Sweet Billionaire Stepbrother(40)
“It’s not fair. Why does she have to suffer this much?”
I shrugged, feeling helpless to answer her with a real solution. “Life isn’t fair, Lala. It’s just the way it is.” Her eyes lit up with anger upon hearing my words.
“Where the hell are Carmen’s guardian angels? They better wake up and take care of her. She can’t take much more of this pain,” she said, choking on her words. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Seeing her like this was breaking my f*cking heart and I couldn’t stand it much longer. I pulled her up into my arms, hugging her tightly.
“Hush, baby. Carmen’s still alive, yeah? Her angels are taking care of her.” I didn’t want to tell her that I was surprised the girl was still breathing. The trauma she’d suffered would have killed anyone who didn’t have a team of angels on their side.
Layla’s sobs intensified. “I really hope you are right.”
“I’m certain. As long as Carmen is breathing there is hope, Lala. And the doctors will do everything they can to help her. You’ve just gotta have faith, okay?”
“I know . . . I’m trying. But it’s so damn hard to watch her suffer like this. I know I’m trained to be able to handle it, but Carmen . . . she doesn’t deserve this.”
Placing my hands on either side of her head, I lifted her tear stained face to mine. My heart ached for her, I wished there was something, anything, I could do to make it better.
Gently, I kissed both her eyelids and then her wet cheeks, trying desperately to stop the tears spilling from her eyes. Her pain was my pain. I could strangle Carmen’s father for doing this. If only people would realize how their negative behavior could impact and hurt others, what pain they caused not only to the immediate victims, but to everyone else involved.
This was why I wanted to be a doctor. So I could make a difference. Save lives, not companies.
But right at that moment, I was helpless and it cut me to the f*cking bone. I hated feeling like there was nothing I could do other than offer words of comfort to my girl. But I had to try, it was the least I could do to try and lighten the burden.
“Coming to London will be good for you. Carmen will be in hospital for a while and there isn’t much you can do for her at the moment. When you get back, you can work on getting her better again.”
My words only made her cry harder. Shit.
“This time it’s going to a harder challenge for her,” Layla sobbed. “God, what if I can’t help her to walk again?”
I had no answer, all I could do was to silence her with a kiss. To pour all my love and strength into that kiss and hope it would give her courage to carry on.
“Grayson, you’re so sweet. Thank you for being here.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
I wanted to be Layla’s everything. Everything she needed.
Her comforter. Her rock. Her lover.
Hers completely.
11: Grayson
A few days ago I wasn’t sure that Layla would agree to my idea, and after what happened with Carmen I definitely thought she’d refuse to come, but here I was standing at Heathrow Arrivals waiting for her. My heart slammed against my ribs every time the doors opened and another passenger emerged. I’d been waiting for ages and as far as I could tell, just about everyone from her flight had come through those doors already.
What if she changed her mind and she wasn’t on that damn plane?
I watched yet another couple embrace as if they wanted to f*ck one another right there in front of everyone.
Where was Layla?
My mouth went dry as the door opened once more. Still no Layla. Jesus, if the assisted passengers were coming through, it meant Layla was most probably not on that flight. I’d purchased business class tickets, she should have been one of the first passengers to off the plane.
Worry ate at me.
For three nights I hadn’t been able to think of anything else than Layla’s arrival. I longed for her, to hold her, to kiss her, to feel her naked body against mine. She was the first thing I thought about when I woke in the morning and the last thing on my mind when I drifted off to sleep.
Surely she would have called or texted if she changed her mind? Shifting my weight from one foot to the other, I checked my phone again. Nothing.
My stomach dropped to my shoes like a ton of f*cking bricks.
And then I heard her laugh. The sound traveled across Arrivals and hit me right in the chest. Everything was forgiven. The scolding I was already formulating in my mind to give her for making me worry evaporated into thin air.
There she was.
Of course that’s why she’s last. Why would I be surprised?
As soon as I saw Layla it all made sense. She was helping a woman with her son. The boy was in a wheelchair, his leg in a cast and one arm in a sling. As they reached a man who stood waiting by the railings closer to the doors than myself, Layla handed him the bag and jacket she was carrying. She rumpled the boy’s hair and hugged the woman before turning in my direction.
The smile that lit her face when she saw me made me forget my own name. I’d wait a thousand years if that megawatt smile was my reward.
“Layla,” I breathed, letting out all of my frustrations of the last half hour. I opened my arms as I took a few wide steps toward her.
As if she couldn’t wait a moment longer, she quickened her pace too. A little breathless, she fell into my arms and hugged me as if she hadn’t seen me for years.