Page 133 of At His Beck & Call

He still hasn’t said anything, and it’s hard to decipher his facial expression, but to my dismay, he isn’t even looking at me anymore.

His eyes have moved to something over my shoulder as he scratches the back of his neck, looking down at the carpet.

“Goddamn it,” he says, as my stomach curls in on itself. Then I hear movement behind me.

Spinning in place, I watch as a woman rises from the chair behind me. I hadn’t even noticed her when I came in, the chair facing away from the fire toward the window.

She reaches for a walker hidden from view by the tall back of the chair, her eyes sparkling at me as she leans heavily against it.

“Oh my god,” I say in disbelief as I recognize Anne—the woman from the hospital. I reach for the edge of the chair, my knees threatening to give way beneath me. “What are you doing here?”

Chapter 47

Oliver

Ithought my mother was in the bathroom and hadn’t even noticed she was in her chair.

When Lissa rang the doorbell, I was in the kitchen and descended the stairs, expecting the food delivery guy, but instead, I opened the door to the most unexpected sight.

Lissa—freezing cold and achingly beautiful, snowflakes in her hair and eyelashes, and a flush on her cheeks.

I wanted to wrap her up in my arms and never let her go. And then she barged in and stormed upstairs before I could warn her I had a guest. And now they’re standing opposite one another, and Lissa looks like she’s seen a ghost. Mom, on the other hand, has a knowing look in her eye that confuses me instantly.

I step into the living room, my eyes flicking between them as I try to figure out how they know each other.

“Anne,” Lissa breathes, looking at me and then at my mother. “Uh…”

“Hello, dear,” my mom says in a completely casual tone. “What a coincidence.”

Lissa’s eyes are wide and alarmed as she slowly sits down on the couch. Truman comes over to lick her hand, and she looks down at him, stroking him absently.

“Mom?” I say, frowning at her. “How do you two know each other?”

“Well…” she says, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. “I didn’t know you two knew each other, of course, but we met when I was in the hospital.”

Lissa looks at me again, a hand covering her mouth. “This is yourmother?” she asks disbelievingly. “Oh, my god.”

She covers her face with her hands, the tips of her ears going bright red as my mom smiles at me, a little glint in her eye.

“I met Lissa in the hospital when I was in the cafeteria. Do you remember I mentioned a lovely girl who had helped me with my order? I had been so tired I could barely stand on my own two feet. She told me about her son and then introduced us. I knew you’d make a fuss, Oliver, if I wasn’t in my room at all times, so I would go and visit him when you weren’t around. He’s a charming little thing. Henry, right?”

Lissa nods mutely, but doesn’t remove her hands from her face. I can’t speak, my mind whirling with a thousand questions I want to ask both of them, until my mom moves around us, making slow progress on her walker toward the door.

“I’ll go and make myself a cup of tea. I’m sorry I didn’t let you know I was here, but it seemed as if you had quite a few important things to say to my idiot son.”

“Mom!”

“You carry on and discuss your…contract, and I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”

I gape at her as she leaves the room, utterly lost as to what to say. Lissa still hasn’t looked at me, and I decide the best option is to remain perfectly silent and wait for her to say something.

I want to tell her exactly how I feel about everything she said, but she seems to be struggling to breathe.

“Lissa,” I say eventually, putting my hand gently on her shoulder. “Lissa?”

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” she says, so fast there’s barely a pause between the words. “I have to go. Oh my god.”

She rises, as if to leave the room, and I take hold of her shoulders and lower her gently but firmly back onto the couch, and I take a seat next to her.