It’s a lot. I know it is, it will be an uphill battle and take a lot from me, but I’m passionate about it. It helps people and it’s something that I really want to do… not like this marketing company.
But there is one person that I really want to share all of this with, and I haven’t.
I call Lexi, like I do every single day, and she doesn’t answer, the same as every day. I think that it’s clear now that she doesn’t want anything to do with me, but I can’t accept that. I don’t know what I did wrong.
“I need to see her,” I mutter to myself. “I need to figure this out.”
I don’t know where she lives though, that’s the issue. I don’t know how I’m supposed to see her. There’s only one place she might be, and as much as it’s kinda sucky to do this, I’m going to go to the hospital and find out if she’s with her sister. I just need to see her even once to find out what’s going on with her.
I dive into my car and head in the direction of the hospital, zig zagging between happy and sad. I’m pleased that my life is heading in the right direction, however slowly that might be happening, but I’m sad Lexi isn’t in it. She’s my sunshine, everything is so much better when she’s around.
By the time I get to the hospital, I’ve turned to pure nerves. Everything else slides to the side and I’m a mess. I have to wait for a few moments, sucking in deep and panicked breaths, and I eventually step out. I keep an air of cool confidence around me as I walk, but internally I’m a shaky mess.
“Hi,” I say to the receptionist sitting behind the main desk. “I’m looking for Jane Tyler.”
I put my best smile on my face, and I give her the puppy dog eyes. This look has gotten me my own way a lot of times w
hich is why I’ve pulled it off again. I have never needed it more than this.
Her expression is stoic, but I can see myself wearing her down. Ever so slowly, her lips turn up and she ends up grinning at me too. “Okay, sure I will just look up the name and see which department she’s in.”
It takes a couple of minutes but once I get the department, I head there quickly. My sweet talking doesn’t work quite as quickly with the nurses, they are much harder to melt, but eventually I do it. The nurse walks me towards a room where I find a woman with similar features to Lexi, although she’s clearly a lot sicker.
She groans and turns over in the bed, her eyes widening with shock as she sees me. She tries to sit up straighter, but it seems like the pain pins her back down again. I feel terrible, I didn’t want to create this issue.
“Who are you?” she moans. “I thought that you were Lexi coming to see me…”
“Lexi isn’t here?” I ask, unable to keep the disappointment from my voice.
“No, she hasn’t been here for a long time. I keep pushing her away. I… well, that’s why I thought that it might be her, actually. She said that she has something to tell me. But in a selfish way, I didn’t answer her because I don’t want her to see me like this. I thought that she might have come anyway, but…”
Oh God, something really bad has been happening. “I thought she was here because she hasn’t been at work.”
“She hasn’t?” Jane looks really confused. “That’s not like her. Lexi is a very reliable person.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. But I know that she’s wanted to be with you a lot…” Jane’s face falls. Immediately, I know that was the wrong thing to say. “I mean, well… there’s obviously a reason.”
A tear rolls down her cheek, she looks gutted. “I’ve hurt her. I’m really sorry, it sucks. I bet I’ve really made her sad, not letting her come. I thought that I was doing her a favor, but I guess not.” She lets out an awkward laugh. “I told her to get a life, I didn’t want her to waste all of her time here at the hospital with me, but now I feel what I’ve actually done is push her further into her shell. I feel awful.”
I can’t stop myself anymore. This woman needs comfort and I’m going to give it to her. I race to her side and wrap an arm around her, hugging her. She leans into me, gaining at least some relief from my comfort.
“So, you are Lexi’s boss?” she eventually asks me in a quiet voice. “The guy from the restaurant.”
“Yeah.” I smile at the memory. “That’s me. I take it you have heard of me.”
Jane pulls back to look at me. “Yes, and I have to let you know that I was on your side from the start.”
“My side?” I furrow my brows at her. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, it was obvious that Will wasn’t going to be the guy for her, but I saw a new passion in Lexi when she began talking about you. Sure, it was laced with hate at first, but it soon changed to something more.”
I can just imagine the conversation between them right now after my hilariously rude behavior during her date.
“I think she might be falling for you,” Jane tells me. “I think that’s been happening for ages.”
“Has she said that to you?” My heart skips about ten beats. “She’s talked about her feelings?”
“She’s never said it in those words, but I know my sister and she’s falling for you.”