
“I thought I might like to see that final exam for myself.” Whittier reached for the pages in Collin’s hand. “Especially since you’ve accused him of cheating. After all, we wouldn’t want Mr. Sterling to think scruples are optional.” Bushy salt and pepper brows pushed low over his penetrating brown eyes. “Would we, Mr. Burkhalter?”
His smile faltered, but only for an instant. “Of course not, Dean Whittier.” His lower eyelid twitched on one side when Collin handed over the test. “I believe you’ll discover for yourself the evidence of Mr. Sterling’s duplicity. You should also take this with you.” He whipped a printed page from his coat pocket. “I discovered Mr. Sterling referring to this paper during the course of the exam and confiscated it.”
Collin seethed. “I did n—”
“I’ll take that.” Dean Whittier’s frown grew more severe. “And I certainly hope today’s video supports your claim, Mr. Burkhalter.”
“Video?” His face turned the color of spoiled turkey meat as he looked up and noticed, for the first time, a small camera mounted on the wall.
“Yes, video.” The dean’s scowl amplified, until Collin found himself backing up a few steps, along with Burkhalter. “And if you’ll join me in my office, I have another interesting video I want you to see.”
“Now?” The word came out like a puff of air.
Knowing the body of evidence condemning Burkhalter, Collin almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
Whittier pivoted on one foot and marched to the door, pausing to look back. “Now, Mr. Burkhalter. The board is waiting.”
* * *
“Why didI have to get here at 8:00 a.m. when the surgery is scheduled at one in the afternoon?” Olivia had gained a new empathy for her patients after being on the receiving end of numerous pokes and prods, forced to forgo eating and drinking since midnight, and clad in a very unflattering hospital gown that gaped open if she got out of the bed.
From her chair beside Olivia’s pre-surgical hospital bed, her mother, Connie—also a registered nurse—replied, “I think you already know why, so I won’t bother to answer.” She flipped the page in her book, a real paperback she’d checked out of the library. “But if you’re nervous, I’ll stop reading and talk to you.”
“Grace made me nervous. That’s why I made her go teach today. I knew if she took off and came up here, she’d try to talk me out of it.”
Her mom folded the book and put it under her chair. “Why don’t you catch me up on your semester? I feel like we never talk anymore. Even when you come over for Sunday night dinner, you’re in and out like a flash.”
Olivia sat up on her bed, her legs crossed like pretzels. “It’s been the hardest semester of my life, but I made it through. And my grades ended up better than I thought they would. I got a B-plus average. You would love Gross Anatomy in med school—it’s way better than in nursing school.”
“And your new boyfriend? What was his name? You haven’t introduced me, yet.”
“His name is Fitz, but I’m pretty certain that’s over. Last night on the phone, I told him I was donating my kidney today, and he was furious.”
“Furious? Why?”
“I think because it ruined his plans for Christmas break.”
“Ha! Good riddance to him, then. He sounds like a selfish brat.” She smoothed her salt and pepper hair and refastened her barrette. “Whatever happened to Collin? I thought you two had started hanging out together.”
“Collin? There’s nothing to tell, really.” Olivia grabbed her water and took a sip, hoping to hide her flaming cheeks.
“Nothing?”
“All I can say is he’s not for me. He’ll make a good husband for some lucky girl, but our relationship was doomed to fail. Too many obstacles. Still, I admire him. You know, he was the first one to think of donating his kidney to Martha.”
“That’s not the real reason you’re donating your kidney to Martha, is it? To please him?”
“No, Mom.” She shook her head. “I’ll admit, Collin inspired me, though. I thought to myself, ‘Here’s this spoiled, rich kid and he’s more thoughtful and selfless than I’ve ever been.’ And when I realized I had the only blood type that could donate a kidney to Martha, I knew it was the right thing to do.”
She nodded. “I’ve heard your reasons, and I support you one hundred percent, even though it seems a bit radical to me to donate a kidney to a non-family member.”
“I know, Mom. You and Pop have been very supportive. Grace, on the other hand...”
She chuckled. “Yes, we all know Grace, who passes out at the sight of a drop of blood, is never going to be in favor of something like this. She’ll be fine with it when it’s all over.” Her mom gave her the same sympathetic look she had when Olivia had lost her bid for cheerleader in middle school. “I hope you don’t ever regret this decision.”
“I won’t,” she assured her mother, lifting her chin. “In fact, some of my classmates have decided they’re going to do the same thing this summer. The medical school is planning to publicize it and use it to promote awareness of the need for kidney transplants.”
“Okay, then. I won’t mention it again. I’m proud of you, Olivia.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Connie glanced at the clock on the wall. “Martha told me Collin is coming to see her after his last final today, so he’ll probably get here soon.”
“Oh, no! Could you hide the family? Keep them in the other waiting room? He doesn’t know I’m the one giving my kidney to Martha, and I’d rather it stays that way—at least for now.”
“You didn’t tell him?” Her mouth twisted in disapproval. “You can’t keep something like this a secret from Collin. Why don’t you want him to know?”
“It just doesn’t feel right to tell him. Like he might think I’m trying to make him feel guilty or something.”
“He’s going to find out eventually, isn’t he? If nothing else, he’ll find out from Martha, right?”
“She promised not to volunteer the information. I don’t expect her to lie, if he asks who the donor was, but chances are, he’ll never ask that particular question. He thinks it’s a stranger.”
Her mom gave an extended groan. “Olivia, you’ve always been my child who makes everything more complicated than it needs to be. When your school assignment was to write a paragraph about something, you would write three pages and illustrate them.” She sighed, as if she were hefting a 200-pound weight. “I’ll try to keep the family out of sight, but I’m not making any promises.” She stood up, stretching her arms over her head. “I’m going next door to check on Martha again. Do you need me to do anything for you?”
“Can you send Pop in?”
“Sure. He was planning to come give you a hug, anyway.”
A few moments after her mom left, the door opened and her father’s face appeared, anxious lines across his brow.
“Hey, sweetie.” He moved to the bed and bent to press a kiss to her forehead. “Are you nervous?”
“A little bit,” she admitted.
“I’m proud of you.” His throat worked like he was swallowing. “But I have to admit, I’m selfish. I don’t want my baby to risk her life.”
“I’ll be fine, Pop. Don’t worry.” She hesitated, afraid to ask the question that burned in her mind. “Can I ask you something? Will you promise to be completely honest?”
“You can always ask me anything.” He squeezed her hand, and she felt guilty at the hurt look on his face.
“I know. You’re the best. But since I don’t live at home anymore, we hardly ever talk. And I was just wondering. Do you hate Collin Sterling?”
A grimace. Not what she was hoping for. “I don’t hate the man, but he’s not exactly my favorite person.” A storm crossed over his face. “Is that what this is all about? Your mom swore to me Collin didn’t talk you into this transplant.”
“No, Pop. This is for Martha. And for me. Because it’s the right thing to do.”
His head tilted in an I-don’t-believe-you angle. “Then why are you asking me about Collin? Why now?”
“Because he’s going to show up at the hospital today to see Martha. I know you would never make a scene, but I don’t want you to hate him.” She took a deep breath and looked her father squarely in the eye. “He’s a better man than you think he is. That stuff he pulled the night we met him at Gram’s party, that’s not him. Down deep, he’s kind, gentle, thoughtful, unselfish. He deserves a second chance. I’m hoping you’ll give it to him.”
He made a face like she’d announced she was applying for the first manned trip to Mars. “Are you in love with him?”
Panic! What do I say? “Just because I defended him doesn’t mean I’m in love with him.”
One corner of his mouth curved up. “You know what’s different about this conversation compared to all the other times you’ve talked to me about some guy?”
“I can’t remember anything different.”
“That’s because you’ve never talked to me about a guy before.”
“Oh.” Busted. “That doesn’t prove anything.”
“I’ll forgive Collin for his earlier indiscretions if he loves you and treats you right.” His jaw hardened. “But if he hurts you, I’ll break both his legs.”
A knock sounded, and the nurse entered the room before she could respond. “It’s time to start your IV.”
Her father’s face paled. “I’d better get out of here.”
“You can stay if you like,” the nurse explained, as he opened the sterile IV packet. “I just need access to her arm.”
“That’s okay.” He looked like he was about to lose his cookies. “I don’t want to be in the way.”
“Pop? Are you afraid of needles?” Olivia bit her lips to keep from laughing. “All this time you made fun of Grace, and you’re as bad as she is?”
He scampered out of the room as if his tail was on fire. With practiced efficiency, the nurse inserted the IV and started the drip.
“Would you mind handing me my cell?” Olivia asked. “It’s in my purse.”
He handed her purse to her. “If you want to make any calls, you better do it quick. As soon as I add this sedative, you’re going to be sleepy. Do you want me to wait a minute?”
“No, I just wanted to see if I missed any calls.” Olivia checked her phone, vainly hoping Collin had tried to contact her, but a glance told her she had no missed calls or messages. She quickly composed a group message to her sisters.
Pray for me. Almost time. Getting my IV now. Sorry to mention needles, Grace. LOL
“Wow, I’m already getting woozy,” she told the nurse. “By the way, I barely felt the needle. You did a great job.”
She pressed the button to send the message, hoping she could stay awake long enough to read Grace’s response. No doubt it would be funny, and she could use a laugh right now. An alert flashed on her phone.
“Airplane mode? How did I get in airplane mode?” Fumbling a bit, she turned off airplane mode, and immediately received notifications of numerous missed calls and messages. The five on her screen were texts from Fitz. Blinking to focus her eyes, she tapped on the last text message.
You will live to regret your actions!
“What the heck is he talking about?” She scrolled to the first texts of the morning.
You will be a party in a damages suit against Find Your Forever E-Dating Service.
Further, you will be named in the suit against The Slipstream and Collin Sterling for damages due to illegal, unauthorized recording without consent.
When I find a photo of you and Collin Sterling together, I’ll use it as evidence of collusion.
The dean of NYU Medical School will be furious to learn one of his students engaged in duplicitous and illegal actions.
Her mind swirled with the implications of his messages, clueless as to their meaning. All she knew was Fitz was really, really mad at her and Collin, for doing something at The Slipstream. Did he have a tendency toward violence? What if he hurt her family? She regretted telling him about the kidney donation when he called her last night. Had she mentioned the name of the hospital? He’d been so put out, he might not remember. She powered off her phone, reasoning that way he couldn’t locate her with GPS, like the bad guy in a movie she watched. The last thing Olivia saw was her mom entering the door. She opened her mouth in warning, but the blackness took her.
* * *
Collin racedinto the surgical waiting room, scanning for familiar faces, but saw none. Surely Olivia had family at the hospital. Had she kept her kidney donation a secret from them as well?
The clock on the wall read one fifteen, only fifteen minutes past the scheduled time for the transplant. Martha had informed him he might be able to catch her in her pre-surgical room if he came in time. His true goal, however, was to talk to Olivia. He wasn’t sure how to interpret the fact she hadn’t answered his phone calls or texts.
She was either too angry or too hurt to speak to him. He suspected the latter. His livid and undeserved rejection must have torn her to pieces. He slashed himself yet again with a mental cat o’ nine tails, his spirit shredded and bleeding. Somehow, he would make it up to her, if only she would let him.
He approached the nurse at the station, hiding his impatience as she spoke to someone on the phone. Someone behind him called his name and he whipped around.
“Brad!” Dressed in scrubs, Grace’s physician husband was obviously on duty, though Collin knew this wasn’t his department. “Has it started already? Am I too late?”
“Too late for what?” He cocked his head, hesitating. “Were you hoping to see Martha before the surgery? Because I think she has a couple of hours before she goes under.”
Collin’s cheeks warmed. “I was hoping to see Olivia.”
Surprise lifted Brad’s eyebrows. “I was under the impression you didn’t know Olivia was the donor.”
“I didn’t. Not until last night.”
“I see.”
A sense of urgency overcame his embarrassment. “Brad, please. I need to talk to her. She called me last night, and I didn’t respond well. I hurt her, and I have to talk to her before she goes into surgery. I really need to see her. To tell her...” The lump that swelled in his throat made swallowing painful. “I have to tell her that I... You know what I’m talking about? I have to!”
Brad’s eyes crinkled in the corners as his lips rolled between his teeth like he was holding laughter inside. “Collin, I hate to admit it, but I know exactly what you’re talking about.” He glanced at his watch and strode toward the double doors. With a flash of his ID, the doors swung open. “Come with me. I’ll take you to her pre-op room, but she may already be gone. That’s all I can do for you.”
“Thank you.” His heart started racing like a rollercoaster. “I owe you, big time. Maybe a free night of babysitting.”
“Better wait and see if she’s even in her room before you make rash promises.” Brad turned a corner and marched to a door, rapping lightly as he entered. “Olivia?”
No one answered, and Collin’s hopes crashed. He’d come too late. He followed Brad into the room. Hope sprang to life again as he spied Olivia in the hospital bed with Brad gently patting her arm, her dark lashes splayed on her fair cheeks.
“Olivia? Hey, Olivia? Are you awake?”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Hi Brad,” she said, with a thick tongue before her lids closed again.
Brad picked up her hand and slapped her palm. “Someone’s here to see you, Olivia.”
Her eyes flew open wide. “Who? Who’s here?”
“It’s me.” Collin stepped up, bending his head close, wishing he could kiss those tempting lips. “I need to tell you something.” He took a deep breath, his nerves making his hands shake, along with his voice.
“Collin…go,” Olivia said, her round eyes regarding Collin with something akin to terror. “Please, you have to go.”
“Please forgive me, Olivia. Don’t make me go.”
Agitated, she thrashed, as if she might climb out of the bed.
Brad shoved Collin aside and held her down until she stilled, falling back asleep. He cast sympathetic eyes toward Collin. “I’m sorry, man. But it doesn’t mean anything. Anesthetic does strange things to people. They say things that don’t make sense.”
Collin knew better. Her words were not confused, drunken, mumblings. She had looked into his face with full recognition and called him by name, begging him to leave. When he refused to listen to her explanation about Burkhalter, he’d injured their relationship beyond repair. A wave of despair drenched him, drowning him in its wake. His worst nightmare had come to life. It’s no less than I deserve.