“Let me go to my room. I promise to behave, but I hate hospitals. Besides, he said the critical period is twenty-four hours. I don’t have the strength to argue now, but I’m asking you to let me go back to the hotel. I don’t want to spend the night here.”
Chapter 26
“Can you tell me what happened now?” I ask as I settle her into the seat of my car, but I remain in the parking lot, looking at her. “You said there was no wet floor sign. Melissa said there was.”
“There wasn’t,” she says. She doesn’t seem eager to talk. “But as soon as I took a few steps, I realized the floor was slippery.”
“I’ll check the security camera footage. How are you feeling?”
“Miserable. It wasn’t in my plans to miss a day of work.”
“Shhhh . . . Don’t think about it.”
“I had planned to spend tomorrow with the chef. I was going to teach him how to makebrigadeirosand also coffee. I mentioned the dessert, and he said he’s been thinking about changing the dessert menu and would like to try it. Would you let him know I won’t be able to make it? Apparently, I’ll be spending the day sulking in the room.” She stops talking and grabs my arm. “God, I forgot to sign the bills! We need to go back, I’m sorry. I don’t want any surprises later.”
“Bills?”
“From the hospital. I know a simple hospitalization like this can turn into thousands of dollars quickly.”
“Health insurance will cover all expenses. Don’t worry.”
Her expression immediately relaxes, but she tries to hide it. I remember what I found out about her debts with her mother’s medical expenses. I have to take care of that.
“Okay,” she says, sounding a little embarrassed. “Can we go now? I want to go home . . . I mean, to the hotel.”
“Do you need anything from there?”
“I don’t understand.”
“There’s no way I’m letting you spend the night alone after hitting your head.”
“But . . .”
“No. This is not up for discussion. You’ll stay with me.”
The look Joaquín gives me when he sees me coming in with Olívia makes me want to punch him.
“Good evening,” she says formally, looking very shy.
“Good evening,” the jerk replies, though his tone remains suspicious.
“Should I stay in the same room as yesterday, Guillermo?”
She doesn’t look at me, and I want to kick my brother out of the apartment for making her feel so uncomfortable. I remember yesterday. Despite offering her a room, Olívia slept in my arms.
“Yes,” I say.No, I want her in my bed so I can keep her safe all night.“Someone will bring over the suitcase you asked Melissa to prepare shortly. Should I have them come up?”
“Yes, thank you. Excuse me,” she says, and heads for the second floor.
“Why is she here again?”
“Get used to it.”
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. Get used to Olívia being in my life.” I run my hand over my face because the last thing I need or want is a fight. He’s a suspicious bastard, but he’s also my brother, the same one who dropped everything to be with my daughter today. “How did Nina spend the day?”
“She was fine for most of it, but she was restless at times because of her teeth. Is there anything we can do?”
