“It’s not me.” Another silence. “It’s Lydia.”
She balked at first, then surprised herself when she agreed to listen as Logan explained her mother’s situation. She had liver failure and needed a transplant. She’d been on the list for years and was almost to the top, but it looked like she wouldn’t make it.
“That’s why I wanted her to see you,” he said. “She doesn’t have much time left.”
Jade went numb. “Okay.”
“Okay?” he said, irritated. “She’s your mother—”
“I know!” Her voice cracked. How was she supposed to feel? Sad? Angry? Worried? She didn’t know. She had zero connection to this woman anymore.
“I can meet you around noon,” he said. “I wanted to make sure I talked to her doctor, and he usually rounds in the morning.”
“Why are you helping her?”
“She’s got no one else.”
His words hit her square in the chest. She was still thinking about them as she rounded the corner to the hall where Lydia’s room was located. Two people were standing halfway down the hallway, speaking to each other in hushed tones. She recognized Logan immediately, but not the tall, winsome black woman he was with.
She paused, her pulse hammering in her head. She told herself she was just here for Logan, that she had no intention of visiting Lydia. Jade wasn’t prepared to see her. She didn’t want to see her.
Logan looked up. He said something to the woman and hurried toward Jade. “You’re here,” he said, smiling a little but seemingly confused. “I thought we were meeting later.”
“I wanted to talk to you,” she said, coming up with an excuse that was only partly the whole truth.
He glanced over his shoulder. “The doctor isn’t here yet, but I can tell Tameka to text me when he shows up. There’s a waiting area on the other side of the hall—”
“How is she?” Jade’s eyes widened, stunned she’d asked the question and even more surprised that she needed to know.
He looked at her, somber now. “Not good. She’s got cirrhosis, and it’s causing a lot of swelling. They’re trying to get fluid off her.”
Jade nodded, still composed. “How long does she have?”
“Doctor’s not sure. If she doesn’t get a transplant, maybe a couple weeks?” Tears filled his eyes. “I hate this for her.”
She swallowed. “She did this to herself, Logan.”
“You know, if you’re going to dog her, just go.” He stormed off.
Her temples were pounding. Logan didn’t understand. He met Lydia when she was sober. He didn’t know her drunk and wasted, only caring about herself. She was probably faking all this for attention, playing on Logan’s sympathies—
Stop. Stop, stop, stop!
Jade whirled around and dashed away from the hall. She saw a small private waiting area and ducked inside, grateful it was empty, and dropped onto one of the chairs, her head falling into her hands. Lydia had faked a lot of things, particularly parenthood and sobriety, but she couldn’t fake liver failure. The woman was dying, and instead of being empathetic, Jade attacked her. How could she be so coldhearted? Oh, and a thief. She couldn’t forget she was that too.
A soft knock sounded on the door. Jade lifted her head and saw Logan. “Can I come in?”
She nodded.
He sat down next to her, leaning his elbows on his knees. They didn’t say anything for a long time. Jade didn’t mind. Her brother had a solid way about him. That was new, and much different from the volatile kid he’d been in the past. He seemed grounded.Like Sebastian.
“I’m sorry,” Logan said. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
“Yes, you should have.” She leaned back in the chair, fiddling with the strap of her crossbody purse. “I was out of line.”
He sat up and faced her. “Yeah. But it’s understandable.”
Jade sighed. “Not to me.”
