Page 41

CHAPTER FORTY

"Was it your job to oversee my transfer from the ICU to a regular room, or to keep visiting me almost every day?" I ask LJ, crankily.

After four nights in the Intensive Care Unit, I was moved to a room, and now I’ve been here for eight days—twelve total since I was admitted.

Each morning I feel a bit better, but I know I still have a long way to go before I fully recover.

According to what he told me, I might be discharged at the end of this week.

I miss my son so much, and I am counting down the seconds until I can see him again.

I’ve never felt so torn in my life. As much as I can’t forget what LJ did to me—all those nights I cried alone, wondering if I’d be able to raise a child without his support—I can’t stop being grateful that he saved me.

He explained what happened—that I fainted in his office, was immediately sent for a series of tests and then to the OR. I only remember it vaguely.

When I woke up from surgery, LJ was the first person I saw. I wish I could say I hated him in that moment like I’ve done for nearly two years, but that would be a lie.

All I could think about as he stared silently at me was that his effect on me hasn’t changed at all, no matter how much I despise myself for it.

My mom comes to see me every day. She and Badger have been taking turns since one of them has to stay with Sedric—and just thinking about that makes my blood run cold, because I know I’ll eventually have to tell this man he’s a father.

"This hospital is mine," he replies arrogantly, not at all ruffled by my snippy tone. "I can supervise whatever I want."

"Don’t you have other surgeries?"

"I only operate on special cases."

I swallow hard, and before I even open my mouth, the words scratch my throat. "Thanks again."

"Wait a little before you go back to hating me, Alexis."

"That’s not funny."

"I wasn’t trying to be funny. Take my words literally—we’ll be seeing each other a lot more."

"Why?" I ask, suspicious, and for a moment panic creeps in but then quickly fades. I know my mother would never betray me by telling him about Sedric behind my back.

"You’re going to have to stay in Manhattan for a while."

"I know. I think my mom’s looking for a place for us to stay once I’m discharged."

He doesn’t say anything, just looks at me in that unreadable way that makes me anxious.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. She’ll talk to you about it soon."

"What does that mean?"

Before he can answer, there’s a knock at the door.

A pretty woman with shoulder-length brown hair walks in, smiling. She looks to be around my age, and her eyes are . . . the same as LJ’s and Sedric’s.

Where have I seen her before? She looks familiar.

"Hi, brother. Sorry for barging in like this, but I need to ask you a favor and?—"

"You’re his sister," I say in an accusatory tone, because now I remember the photos I saw on Instagram.

All the anger I’ve kept buried since the surgery comes flooding back.

She smiles at me, probably having no clue who I am. LJ looks between us, frowning.

"Get out!" I shout as loud as I can. "Get her out of here, LJ. That woman hates me!"

"What?" the girl asks. "Are you crazy? I don’t even know you!"

Her reaction doesn’t surprise me. His does.

"Leave, Lois. Wait for me outside."

She doesn’t move for a few seconds, looking at us both in shock, but LJ doesn’t wait for her. He walks over and leads her out of the room by the arm.

When he comes back to me, instead of speaking, he checks the IV and the heart monitor. "Calm down," he growls, even though he looks like he’s about to explode himself.

"I am calm, but don’t let her come back. Your sister hates me."

"How do you know her, Alexis?"

I clench my jaw, not wanting to talk, but I don’t play games.

"I called you when you didn’t show up that weekend," I say, looking toward the opposite side of the room—even with the curtains closed, I can’t see anything outside.

"Your sister answered and told me I should stop trying to contact you because your fiancée?—”

My monitor starts beeping, my heart rate climbing dangerously high.

"Stop. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up. We’ll have plenty of time to talk when you’re better."

"We have nothing to talk about," I lie, because I know we’ll have a long conversation eventually, even if he has no idea what’s coming.

"You need to calm down, Alexis," he says, after checking the equipment and watching the nurse who just walked in take my blood pressure. "Lois won’t come back. I guarantee you that."

Lazarus

I stay with her for about another half hour, and only when she falls asleep do I go find my sister.

On the way, I pass William, who makes a motion like he wants to talk, but I keep walking and tell him I’ll speak to him later.

I reach my office and find my sister sitting there, legs crossed, flipping through a magazine.

"Tell me about the conversation you had with Alexis when I asked you to go to Cape Cod," I demand, snatching the magazine from her hands.

"Alexis?"

"Don’t play games with me, Lois. Do what I said."

She stands and lifts her chin like she’s about to challenge me, but then she backs down, realizing the situation. I see her face flush. "That woman . . . the patient . . .”

"Her name is Alexis Gillis. She’s my ex-girlfriend.

She had heart surgery and almost ended up back in the ICU because of you.

So now you’re going to tell me why the hell you didn’t recognize her after you told me you two met?

And more importantly, I want to know why the fuck she panicked when she saw you. What did you do?"

She starts crying and tries to come to me, but I take a few steps back.

"Don’t touch me. If you think your tears are going to work on me, then you don’t know me as well as you think."

I can tell by the way she’s sobbing that Lois isn’t faking. She’s really crying. But I feel no pity.

"I never went to Cape Cod," she confesses, confirming what I’d already suspected. "Jodie was my friend. She told me that someone we knew said you were with another woman in Cape Cod."

" Another woman? I was free, you lunatic! Alexis was never 'the other.'"

"I thought differently."

"Fuck what you thought! How could you interfere in my life like that? Tell me what you did, Lois."

"I told her your fiancée and your child had just died. I told her to back off because I was grieving and I hated her."

"Out."

"LJ—”

"Out of my hospital. You’re banned until further notice."