After Vanessa delivered the news, she rushed off to the hospital while I hauled my bags inside and got ready to follow with Eli. I even offered to drive, hoping to take one thing off his plate, but he refused—nicely, but firmly. I just wanted to bethere for him, but every tense muscle in his body told me he was already checking out. It’s a cold, hollow feeling, realizing the man you want to lean on, to lean against you, is pushing you away.
His hands stay locked on the wheel, jaw set so tight it looks like it might crack. He barely says a word the entire way, retreating inward mile by mile, pulling that familiar stoicism back around himself like armor.
I watch him from the passenger seat, wishing I knew how to reach him without making it worse. Wishing I knew what he’s thinking, what he’s afraid of. Earlier, he thanked me for being there. Now, it feels like he’s somewhere far away, bracing for impact. I let him have the silence, even though it makes my chest ache. Whatever this is, it’s his to face first and burden me with later.
By the time we pull into the hospital parking lot, my phone buzzes in my hand. I barely glance at the screen before silencing it, tucking it away as we move toward the entrance. The automatic doors slide open with a soft hiss, and the smell hits me immediately. Antiseptic. Coffee. Something metallic underneath it all. The floors gleam too brightly. The lights are unforgiving. Everything feels too much for the hour.
We walk side by side down the hallway, our footsteps echoing. Eli doesn’t slow until we spot them. Elliot and Vanessa stand just outside a hospital room, close enough to the door that it feels like they’re guarding it. Vanessa’s arms are wrapped tightly around herself, her face blotchy and tired. Elliot looks wrecked, eyes red, shoulders slumped like the weight of the night has finally landed.
Eli stops short. For a beat, no one speaks.
Then he steps forward, his voice controlled in a way that tells me how much effort it takes to keep it that way.
“How is she?”
“We’re still waiting on the doctor,” Vanessa says.
“They think it’s her heart,” Elliott adds. “But they’re running tests.”
Eli frowns, confusion breaking through the rigid calm he’s been holding onto. “That doesn’t make sense. She’s the healthiest, most stubborn woman I know. Her heart should be the last thing giving her trouble.”
Elliott shrugs, helpless. “I said the same thing, bro.”
The word lands awkwardly between them.Bro.Casual. Familiar. Eli flinches just enough for me to notice, but he doesn’t comment on it. Doesn’t acknowledge it at all. Instead, his gaze drifts down the hallway until he spots the waiting area.
“Can we see her?” he asks.
“Not yet,” Elliott says. “But soon.”
Eli turns without another word and heads for the waiting room.
I reach for his hand on instinct, and my stomach drops when he pulls away.
My phone vibrates again, but I ignore it because—the fuck? Whatever it is can wait. We sit down, the space between us suddenly weightier, my face pulled into a frown I don’t bother hiding.
I don’t say anything. I’m not sure if this is how he handles stress when it hits, or if he just doesn’t want me to see him like this.
I text Lara to keep her in the loop. When she dropped me off at the house earlier, I don't think she spotted Vanessa’s car. When I finally sent the update, her reaction was instant and fierce—As if he were her own blood.
Lara:Drake and I are on our way. He doesn’t need to be alone with them.
I turn to Eli. “Can I get you anything?” I ask softly. “Coffee? Water?”
“I’m fine.” One phrase. Flat.
Great.
“I’m going to grab a coffee,” I say. “I’ll be back.”
He just nods.
Hiccup.
The hospital cafeteria is almost empty, quiet in a way that feels hollow. I order a coffee out of habit and step aside, phone in my hand, ready to phone a friend.
Timantha answers immediately. “Hey girl, what’s up?”
I'd usually call Eslin for this. However, Timantha's romantic history—falling for and marrying the exact kind of man she didn’t think she ever would—offers a unique, and right now, essential perspective.
