104 Chapter 107
Chapter 107 A Beacon in the Storm, A Question in His Eyes
The hospital corridor felt like it stretched for miles as I paced back and forth, my heels clicking against the sterile floor. The fluorescent lights overhead cast harsh shadows across my face, reflecting the worry etched into every line. My grandmother–my pillar of strength, the woman who had shaped me into who I am–was lying in a hospital bed, machines beeping steadily around her.
“Ms. Ashworth?” A doctor approached me, clipboard in hand. “Your grandmother is stable now. The myocardial infarction was mild, fortunately, but we need to keep her under observation for at least 48 hours.”
Relief washed over me like a wave. “Thank you, doctor. Can I see her?”
He nodded. “Of course. She’s awake now, but try not to excite her.”
I slipped into the room where Grandmother lay, looking so much smaller than I remembered against the white hospital sheets. Her eyes fluttered open when I approached.
“Hazel,” she whispered, reaching for my hand. “Don’t look so worried. It’ll take more than this to get rid of me.”
I squeezed her hand gently. “You scared me half to death.”
“Just a little hiccup, she insisted, though the pain in her eyes betrayed her casual tone. “The doctor says I’ll be fine.”
We talked quietly for a few minutes before Aunt Rose exhausted as I felt, dark circles under her eyes.
us, She looked as
“I’ll stay with her tonight,” Aunt Rose insisted when visiting hours were ending. “You’ve had a long day, Hazel. Go home and rest.”
I hesitated, not wanting to leave, but Grandmother nodded in agreement. “Listen to your aunt. I’m not going anywhere.”
Outside the hospital room/I pulled out my phone. I needed to let Damien know what had happened. We’d been planning to meet tonight, and our conversation earlier had
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been confusing–he seemed to have misunderstood the gravity of the situation.
My fingers hovered over his contact. What was I even going to say? My emotions were too raw, too close to the surface.
Before I could decide, my phone lit up with his name.
“Hazel. His voice was warm, concerned. “How is your grandmother?”
The caring in his tone immediately made my eyes sting with tears I’d been holding back. “She had a myocardial infarction–a mild heart attack. They’re keeping her for observation.”
“I’m so sorry,” he said softly. “I misunderstood earlier. I thought when you mentioned your aunt calling, it was something minor. Is there anything I can do?”
I swallowed hard. “No, I–I think we have it covered. But thank you.”
“Are you still at the hospital?” he asked.
“Yes,” I admitted. “My aunt is staying overnight with her, so I was just about to head home.”
“Do you need a ride?”
“No, I drove here,” I said, then remembered the strange noise my car had been making on the drive over. “Actually… I’m not sure. My car was acting up on the way here.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” he said decisively.
“Damien, that’s not necessary-
“Fifteen minutes,” he repeated, and then hung up.
I made my way down to the parking lot, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me. When I reached my car, I turned the key in the ignition. The engine sputtered, coughed, and died. I tried again with the same result.
“Perfect, I muttered, letting my head fall against the steering wheel.
I was about to call roadside assistance when my phone rang again. “I’m outside the main entrance,” Damien said. “Where are you?”
“In the parking lot with a dead car,” I replied, feeling utterly defeated.
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“Which section?”
“B, near the back.”
“Stay there.”
Five minutes later, headlights swept across my windshield as a sleek black car pulled up beside mine. Damien stepped out, tall and commanding even in the dim light of the parking lot. He opened my car door without a word and pulled me into a hug
I melted against him, allowing myself this moment of weakness, of needing someone else’s strength. His arms were solid and warm around me, his cologne a comforting scent that made me feel anchored when everything else seemed to be spinning out of
control.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured into my hair, and I believed him.
When we finally pulled apart, he studied my face. “When did you last eat?”
I blinked, trying to remember. “Breakfast, maybe? I can’t recall.”
His expression softened with concern. “Let’s get you some food. And don’t worry about your car–I’ll have my driver take care of it.”
“But-
“No arguments,” he said firmly, already typing on his phone. “Thomas will have it towed and repaired. It’s handled, Hazel.”
In the car, I leaned back against the plush leather seat, suddenly aware of how exhausted I was. “Thank you for coming, Damien.”
He reached over and took my hand, his thumb tracing gentle circles on my palm. “Always”
uch conviction, made i
That one word, spoken with heart twist. Julian had
promised “always” too, and look how that turned out. Yet when Damien said it, I found myself wanting to believe him.
“I spoke with the hospital director, Damien said, breaking the comfortable silence.
“He’ll ensure yourį
receives the best care possible.”
I sat up straight, staring at him. “You what?”
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“I know him personally, Damien explained casually, as if making a call to ensure premium medical care was as normal as ordering takeout. “He assured me she’ll have the hospital’s top cardiologist assigned to her case.”
“Damien, you didn’t have to-”
“I wanted to,” he said simply. “It was one phone call, Hazel. A small thing that might make a big difference.”
I looked out the window at the city lights blurring past, fighting back tears. No one had ever done something like this for me before–taken action so swiftly, so decisively, to help without being asked.
My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. It was Aunt Rose.
“Hazel?” Her voice was pitched higher than usual. “Did you arrange for some sort of VIP treatment? Because suddenly there’s a specialist here examining your grandmother, and they’ve moved her to a private suite. The nursing staff is practically falling over themselves to help.”
I glanced at Damien, who was pretending not to listen. “A friend helped make some arrangements.”
“A friend?” She sounded skeptical. “Must be some friend. They’re treating us like royalty here.”
“I’m glad Grandmother is being well taken care of,” I said, unable to keep the emotion from my voice. “I’ll be back first thing tomorrow. Call me if anything changes.”
After hanging up, I turned to Damien. “The hospital called in a specialist. They moved her to a private suite.”
His lips curved into a small smile. “Good. She deserves the best care.”
“Why did you do that?” I asked quietly. “You barely know my grandmother.”
“I know she matters to you,” he said, his eyes never leaving the road. “And you matter
to me.”
The simplicity of his answer struck me silent. Julian had always kept score-every favor, every act of kindness came with strings attached. But Damien seemed to give freely, asking nothing in return.
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We pulled up to a small, elegant restaurant I’d never seen before. The hostess greeted Damien by name and led us to a private corner booth away from other diners.
“I thought you might appreciate some privacy tonight,” he explained as we settled in.
As we ate, Damien kept the conversation light, sharing amusing stories about his sister’s antics and his latest business ventures. He didn’t pressure me to talk about my grandmother or my feelings, and I was grateful for the distraction.
By the time dessert arrived, I felt some of the day’s tension melting away.
“Better?” he asked, watching me savor a spoonful of chocolate mousse.
nodded. “Much better. Thank you for… all of this. For coming to the hospital, for arranging care for my grandmother, for dinner. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“I don’t want repayment, Hazel,” he said, his voice suddenly serious. “I just want to be there for you. Is that so hard to believe?”
After my experiences with Julian and my family, yes, it was hard to believe. People always wanted something. Yet here was Damien, consistently showing up for me with no apparent agenda beyond making me happy.
“I’m trying to believe it,” I said honestly.
His expression softened. “That’s a start.”
As we drove back to my apartment, I replayed the evening in my mind. Damien had been nothing but supportive, a steady presence exactly when I needed one. It was terrifying how quickly I was coming to rely on him, to expect his warmth and strength. “I’ll have your car delivered to you once it’s fixed,” he said as we pulled up outside my building.
“Thank you again,” I said, gathering my purse. “For everything.”
“Hazel,” he called as I was about to step out of the car. “Earlier, wl you told her a ‘friend‘ had helped arrange things at the hospital.”
I froze, unsure where he was going with this.
your aunt called….
He tilted his head, a playful smile tugging at his lips despite the intensity in his eyes “Just a friend? Aren’t you going to add a word in front?”
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The question hung in the air between us, weighted with meaning. In that moment with his eyes searching mine, I realized we had long since crossed the line of simple friendship–and we both knew it.
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