“So, I’m just an interloper? I’m just a distraction while you wait for her to leave him?”
Tears welled unexpectedly. “Let me fucking finish?—”
“There is nothing to finish other than this tour,” I said. “Do your fucking job and leave me out of it. You’ll always be the fuckup they think you are. I won’t have you take me down, Duncan. You’ve already done enough.”
54
A BREAKDOWN
DUNCAN
Eloise’s words wounded me. I didn’t understand her cruelty. She’d gone from my greatest supporter to downright awful. I probably deservedsomeof her ire, but couldn’t comprehend why I deserved so much hate.
I tried so hard to make matters worth it for her. What had I done to make it go south so fast?
As I scrolled through the last few messages on my phone, I saw why I elicited this reaction.
Nessa’s texts were damning. I needed to explain but lacked time to give context.
Fuck!
She said nothing more, holding it together by a fucking thread. I didn’t understand how she did it. Eloise could give the best poker face even when her world melted down. Given her recent confession, it pained me to know I gave her another reason to just fake it.
I took the podium and looked for Eloise. Somehow, I hoped to telegraph my feelings to her in my expression alone. Unfortunately, that seemed a stretch. She refused to look at me.
“It’s an honor to join you here today,” I managed to begin. “Talking to doctors, patients, and nurses, I can tell that this new ward means so much to so many. The healing arts are truly just that—an art. It’s about healing the whole person?—”
Without warning, a shudder rang. The crowd gasped. For a moment, I feared a security threat. Then, I looked to see John holding Eloise in his arms. She looked like a ragdoll—gone.
Without a second thought, I hopped off the small podium alongside the cafeteria.
“Ella! Ella!” I shouted, heart racing.
55
THE INCIDENT
ELOISE
20 February
London Daily Times
The Prince of Wales visited a hospital in St John’s Newfoundland today and the timing could not have been better. A member of his staff, his Social Secretary, was ailing. She passed out while he was making a speech. Members of the press would have missed it if not for the audience gasping as they witnessed her crumple over.
“Yes, there was footage of the aftermath,” Leo Hayes, our Royal Correspondent who was on the road confirms. “Since hitting the trail with the rest of the press, I’ve witnessed how dedicated this young woman is. She is usually very matter-of-fact but looked green all day. The startled crowd gathered around her, immediately concerned.”
The Prince hopped off the stage during a speech. His dramatic reaction was caught on a video with millions of views within minutes of its posting. It appears The Prince’s Private Secretary caught his colleague and several peoplehelped lower her to the ground. By now, The Prince was there along with several doctors assessing her health.
“But curiously,” Leo Hayes notes, “The Prince was overly familiar with her, referring to her asEllaand physically carrying her to a stretcher. Now, people are scratching their heads. Could love be in the air? And what is causing this illness? We will have to wait and see.”
“Miss Mills, are you there?”
My eyes fluttered to see John bent over me. And before I knew it, there was Duncan’s face, too.
“I… hurt. What happened?”
“You passed out,” John answered. “I caught you.”
