Within These Walls (Within These Walls #1)(57)

Her mouth fell open.

“I know you pulled strings and got the bench put there. No one else in this hospital, besides you and Dr. Marcus, gives two shits about me. And you’re the only one who knows about me and that hallway. It’s a little fishy to me that a bench would suddenly appear in that exact spot,” I pressed, staring her down.

“They call and check on you,” she blurted out.

Stunned silent for a moment, I gathered my thoughts, trying to figure out what she’d meant. “Who? Who calls to check on me?”

“Her parents.”

“Megan’s parents check on me?”

She nodded. “I don’t know all the details, but a few months after she passed, they called here, looking for you. I don’t know the relationship between your families, but when the call finally got to me, it sounded like her parents hadn’t gotten a lot of information from yours, so they were starting at square one.”

Considering my father was still keeping up the scheme that I was antisocial and too busy to do anything but work, I could see my family not running the risk of giving any information regarding my whereabouts out to anyone, even Megan’s parents. Besides a family scandal, the idea of our family business breaking apart could send the shareholders into turmoil. Making them believe I was just quirky and fearful of people after my personal tragedy was better than instigating any inkling of panic.

“I told them you worked here, which surprised them.”

“I bet,” I said.

“They asked how you were after…”

“Go on,” I urged.

“Well, I’ve been giving them updates ever since,” she said quietly, knowing she’d probably broken a dozen laws in giving out an employee’s personal information. “They don’t call often, just once or twice a year to check in. They love you, Jude.”

Even after everything I put them through?

I looked at her for a minute or two, putting it all together—the special care, the job offer, barely a second glance when I’d asked to leave my last name off my badge.

“You’ve known who I was this entire time,” I said, not bothering to phrase it as a question.

“Yes. I recognized you the second I saw your last name on that employment application.”

“Yet, you’ve never said anything?”

“We should all be able to grieve privately, Jude. I wanted that for you. I just didn’t realize it would take so long,” she confessed.

“I think I’m almost done.”

She gave a faint smile, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I’m glad,” was all she said.

“And the bench?” I asked, wondering how it played into all of this.

“Megan’s father requested it. When I told him where you would go after your shifts, he wanted you to have a place to sit. He knew he couldn’t change what you were doing, but he wanted to at least make it better for you.”

“I’d like a plaque if you could swing it,” I finally said, my voice heavy with emotions.

“I’ll make some phone calls.”

“And, Margaret?” I rose from the chair. “When they call next time, could you tell them that I’m finally happy again? And that I love them, too?”

She smiled warmly. “I’d be happy to.”

Leaving Margaret to make her calls, I headed up to cardiology, passing the eyes of every nurse and staff member who had taken a particularly high interest in my social life over the last few weeks. Becoming involved with a patient was front-page gossip—or at least, that was what Grace had told me.

I really couldn’t give a f**k.

The hallway seemed endless, and my arms became restless as they waited to finally swing that door open, so I could see Lailah again.

God, I’ve been a fool.

Hasn’t my past shown me anything?

Life is precious. It’s there one minute and gone the next. It shouldn’t be wasted.

I’d lost two precious days being angry with Lailah for something I’d already known but been too frightened to admit.

Finally making it to her door, I grabbed the knob and knocked. I heard the soft, sweet sound of her voice ushering me in, and I entered before the quiet click of the door sounded behind me.

She was standing, and her back was turned. She was going through a pile of books her mother had probably brought over. Her hand smoothed over the cover of one of the paperbacks, tracing the raised letters of the title.

When she looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with me, she froze. “Jude,” she said, her eyes round and wide with surprise.

I took a step forward but stopped.

What do I say first? I’m sorry? I’m an ass? You were right?

I wanted to say them all at the same time, but I didn’t know where to begin.

Finally, I stalked forward, removing the air and space separating us. Weaving my fingers through her hair, I kissed her. She gasped, her hands gripping my shoulders before sliding around my neck.

“I’m sorry, Lailah. I’m so sorry,” I said between our frenzied kisses.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

“You didn’t say anything I didn’t already know.”

Grabbing her around her waist, I lifted her, and she instantly responded, wrapping her legs around me. I leaned her against the wall. Sliding my hands down around her ass, I supported her weight to keep the strain off of her.