He looks perfectlyfine.
Too fine.
Anger ignites, hot and sharp, burning away the fear.
This better not be some twisted ploy to get me home.
“Deliah, darling, come in,” Mummy chimes, sitting in a chair, reading a Jane Austin novel.
“Deliah, you look terrible. Come and hug your father,” Daddy says while I stand in utter bewilderment.
“Mummy, you said he had a heart attack. I thought he was dying. When the curtain was closed, I thought I’d walk in here to find your body covered in a white sheet.What the hell?”I say louder than expected.
“Deliah, calm down. The curtain is shut because the sun was shining in your father’s eyes through the window across the room. We thought it was a heart attack, but as it turns out, it is only severe heartburn. So no need to worry, darling, your father’s going to bejust fine,” Mummy replies.
Right!
So, I blamed Colt like the selfish bitch I am and left him in Paris.
He doesn’t know if I’m coming back.
I flew here for no fucking reason.
If I thought the guilt over Daddy was heavy, the weight of how I left Colt crushes me completely. It slams into my chest, stealing my breath, wrapping around me like a vice. My legs give out, and I collapse into the chair, my body hollow, my heart splintering. A broken sob rips from my throat as I bury my face in my hands, the regret suffocating, inescapable.
Oh my God!
Colt must hate me right now.
I know he needs me.
And especially after last night’s incident with Hux.
Mummy walks over and rests her hand on my back. “There, there, darling. Your father is fine. No need to be this upset,” she says.
And for the first time in my life, I want to slap her and not just a light tap, a full-blown, hard slap across her perfect face.
The curtain pulls back, and Joseph walks in with a newspaper.
Great!
“Deliah, you look—”
“What areyoudoing here?” I ask.
He puts his hands up in a surrender motion. “I’m not here to fight, that’s for sure. I was with your father when he fell ill. I called your mother and asked her to call yo—”
“If this is some sick, fake plan to get me to come home, well… you’re both mistaken. I hate all of you right now,” I say, pointing to Daddy and then Joseph.
“Deliah, you can’t fake heartburn, darling. Your father was petrified a few hours ago, and I was extremely worried. I needed you here. I need my family. Speaking of family, where’s Colt? I thought he’d come with you?”
“Are youfuckingkidding me? I told Colt not to come because it should be family. Then I arrive to see that you think Josephispart ofourfamily. This is ridiculous.” I groan in frustration and shut my eyes.
“Deliah, don’t swear. It doesn’t suit you,” Joseph says, which makes Daddy smile.
“Urgh!”I go to walk out, but bump into the doctor’s chest, halting me in my tracks.
He walks over to Daddy, starts to pull the cords from his chest, and turns off the machines they’re connected to. “Mr. Norman, you’re clear to leave. Take the medication as prescribedand come back for your check-up in a week,” the doctor states before leaving the room.
