Page 128 of None Of Your Business

Tears spill into my lashes before I can sweep them back down.

“I’m in love with him,” I say softly.

Noah blinks, totally bewildered. “After a weekend?”

Hearing it out loud, I realize how ridiculous it sounds when they don’t know about the months we’ve spent together.

Madison’s brow furrows as she steps toward me. “What’s going on? Last I heard, he helped you once because you fell.”

“You fell?” Noah asks, his head snapping toward me in shock.

This is getting out of hand fast.

“How did you even cross paths?” Madison demands, throwing her hands up. “How did any of this happen?”

I take a breath and pull my hands into my sweater sleeves to stop the trembling.

“I wandered into the wrong group at Westbrook,” I tell them.

Beckett clears his throat, shifting uncomfortably. “Look, maybe I should give you guys some space—”

“Actually, can you stay?” I interrupt, my voice wavering slightly. “There might be some things you can explain better than I can.”

“Sure, Ro. I’m right here.”

“I didn’t ask you guys here to talk about Hudson,” I say, looking between Madison and Noah. “I asked you here because I made a promise to Piper.”

I give them the quick, stripped-down rundown. I tell them about the creative block that had been eating me alive for weeks, how terrified I was that I’d end up having to cancel another show, and how desperate I got for anything to fix it. I explain how I accidentally walked into Hudson’s research group, and how, after he realized I didn’t belong there, he let me stay as an observer so I could sketch and get my work back.

Noah frowns, stepping forward. “You said you were in the wrong group? What group were you supposed to be in?”

I look down at my shoes, my pulse skittering in my throat. “The chronic illness group.”

Madison falls into the nearest dining chair.

“What illness?” Noah asks.

I force myself to look up and meet their eyes.

“I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome,” I say. “And POTS.”

Madison turns to Beckett, her eyes wide and terrified. “Beckett, what is that?”

Beckett steps forward. “It’s a connective tissue disorder,” he explains. “It means the collagen in her body doesn’t build properly, so her joints are loose and prone to severe pain and dislocations. POTS is a condition that affects her autonomic nervous system. It makes it hard for her body to regulate blood pressure and heart rate when she’s standing up. It causes sudden spikes in heart rate, severe fatigue, and fainting.”

Silence.

Total, airless silence fills the living room.

Madison looks back at me, her eyes glossy.

“I was diagnosed two years ago,” I add quietly.

Her eyes close. “Two years? And you didn’t tell us?”

“No.”

“Does Piper know?”