Page 45 of Mending Hearts at the Cornish Country Hospital (The Cornish Country Hospital #6)

Over the next few weeks Eden and Drew’s relationship went from strength to strength.

They spent as much time together as they could, most of it with Teddie, although they managed to spend some time alone.

Felix was now living with her parents for the time being too, while he waited for the flat he would be renting to become available.

It was an option he’d had to resort to when he couldn’t extend the lease on his Airbnb any further.

It was a bit of a tight squeeze with all of them there, but Eden felt confident leaving Teddie in the care of his uncle and it meant that she and Drew had the opportunity to get to know one another better.

‘Is this what they call official?’ Drew had smiled the morning after she’d first spent the night at his flat.

‘Do you want it to be?’ She’d searched his face and knew the answer long before he responded.

‘More than anything.’

‘That’s good then, me too.’ She’d rested her head against his chest, and it had felt as if it was exactly where she was supposed to be.

‘Just promise me one thing.’ Drew’s tone had been serious and she’d tipped her head back to look at him.

‘What is it?’

‘Promise me you’ll tell me if anything changes.

I can take anything, as long as it’s the truth, but the one thing I could never deal with is living a lie.

I witnessed my father lying to my mother for years, and I watched her living that lie rather than facing up to the fact that their relationship had been over for decades.

I couldn’t stand the thought that you might want out at some point, but you don’t tell me. ’

‘I can’t see that happening.’ She trailed a hand down his chest, but he didn’t smile.

‘Please, Eden. Just promise me, no lies and no pretending.’

‘I promise.’

It hadn’t been a difficult promise to make because she wanted exactly the same thing.

They’d both had far too much lying and dishonesty in their past to allow that to be a feature of their life together, and it really did feel as if they were building a life together.

Although it had still been a shock when Eden had been given a letter, addressed to the two of them, as though they were a long-established couple.

The handwritten note left in A I’m so glad Callum’s parents are finding some solace in the fact that his postmortem will contribute to medical research and knowing what caused his death.

At least now they know it was long QT syndrome and they can get other members of the family screened.

’ It was often a hereditary condition, which increased the risk of an irregular heartbeat, sometimes causing seizures and even sudden death, the same tragedy that had befallen Callum.

‘His mother told me that he has two younger sisters and I know she’ll want to do everything she can to protect them.

It’s going to be so hard for Callum’s siblings, whatever the outcome of their tests.

If I ever lost Felix…’ She shook her head, unable to contemplate the prospect of it, let alone finish the sentence.

‘I hope having each other will help them.’

‘Me too.’ Drew folded Rachael’s letter carefully and slid it back into the envelope.

‘When you lose a sibling early, you lose a huge part of your identity too. I wasn’t anyone’s little brother any more, after Flora was gone.

I was suddenly an only child, carrying all the connotations that came with, but not feeling like the label belonged to me at all.

I had to throw myself into studying and make myself a promise that I wouldn’t let Flora down, otherwise I think I might have ended up like my mother, searching for something to take away the pain. ’

‘You didn’t let Flora down, and I think the world would be a better place if more people were like you too.’

‘I think there might have been a bit too much rum in your rum and raisin ice cream.’ He was trying to brush off the compliment, but she wanted him to know how much he meant to her.

‘It’s got nothing to do with the ice cream.’ The way she felt about Drew seemed to be bubbling up inside her. She wanted him to know she was almost certain she was falling in love with him and that she was already finding it hard to imagine a life without him. But then Teddie started to whinge.

‘I think someone has had enough of sitting around.’ Drew bent down and picked up the brightly coloured toy that Teddie had dropped.

It was like a heavy-duty version of bubble wrap, one that could be popped in and out repeatedly, although Teddie was inclined to try and bite off the bubbles if no one was watching.

Drew stroked Teddie’s hand before he passed it back to him. ‘There you go, lovely boy.’

The moment might have passed to tell Drew how she felt, but as Eden watched him with her son she was more certain than ever that what she felt for him was love. She’d just have to wait for the right time to tell him and with Teddie getting increasingly frustrated at sitting still, now wasn’t it.

‘Shall we take him up to the country park?’ She asked, looking at Drew who was already reaching forward to lift Teddie up.

He didn’t care that he might be about to get smeared with ice cream, or that his peaceful early evening down by the beach was about to turn into something very different.

He just wanted to be with Eden and Teddie, and it was all she wanted too.

If that wasn’t enough to prove that this was love, she didn’t know what was.

* * *

After Eden got home and had put Teddie to bed, she thought about messaging Drew to thank him for a lovely time and to tell him how she felt.

In her determination to tell him at the right moment, she hadn’t considered whether or not it would be the right moment for him too.

Suddenly she was wondering if it might be easier for him if she put it all in a message, especially if he wasn’t ready to reciprocate those feelings.

She was still staring at her phone, trying to decide whether texting Drew was the way to go, when an email popped up from Sadie.

She hadn’t given Jesse’s sister her new mobile number but, unlike her ex, Eden hadn’t blocked Sadie’s emails.

She had no idea what his sister could possibly want, but she was already dreading the contents of the message, even before she opened it.

Have you heard from Jesse? He’s left a note saying that he messed everything up with you and Teddie, and that if he can’t put it right he doesn’t want to be here any more.

After you left, he finally started getting the help he needed, so he could prove to you that he’s changed because he was convinced you’d eventually come back.

But when you didn’t call on his birthday, I think he realised it was all too late and he started spiralling again.

Please call me on the number below if you hear anything at all. I’m terrified.

It felt as if Eden couldn’t breathe as she read the message.

It wasn’t difficult to read between the lines and see that nothing had really changed despite the work Jesse had supposedly been doing on himself.

All these months she’d hoped he might finally be moving on and accepting that she’d needed to break free, but he’d been biding his time, believing it was just a matter of waiting it out before she was sucked back into the toxic mess she’d been a part of for so long.

Eden was a different person now, though.

She didn’t really believe the threats he’d made to his sister, and the thought of Jesse coming back into her life was suffocating.

She didn’t want to see him, and she definitely didn’t want to put Teddie through all the trauma that Jesse would bring into their lives, but despite all that she knew how desperate Sadie would be and just the thought of how she’d feel if it was Felix meant she couldn’t simply ignore the email.

Even as she picked up the phone to make the call, her stomach started churning.

She was opening up lines of communication she’d tried so hard to close down, certain she knew exactly how the conversation was about to go, and within minutes she was proven right.

Sadie was beside herself with worry, and convinced that Jesse was going to follow through on his threat this time.

‘Please will you come and speak to him.’ Sadie was pleading now and Eden could picture Jesse’s sister desperately trying to find the words to persuade her to help find him.

‘I’m not asking you to make him any promises, but if he sees you face to face and you let him know that you and Teddie are okay, he might be able to forgive himself and see a way forward. ’

Eden wanted to tell Sadie that this was just Jesse doing what he always did, and looking for someone to help him out of a bad situation he’d got himself into.

He could so easily play the victim and make out he wanted to change, but Eden couldn’t see that happening, not really.

Even so, when Sadie burst into tears, she found herself agreeing.

She really didn’t want to go and if she could have come up with any other solution she would have taken it.

But despite her feelings for Jesse having died years ago, he was still Teddie’s father and Sadie’s brother, and if there was even the tiniest chance she had the power to prevent something happening to him she’d never be able to forgive herself if she stood by and did nothing.

Even as an internal battle raged within her, Eden realised she could make this work if she had to.

She was about to start a week off work and she could make the journey back to London, and still be home in time for a trip she and Drew had planned down to Lizard Point, but he was going to want to know why she wouldn’t be around for the next few days.

Eden knew she should phone him, but it would be easier to explain in writing. She didn’t want to run the risk of it coming out wrong, and Drew thinking there was still something between her and Jesse, so she typed out a text instead.

I’ve just had a call from Jesse’s sister. He’s gone missing and she’s worried he’s going to do something silly. She thinks I can help and I don’t want her to have to face this alone xx

Eden stared at the message for a moment, wondering how she’d feel if she was in Drew’s position, and if he was the one travelling hundreds of miles because he somehow still felt responsible for his ex-partner.

She couldn’t pretend she’d have been comfortable with that and she knew that Drew’s experience with his father had made him wary.

Maybe it would be better if she didn’t give him quite so much detail. Deleting the message, she tried again.

I’ve just had a call from an old friend, she’s going through a really difficult time with her family and she’s got no support.

I’m going to pop down to London for a couple of nights, just to make sure she’s okay, but I’ll be back in plenty of time for our trip.

I can’t wait to have some time away with you xx

None of what she’d written was a lie, exactly.

She just hadn’t spelt out the whole truth.

She’d meant what she’d said about their trip away, and whatever else happened she was going to tell him then how she really felt.

It might be scary and she was putting herself on the line yet again, but she was more certain of it than ever.

She just had to get through the next few days and prove to Sadie that her worries about Jesse were unfounded.

Maybe this was all for the best, and it would finally give her the closure she’d never really got with Jesse.

After that she could look forward to facing the future with Drew.

Yet, even as she tried to convince herself of that, a sense of foreboding made her shiver, and suddenly it was far harder to picture the future she’d been allowing herself to hope for.

Her gut was telling her that this was a bad idea, but Jesse had spent years messing with her ability to trust her own instincts and, even after all their time apart, it was still playing to his advantage.