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“That sounds like a good idea, darling.” Mum’s gaze skitters around the immaculate hospital corridor. “He’s done a lot.”
She’s right. Gramps has been brought to the best private hospital in the whole area. No way could we afford to have him brought here.
“He’s waking up!”
I rush into the room as Gramps opens his eyes, blinking slowly. I go straight to the side of his bed and take his hand in mine.
“Gramps,” I sob.
“Ava.” His old eyes twinkle as they focus on me. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
I laugh through my tears and lean in to hug him. His whiskers graze my cheek as I soak in the familiar warmth of his embrace.
“You gave us a fright, Gramps. The doctor said Magnus found you collapsed in the kitchen.”
“I can’t remember, love.” Gramps rubs my back, and his attention moves over my shoulder. “Zena?”
“Hi William,” Mum says softly, coming over to the side of the bed. “It’s good to see you.”
Gramps’ eyes widen and bounce between the two of us and he smiles. “Well, aren’t I the lucky one? Two beautiful women rushing across the Atlantic for me.”
“I should have come sooner. I’ve missed you.” I perch on the side of his bed and clasp his hand in mine.
“You’re living your life, Ava. I don’t want you worrying about an old man like me.”
“Stop.” I shake my head with a smile, rubbing my thumb over the back of his palm as Mum sits in the seat beside his bed. “I’m always going to worry about you. And I’ll be staying awhile. We’ve got a hotel nearby.”
“We have,” Mum confirms. “For as long as you need us, we’ll be here.”
“I’ll be fine.”
I’m about to argue with him when his next words make a lump form in my throat.
“I’m so proud of you, love. You wrote your story. Just like you said you were going to. And you’ve got a movie deal.”
“I know,” I whisper.
“Are you happy?” He places his warm, calloused hand over the back of mine, encasing it beneath both of his. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”
I nod, unable to find any words.
Gramps smiles at me with pure, unbridled happiness. He looks content. I can’t ruin that. Especially when he’s healing. He’s right. This is what I wanted. I planned I might share my story with the world when I began writing it. I was opening up to that possibility. Maybe I need to forget about how I got here and just accept that I am. Not that I’ll ever thank Jet for taking my decision away from me.
The selfish bastard can still rot in hell for all I care.
“You’ve been wearing sunscreen, haven’t you?”
Ireassure Margaret for the third time that I’ve been taking care of myself in LA. This is her way of showing she cares. This and insisting when I arrived that I came straight inside with my shoes on even though she’d just mopped the front hallway.
Mum and I stayed with Gramps until he got tired, then I dropped her at the hotel so she could rest and call Mitch. I headed straight to Rochwell house. I gambled, assuming Magnus wouldn’t be at work when the doctor told me we’d just missed him at the hospital.
“And how areyou?” Margaret assesses me.
“I’m good.”
She folds her arms, seeing right through my fake bright smile. “Did he think with his penis?”
“What?” I can’t help but laugh at the way she says it so matter-of-factly.
