Fairest (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale #2)(33)

Sara’s phone beeped, and she went into the hall to answer it. A few minutes later she stepped back in, her face scrunched up with anger.

“I’m sorry, honey. That was my boss, there seems to be a problem with one of the houses I clean, and she demanded I come right away. I told her that my daughter is in the hospital, but she was quite insistent. Do you think you will be alright with Nan, alone? I can pick up some more clothes for you, too. Is there anything in particular you want?”

Mina made a shooing motion. “I’m not going anywhere until the Doctor says I can. I’ll be fine, and grab any old pair of jeans and shirt that is clean.” Sara hugged Mina before her and Charlie left.

A few minutes later, Nan, bored out of her mind, went looking for some magazines and left Mina alone. Grateful for the solitude and the silence that came with it; she leaned back in her bed and stared out the window across the hospital campus. She couldn’t help but admire the architecture of the brand new hospital.

The Memorial Hospital had only been opened for six months and was the result of copious very rich backers. Where most hospitals were square and made of boring brick, this one was configured like the number eight and made of beautiful reflective glass. It had a soothing flow to the layout because there were no hard edges or corner to any of the rooms. There were two botanical gardens in the center of each eight, giving every room a relaxing luxurious view. It was a hospital designed for the rich and famous and purposely designed to not resemble a hospital.

When Nan didn’t come back right away, she had time to reflect on the recent events, Mina couldn’t help but feel her cheeks burn with embarrassment at the thought of calling out Jared’s name while she was unconscious. She’d probably said it because he was the last thing on her mind. Hopefully, Brody wouldn’t see that. Her heart began to break again at the thought of what they’d shared and lost. It was like a horrible Greek tragedy.

A tear slowly escaped Mina’s eyes, and she quickly wiped it away. She ached for him, ached for him to hold her hand, to kiss her. She even missed the sound of his voice. Even now, in a hospital surrounded by machines, she could still imagine the soft baritone of Brody Carmichael’s voice whispering her name.

Closing her eyes in pain, she bit her lip and whispered, “Stop it. Go away.” Mina spoke out loud to her overactive imagination. She literally thought she was going crazy. She was hearing his voice and it sounded so real. It was like he was right next to her.

“But I thought you would like company,” the voice answered her back.

Mina’s eyes flew open, and she gasped in surprise. Brody Carmichael stood next to her bed with a bouquet of flowers.

Chapter 13
The flowers were Birds of Paradise. He walked over and placed them next to the get well carnations that her mother had brought. Brody’s Birds of Paradise made her mother’s flowers look cheap and drab, another reminder of the difference in their stations in life.

He turned to her, his hands hanging limply at his sides. He tried to clear his throat a few times before he spoke. It was apparent he was more nervous than she was.

Subconsciously, Mina’s hand flew to her heart as if she could slow it’s wild beating, she was sure that he could hear it beating, it was so fast.

Gathering his nerves, he spoke first. “How are you?” He didn’t move closer; it was as if he were scared. His blonde hair looked as if he had wrung his hands through it multiple times, and his eyes were filled with worry.

“I’m good,” Mina whispered, too scared to say anything more to the perfect boy in front of her.

The tension that was evident in Brody’s entire body evaporated at her words. “Good, I’m glad.” He looked down at his hands and put them in his jean pockets. Mina wondered vaguely if they were six hundred dollar jeans.

He continued to look down at his feet, afraid to look her in the eye, when he asked the next question. “Why?...Why did you call out his name?”

“Who-what?” Mina stumbled over her words, shocked at what she was hearing.

Brody’s eyes shot up from the ground to look her in the eyes, daring her to look away.

“I’m sorry. This is not how I planned to ask you. Are you two dating? Seeing each other?” He looked hurt, confused.

Mina felt like a stone plummeted to the bottom of her stomach, taking all of her bravery with it. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” she fumbled back.

“You said his name. I heard it, clear as day, on the news. I even recorded it and watched it over and over again. What I want to know is why?”

Mina’s hands started to shake, she closed her eyes and turned away, unwilling to look at him. Unable to tell him what she knew, and unable to lie about her feelings, it became too much and one silent tear slid unbidden down her cheek.

Brody stepped back in shock from her tear, before moving forward and closing the distance between them. He began to reach for her hand but pulled back, unsure of what to do. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just confused by what has happened lately. And it seems to be a lot, and I can’t seem to control my emotions.”

Mina tried to form a coherent thought and sentence, but it hurt so much to be so near him and not be able to tell him how she felt.

“No one believes me, but I’m cursed.” She hadn’t meant to say it, but it came rushing out without a thought.