International Player(13)

“Easy,” Noah said, lifting his chin in a challenge he aimed at me.

“Shanghai,” I replied with a little shake of my head.

He rolled his eyes—he knew I was right. God, I’d missed how good Noah always made me feel—like being the clever sister was okay. He didn’t seem to look at me as some brainiac but as an equal.

I glanced over at Abigail, who was chatting to the barman about the menu.

“Name the fictional Welsh fishing village that features in the play Under Milk Wood?”

I rolled my eyes. Everyone knew this.

“I’ve read it but never heard it, so best I can do is spell it,” Noah said. “L-l-a-r-e-g-g-u-b.”

“How the fuck do you remember how to spell that?” Rob asked.

“It’s bugger all, backward,” I explained.

Rob underlined that answer as if we got extra points for that question or something. “Shit, we’re definitely going to win tonight.”

“No doubt,” Noah said, holding my gaze and grinning in that way he had that made me feel that I was the only woman in his world.

Noah was affable and charming, made everyone feel like he was their friend, but underneath it all was a determination, a steel that I imagined could make him ruthless when he wanted to be, a tough negotiator, a hard decision maker. The combination had made him successful, allowed him to sleep with women and walk away without a second thought, and made him my personal kryptonite.

Abigail looked a little pale as she made her way back from the bar. “Do you need some fresh air?” I asked.

She stopped and blinked at me several times in quick succession. My heart began to pound. Something was wrong. I reached for her just as she collapsed.

“Rob!” I screamed as I gripped her arm. She was conscious, but it was as if her legs weren’t working. I crouched down. “It’s okay. Just sit. Don’t try to get up.” I glanced up when Rob appeared on her other side.

“Ambulance,” Noah said into his phone. “She’s pregnant and has collapsed. At the Crown and Horses on Haverstock Hill. Hurry!”





Seven





Truly


Rob emerged through the double doors and into the waiting area, his eyes downcast and his pallor as gray as the linoleum floors.

I jerked out of my seat. “What? What did they say?”

He shook his head. “They’re still running tests. Her blood pressure is insanely high. They’ve got her lying in some weird position to take the pressure off the baby, which I don’t really understand. They think it’s pre-eclampsia.”

“But she’s going to be okay?” I needed certainty. Facts. What tests? What the fuck was pre-eclampsia?

“She’s conscious and has a little more color back. They’ve given her a sedative and she’s on a drip.”

“I knew she was doing too much, putting too much pressure on herself.” My nails bit into my palms as I fisted my hands.

“You know that’s her nature. I’d told her a thousand times to slow down, but she seemed to be doing more rather than less.” Rob pressed his fingers into his temples as if he needed to find a solution. “She doesn’t listen to me. She wanted things in place for when the baby was born. She’s been worried about the foundation and the rehab center—she takes too much on.” He scrubbed his hands over his face.

This was my fault. If I’d been able to ease her burden, if the fundraising didn’t all fall on her, she wouldn’t be in this position. “She knows donations will grind to a halt when she leaves,” I said, mumbling. “I’m completely incompetent at her job.”

“You’re hardly incompetent,” Noah said from beside me.

“I am. All I can do is the numbers. Abi is the heart of the foundation.”

“Well, after this, I’m prying the baton out of her hands and handing it to you.” Rob paused, fixed his lips in a thin, straight line, and glanced at the floor as if he were stopping himself from saying more.

I swallowed.

“If, God willing, she and the baby are okay, things have got to change. She has to do less.” He sounded almost angry with me, but I understood. I hadn’t done enough to ensure Abigail was taking it easy. I should have insisted she cut back her hours, but then what? Who would do the stuff she was so good at? Especially running into the prime season for fundraising.

“Let’s just focus on Abigail right now,” Noah said. “It’s good that she’s conscious and she’s in the best place to help her. All we can do is stay calm and wait.”

“Can I see her?” I asked.

Rob shoved his hands in his pockets. “The doctors said no. Just me. They’re trying to keep her stable.”

I wanted to look at my beautiful twin sister, have her tell me she was fine and it was all a big overreaction. I needed things to go back to the way they were. Her telling me she was older and knew better. And it might only be by six and a half minutes but somehow, over the years, those extra seconds counted for a lot. She was the one who plowed the path in front of us while I followed. I couldn’t survive without her. I’d wither and die without her constant sunshine and smiles.

“I’m going back in there,” Rob said. “You might as well go home. I’ll call with any news.”