Gasping, I typed back.
Sure, no problem, Julie. That’s great news. I will be in touch as soon as I can.
I jumped up I said my goodbyes to Louisa and Ian, and ran towards the lift. I couldn’t stop the stupid grin now plastered on my face at the thought of telling Jeremy I had met Julie, and she wanted to meet him properly. Jeremy would be over-the-moon when I tell him. It would, hopefully, be enough to brighten his day. He had been looking awfully pale lately, and I questioned him a number of times about whether he was really ready to leave the hospital. Jeremy didn’t seem to care. All he wanted was out of there and I didn’t really blame him. He’d been at the hospital for far too long now.
Getting in my car, I wasted no time starting it up and heading for the hospital. All the way there, I had this huge grin on my face as I sang “Happy” by Pharrell Williams at the top of my lungs. It was such an apt song for my mood right now.
Once I got there, trying to find a space took a little while, but I managed to nab one the minute someone pulled out. I was feeling impatient and excited. I just needed to get in there and tell him the fantastic news. Jeremy was going to be so happy to hear Julie liked him, too. That was plain to see by the look on her face and the glint in her eye when I spoke about him. She was just as smitten.
Pressing the button on the lift about a hundred times, I impatiently waited for the doors to open. After what seemed like an age, I, along with a couple others, stepped in. I pressed the button for the third floor and stood there tapping my foot, still with that stupid grin on my face.
As the lift doors opened, I inhaled a deep breath and rushed out with the immense relief of being close enough to tell him. But once I got through the door, I froze. Jeremy was lying in bed, looking very stressed and upset. Around him were a half-dozen reporters firing questions at him about Julie and what it was like being raised in foster homes. The nurses were there and trying to round them all up so they could get him out of there. Jeremy looked up, saw me, and the look on his face nearly killed me. “How could you?” he asked, tears in his eyes. “I thought you were my friend.”
I walked forward, but he put out his hand to stop me. “I swear. I didn’t know anything about this.”
The reporters were all looking from me to Jeremy with an air of apprehension. This was what I hated about the job. Some of them fed off of other people’s grief. They just itched for gossip, any story that they knew would sell. They started trying to fire questions at me, but the three security guards came rushing in to help the nurses clear the reporters away.
“How could you?” he whispered, tears pooling in his eyes. “I trusted you. You told me you wouldn’t breathe a word to anyone.”
I couldn’t stop the tears from falling down my face. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, but seeing Jeremy looking so betrayed cut me deeper than anything I’d ever known. This pain was worse than when Dean left.
“I swear to you, Jeremy. I didn’t have anything to do with this.”
All was quiet now as the reporters were sent away. One security guard came back in. He looked at Jeremy and me with an uneasy expression on his face.
“Can you please take her away, too? I don’t want to see her.” He motioned towards the security guard and completely ignored me.
The guard grabbed my arm, but I yanked it away. “Jeremy, you have to believe me. I would never do this.”
Jeremy turned his face away and I could tell he was crying. I wanted nothing more than to scoop him in my arms and convince him beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was not behind any of this. The only people I told so far were my parents. I just couldn’t believe they would do such a cruel thing as this.
“Miss, you need to go before you get arrested.” The guard looked sternly at me and I knew there was just no way I was going to be able to sort this out today.
Nodding, I dejectedly turned around and walked towards the door. As I neared it, Rachael came over to me a sympathetic smile on her face.
“I swear I never did this,” I whispered. I was feeling panicked. My heart was racing a million miles an hour and the tears wouldn’t stop.
“I know,” she answered, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Don’t be too upset. Jeremy has been so used to people letting him down that he’s been finding it hard to trust anybody. Give him a couple days. I’m sure he’ll come round. I’ll have a word with him once he calms down and I’ll call you tomorrow morning.”
I felt slight relief, but it still cut me to the bone to think that Jeremy thought I had done this. The look on his face was something I’d never forget.