My gaze darts to him, and noticing he’s staring at me, my heart skips a beat. My voice is a little hoarse when I reply, “It’s my pleasure. I had a great time with Lainey.” I look into the house again, and seeing Lainey is preoccupied with showing Rachel all her purchases, I quickly take the chance to ask, “Did you hear anything back from that doctor in Australia?”
Easton flips a steak while nodding, then his eyes meet mine again. “We’ve sent him all the information about Rachel’s illness and put him in contact with the doctor here in LA. He’s looking at everything and will get back to us.”
My teeth tug at my bottom lip. “Do you think he’ll be able to help her?”
Easton lets out a heavy sigh. “I hope so.”
I glance at Rachel again and watch as she laughs with Lainey, who’s modeling the purple hat while making silly faces.
An intense wave of sorrow and worry knocks the air from my lungs and makes my throat strain as tears sting my eyes. I lift my hand to cover my mouth while I fight with all my might not to break down.
I take in every inch of Rachel’s beautiful face and see the fear etched into her features. She looks so pale and tired.
I can’t lose you, Rach.
As if she can hear my thoughts, her gaze flicks to me, and for a few seconds, we stare at each other before Lainey catches her attention again.
When a tear threatens to fall, I get up and walk past the swimming pool before heading in a random direction away from the veranda.
“Nova?” I hear Easton call, but I pretend not to hear him.
Not taking in any of the pretty flower beds around me, I suck in deep breaths of air, but I’m unable to calm down. It feels as if heartache and desperation threaten to rip my chest wide open.
I rush to the side of the mansion, and once I’m sure no one can see me, a sob bursts from me. I wrap an arm around my middle, my body bending forward from the devastation ripping through me.
You need to calm down.
Gasping through the pain, I desperately try to regain control over my emotions while wiping the tears from my face.
You have to be stronger.
Suddenly, a hand touches my back, and as my head snaps up, Easton moves to stand in front of me.
Crap, I didn’t want anyone to see me cry.
His gray eyes are filled with the same sadness that’s suffocating me.
“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice strained. “I’ll do better.”
A frown forms on his face while he tilts his head. “Come here,” he murmurs, his tone soft and filled with understanding as he pulls me into a hug, surprising the hell out of me.
Instead of feeling frazzled and overwhelmed that Easton is actually holding me, it has a totally different effect on me.
The instant his arms wrap around me, I’m unable to stop myself from breaking down. It’s as if the comfort he’s offering me makes the tears come faster.
I curl my arms against my chest and keep a hand over my mouth while my tears soak into his expensive T-shirt. Every time I take a choppy breath, I get a lungful of his woodsy cologne.
If I weren’t so broken and Rachel weren’t ill, this could’ve been one of the best moments of my life. But it’s not. Because I might lose my best friend, and I don’t think I’ll ever be whole again.
After a minute or so, my emotions turn from an inconsolable mess to an empty feeling that weighs a ton. My tears stop, and the sobs fade away.
Easton pulls back while tilting his head to catch my eyes. “Better?”
I only manage to look at him for a couple of seconds before I have to avert my gaze because it’s just too intense. “Yes.” I quickly clear my throat. “Thank you.” Then I see the wet spot on his T-shirt and add, “I’m sorry for ruining your shirt.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He takes a step backward while shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Nothing about this is going to be easy.”
I look up at him as I nod. Noticing he’s staring at the grass, I don’t look away immediately, and I see the worry and heartache etched into his features.
