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He shuddered and slowly raised his head.Tears spiked his lashes and smeared over pale, taut cheeks.She wiped them away and kissed his trembling lips.
Gritting his jaw, he continued.“Her family argued back and forth about the decision, and they resented the fact that her life, such as it was, was in my hands.And I… I wanted it to be over.”
She jerked, and his arms tightened.
“No.I don’t mean her life.I meant fighting with her family, watching their suffering and knowing I was responsible.”
“You weren’t responsible.She chose her own path, and you went out of your way to help her over and over when many people would’ve walked away at the first sign of trouble.”
“Knowing that didn’t make it any easier.I should’ve made sure the drugs never got on board the plane or anywhere near her.”
She didn’t argue.In his own way, Zach was working his way through his guilt.She needed to let him.“How long was she on life support?”
“Six weeks.And every day was hell.I was torn between letting her go and sparing her family the final goodbye.But I woke up one morning and realized I couldn’t do it anymore.”He released a shaky breath.“I called Nabila and she agreed they would meet me at the hospital.But she got there before me.”He gave a fractured laugh wracked with torment.“I think she suspected I would chicken out, and I had by the time I reached the hospital.When I got to Farrah’s room, she was there on her own without Fawad or Karim.She told me her daughter was now really dead and I needed to do the right thing and let her go.I had no idea what she meant.Until she showed me the empty morphine syringe in her purse.”
Ice slithered down her spine.“My God!Did you… What did you do?”
His jaw clenched tight for so long, Bethany thought he wouldn’t answer.When his gaze met hers, her heart shredded for him.“I called the doctor and arranged to switch off her life support.”
“And you let Nabila go?”
“The way I saw it, the events leading to Farrah ending up on that bed, hooked up to machines, was all on me.What good would it have done to destroy her family as well?Deep down, I knew she would never wake up, but guilt held me back from doing what needed to be done.”
“So the doctors didn’t suspect anything?”
“No one knew.The only way to find out whether Nabila had really injected her with morphine would’ve been to request an autopsy.I couldn’t do it.I turned off the machine and… killed her.”More tears welled in his beautiful eyes.He blinked them back and swallowed.“Then I arranged for the records to be destroyed.Now you know everything.”
Her insides shook as she grappled with the enormity of what Zach had divulged.She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.
“Thank you.”
“Baby, what—” He stiffened as a knock came on the door.
Stanley poked his head through the door.“They’re threatening to walk, Zach.”
Zach cursed and looked at her.
Taking a deep breath, Bethany stood and returned to her seat.“We’re ready.”
Stanley’s gaze swung from her to Zach, then he nodded and retreated.
“Bethany—”
“Go easy on Karim.He loved his sister.He’s reacting from a place of pain.”
Zach’s jaw flexed.“He came after you.I can’t excuse that.”
“I know.But do it for me.”
His eyes gleamed as he watched her.“You know how to knock my fucking legs out from underneath me, don’t you?”
Her smile made his breath catch.“I’ve had a great teacher.”
She was aware of Zach’s intense gaze on her face as the others walked back in, but she wanted to get this done as quickly as possible so she could be alone with him.To tell him what he’d been yearning to hear.What he needed to hear.
Farrah’s father looked shell-shocked and her brother was much more subdued than he’d been twenty minutes ago.Nabila’s eyes met hers and skittered away.Despite what she’d just learned about her, Bethany’s heart ached for her.
She turned to Stanley Reed.“I’m ready to sign the agreement,” she said.