He places a hand on my arm. “Let me tell you a secret.”
“What?”
“I knew this would happen.” He winks at me.
I give him a narrowed stare. “Youknew?”
“I mean, I still thought the plans for the restaurant would go through, but I suspected you had feelings for her, and I was right.”
“How did you know?”
“It was the way you looked when you spoke about her, son. And when I first saw you two together, pretending to pretend, I knew it was no pretense. I was just waiting for you to realize it yourself.”
My lips part. I’m stunned, and I don’t know what to say.
“Go fix it,” he urges.
I smile. “I’ll fix it.”
He nods and heads back down the hallway.
I continue on, feeling lighter and more hopeful than I have in months. All I need to do now is get my wife back.
My phone rings when I get outside the building. I pull it from my pocket.
It’s Mia. She’s never called me before. I only gave her this number for emergencies.
I answer immediately. “Mia.” Her name rushes out of me.
“Knox, I’m sorry to trouble you.” The moment I hear the tremor in her voice, something primal snaps to attention inside me. “I know you and Isla are going through some stuff right now, but I need your help.”
My chest becomes a bottomless pit. Something’s wrong. “What happened?”
“It’s Isla’s mom,” Mia says quickly. “She collapsed yesterday. The doctors had to bring her back. She’s in a coma.”
“What!” Every muscle in my body goes tight.
“They’re running tests, but… Knox, they’re talking about surgery. Isla’s alone at the hospital. I’m in St. Lucia. I’ve been trying to get a flight back, but it’s gonna be awhile. She needs you.”
“I’m on my way.”
Chapter Forty
Isla
I’ve been sittingin the hospital waiting room for so long, my body doesn’t feel like mine anymore.
Time moves differently here. Slow, thick, and distorted. Like the walls are swallowing every second whole.
Mom has been in the ICU since yesterday afternoon.
She’s stable.
For now.
I came close to losing her. So, so close.
When I realized she wasn’t waking up, I called 911. They came quickly, but every minute I waited felt like years had passed.
