Billionaire’s Trust(11)

Wordless, I nodded and gave her a courteous grin. As I did, I glanced around looking at the wide array of arrangements.

“Forgive me!” she said, as she clapped her hands together. “Now, here I’ve prattled on. Let’s get you something lovely for her. Does anything catch your eye?”

“Yes,” I answered. “I like it all.”

She chuckled. Her body wobbled a bit as she laughed.

“Well, I’m glad to see your spirits are improving,” she replied. “Now, follow me and I’ll make something special for you.”

“No, no,” I said, as I gestured around the entirety of the shop. “I’ll take them all.”

“O-okay…” she stammered. “Are you sure? Taking everything here will cost thousands of dollars and fill her entire room. Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“Yes, almost,” I replied with a nod, as I plucked a single rose from a nearby vase.

“What do you mean?”

I smiled as I took my billfold out of my suit pocket. “I’ll explain.”



GREY

As soon as they let me, I made my way back to Maddie’s room. It was the last place I wanted to be. It’s not that I didn’t want to see her. I did. More than anything. It’s just this goddamn hospital was an endless source of misery for both us. All I wanted to do was take her away, as far as we could fucking get.

But, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

I entered the room and walked towards the bed where she slept. Standing over her, I reached down and stroked Maddie’s hair. I smoothed the silky blond strands over and over for a good minute or so. I still had no idea what I would say to her when she awoke. In my head, I heard the old lady from the flower shop telling me just being here was enough.

I sure hoped she was right.

After a few more minutes, a soft moan emitted from Maddie as she stirred to consciousness. As she began to move, I stopped caressing her and slid my hands in my pockets. Her head rolled back and forth on the pillow once or twice before her eyes flickered open.

She blinked for a moment or two before our eyes met.

“Grey… Oh, Grey,” she muttered as her face turned ugly with sadness. “I’m s-so s-sorry.”

Tears poured from Maddie’s eyes as grief claimed her right away. Her despair sucker-punched me, catching me off guard. I swallowed hard and leaned down towards her, swallowing her in an embrace.

“Ohhh…” she cried as her upper body convulsed. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Shhh. Maddie,” I said, kissing the crown of her head. The words came hard as I fought back my own reaction to her grief. “You have nothing to apologize for. It happens."

Maddie was inconsolable. She gasped great gulps of air between fits of sobbing. I did the best I could to comfort her as she wept, hugging her close. But this was something she had to go through and there was nothing I could do. Instead, I did my best to comfort her as the only other person whose heart hurt almost as much.

For some time, the sound of her pain filled the room. I held her close as the moisture from her tears soaked my shirt and the heat from her breath beat against my chest. All I wanted was to take the suffering away, once and for all. As soon as I detected the tiniest hint the intensity of her grief subsided, I brushed the hair away from her eyes and spoke.

“Hey, hey…” I began. “Listen the important thing is you’re okay. All I care about is making sure you get better. We will get through this.”

Soon after I’d spoken those words to her, I released Maddie from my embrace and she sunk back into the hospital bed once more. I reached for handful of tissue from a table near her bed and passed them to her.

“Thank you, Grey,” she said, as she took them from me.

I nodded as I brushed her hair from her eyes. “Of course. Don’t mention it.”

A few sniffles and several minutes later, Maddie looked at me through puffy lids and eyes laced with pink streaks from her tears. As she did, she wadded up a handful of tissues and dropped her hands to her lap.

“The doctor said it was for the best,” she whispered.

I looked down at her as she fought for words, rubbing her on the arm as she continued.

“He said I’m healthy in spite of everything that’s happened.”

I smiled as I looked at her. I admired her bravery. None of this was easy, and she was showing an awful lot of goddamn courage.

“I’m glad, Maddie.”

Maddie drew her eyes up from her lap towards mine. “I don’t expect you to stay, Grey.”

Her words caught me off guard. I swallowed my surprise. It didn’t go unnoticed. She sniffled as sadness drained away from her. In its place, a hollowness filled her tone.