“Yeah, but … I can’t be the one to fail him. I just can’t,” I tried to explain as a tear ran down my cheek.
“Tell him you had a big day and are going to bed early,” Hannah suggested, letting me off the hook, although I wasn’t naive and knew it was only a temporary reprieve.
“Okay.”
I could do that. Tapping quickly, I sent him a message before Hannah helped me stand, led me into my bedroom, and dug a pair of clean pajamas from the drawer.
“I’ll leave you to get changed. But I’m right outside the door if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Hannah.”
“Charlotte, I know this is hard and I know you wish it was Luke here right now instead of us …”
“I don’t …”
“You do. And that’s okay. But I understand. And I want you to know something.”
“What’s that?”
“You did the right thing. It might hurt right now …”
“It hurts so bad,” I admitted as the tears started to fall. I hated that I’d done this. I was in pain, and I was tired, and I was miserable and all I wanted, more than anything, was for Luke to come in, give me a cuddle and tell me it would all be all right but for tonight, I was on my own. Maybe I’d tell him tomorrow.
“I know, sweetie. But what you did today, what you did for Isla, it’s an amazing thing and you should be so proud of you. I’m proud of you. And I know Luke will be too,” Hannah promised.
“I just wish I’d told him.”
“Tell him tomorrow. Get some sleep and let those drugs wear off then we will take you to the hospital and you can see Isla’s okay for yourself and tell Luke what you did.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I replied with a yawn.
Hannah squeezed my hand before stepping out of the room and giving me some privacy.
Getting changed was harder than it should be. Moving was harder than it should be. When I lifted my arms over my head and tried to pull my t-shirt off, everything stung. Wincing, I pushed on.
I was just pulling my pants up when I heard commotion on the other side of my bedroom door.
“Liam?” I called out as I tried to stand, my legs unsteady beneath me.
My bedroom door was flung open, and Luke pushed his way inside. He looked pissed. He didn’t look like the caring, loving guy I’d been wishing for. No. He looked angry and hurt and like he was about ready to unload.
“Of course. You’re hanging out with your friends. While I’m at the hospital with a little girl who’s been in pain all day. A girl who’s been begging me to find you and ask you to stop by and see her,” Luke snarled.
“Luke … I … you don’t understand,” I tried to move toward him but he just stepped back, the distance between us feeling like a canyon.
“Oh, I do understand. I understand perfectly, Doctor Rowe,” he spat, his words slicing me in half. "And you know what, that’s okay. It’s been a pretty shitty day. And I’m too tired and disappointed to listen to whatever excuse you have up your sleeve, Charlotte. You promised you’d be there. And when Isla needed you, when I needed you, you were nowhere to be found. Maybe you’re not the woman I thought you were. Maybe I expected too much.” Luke scrubbed his hand across his face as his words sunk in, cutting me to the bone.
“Luke it’s not like that!” I cried as all my greatest fears were being tossed back in my face bitterly.
“It’s exactly like that. I thought I knew you, Charlotte. I thought you could’ve been the one. But you’re not the woman I thought you were.”
“That’s not fair!” I protested, as I went to stand a shot of pain shot up my spine almost dropping me to my knees as a whimper escaped causing Liam to push past Luke to help me up.
“Calm down, Luke. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liam tried as he helped me shuffle around until I was sitting on the corner of the bed looking up at the man I loved as my heart shattered in my chest.
“You’re right. I don’t know what I’m talking about. Because I don’t know who you are. And if this … this …” he was waving his hands around as Hannah bounced on the balls of her feet in the corner trying to keep Bailey from bursting into tears, “is who you are, then I don’t want this person in my life. I should never have let you into Isla’s life. Do you have any idea how hard it is to watch someone you love get wheeled into a theatre and the person they’re pleading to see is missing? Do you have any idea Charlotte what that’s like? You broke her heart when you weren’t there for her today when she needed you the most. And you just broke mine.”
“Luke …” I begged as he headed for the door.
