It's Better This Way(51)

Julia sniffled and nodded. With tears streaking her face, she bit into her lower lip and whispered, “I love him. I didn’t believe I would ever love anyone as much as I once did your father. Heath proved me wrong. Falling in love at my age wasn’t anything I expected to happen…I thought that part of my life was over and…and I accepted it and…and then I met Heath.”

Hillary hugged her tighter. “I’m going to call Aunt Amanda. She can sit with you.”

Julia nodded, aware that Hillary had to return to work. Amanda would come right away. Julia would need her sister, especially if the news about Heath was bad.

Hillary left her, and no sooner was she gone from the room than Heath’s two sons arrived. Ignoring her, they stormed into the emergency room and went directly to the receptionist to ask about their father.

Julia couldn’t hear anything that was said other than the doctor would be out to talk to them shortly. Both boys were upset, and she wished she had some words of reassurance to offer, but she didn’t.

Turning away from the receptionist, Michael glared at Julia. Slowly he walked over to her. “You can go now that we’re here.”

Several people around them looked up at the gruff way in which he spoke. Julia chose not to react and kept her voice low and serene. “I’m here because I care about your father. I’m not leaving until I find out Heath’s condition,” she said. Not wanting to cause a scene, she was determined to remain where she was, despite his sons.

    “You’re the reason my dad is here,” Michael said with malice. “Dad should never have been playing tennis, and certainly not with you.”

Julia didn’t have it in her to argue. She could appreciate that Heath’s sons were upset; so was she. Rather than explain that she had as much right to be at the hospital as they did, she simply shook her head, letting them know she wasn’t leaving.

“Aunt Amanda is on her way and she—” Hillary stopped speaking when she saw Michael and Adam standing over Julia in what must have looked like a threatening stance. Joining her mother, Hillary placed her arm around Julia’s shoulders.

“Your mother should go,” Michael insisted again. “Her being here isn’t helping.”

“My mother is staying right where she is. It’s not up to you to say who can and can’t be in this room.”

Again, the stares from those sitting in the area were focused on all of them. Julia was embarrassed but unwilling to leave. Michael and Adam would need to accept that she wasn’t going anywhere until she knew Heath’s condition.

“We don’t need her here.” Michael’s voice was raised.

“Too bad, she’s not leaving,” Hillary returned in equal volume.

The two were practically nose to nose, glaring at each other, waiting for one or the other to back down. The scene reminded Julia of gunslingers facing off.

“Hasn’t your family done enough?” Adam said, speaking for the first time.

    “What do you mean by that?” Hillary demanded, turning her attention away from Michael. “It was your mother, the cheating bitch, who ruined our family.”

“Hillary, please.” Julia gasped and grabbed her daughter by the arm. “Stop. Arguing isn’t helping.”

“Your dad—”

“Keep my dad out of this,” Hillary retorted. “No, don’t. You can have him. He doesn’t know the meaning of honor or fidelity. You want him, he’s all yours.”

“That’s fine with me,” Michael countered. “We think the world of Edward. In return, I want you to keep your mother away from our father.”

“Both of you, please stop.” Julia pleaded, as she buried her face in her hands. She couldn’t deal with this now, not when her fears ran rampant, and it felt as if she was about to lose Heath forever.

“Just stay away from our father and we’ll call it even.”

“Fine by me,” Hillary said with a laugh. “My sister and I aren’t happy with their relationship, either. As far as we can see, there isn’t a single decent member in the entire family.”

“Stop!” Julia cried once more. “Please, just stop.”

“Keep your dad away from my mother,” Hillary went on to say. “I’ll do my part and you do yours.”

“Deal.”

The emergency room doors opened and Amanda appeared. Seeing her sister, Julia rushed toward her, desperately needing to escape.

“Julia?”

“Get me out of here,” she cried. “I don’t care where you take me, just get me out of this hospital.”



* * *



—

    It had been a crazy day, with the news of Heath’s heart attack. Carrie was more than eager to escape to the rooftop with Eric. As soon as she arrived, she found him standing waiting for her. He immediately met her and drew her into his arms, hugging her.

“I heard about Heath,” he said. “Is there anything we can do?”

“Not at this point. Wait,” she said, “how did you know?” Eric had little contact with anyone in the condo other than her.

“Michael. We were scheduled to have a business call when his assistant postponed it. Later, Michael phoned to update me from the hospital.”