Hello Stranger

My voice was calm when I spoke.

“I’m sorry,” I told her. “It’s always unfortunate when things don’t work out how we hoped.”

Her voice wasn’t calm when it came out again. It was gaspy and shy.

“I’m not…” she said. “Sorry, I mean.”

My eyes must have widened on hers, but I kept so still.

She shrugged, and flashed the most adorable little smile I’d ever seen. “He’d say I was a boring book addict, didn’t like me reading at night.”

I flashed her a smile right back. “I’m sure you’d have plenty to say about him in response.”

A nod. “Yeah. Sure would.”

There were footsteps behind and a few of the nurses came walking through, and the spell was broken all over again. I cleared my throat and backed away.

“You’re welcome at Franklin,” I said again. “Please do head over if you’d like a more thorough introduction.”

“Thanks,” she said.

That little boy in me was leaping in my damn chest when I left Kingsley and charged on back across to Franklin, and I tried to push him down. I tried to scoff at his insanity and his pathetic outlook on the world, but today I couldn’t contain him. I couldn’t force him back into the depths where he belonged.

The silly little fool would learn his lesson, of that I was sure. But not right then.

Right then it was all about Chloe Sutton and that sweet little smile.16ChloeI never expected our longest ever conversation to be one where I was wobbly on my feet in a hospital corridor, telling him I love wolves. But I’d take it any day, all day long, just to hear his voice again.

Yep. I really needed a cold shower, and some kind of sense in my head. Neither of them were coming anytime that afternoon, though.

I was a nervous cloud, floating through the ward once he’d left it – happy on top of happy as I helped people through their day, laughing and smiling and listening to life stories. There was so much to be found in people, as well as in pages. I’d known that ever since I could understand words.

I was still grinning my brightest grin when Wendy Briars joined me in the staffroom at the end of my shift, and she smiled right back at me.

“You look happy,” she said. “Have you had an opportunity to think about things with Franklin?”

I nodded one hell of a nod. “Yeah,” I told her. “I mean I was always really keen to do the role, I just felt that maybe it wasn’t quite right for me in Franklin.” I zoomed out my words super fast. “But it is right. I know it’s right. I saw Dr Hall earlier and he told me I could go get an introduction and I want that. I really do want to take over from Gina.”

She was laughing when I finished speaking, a really warm laugh that made me giggle out a giggle along with her.

“Sorry,” I said. “I can get a little…”

“Enthusiastic,” she finished for me. “Never apologise for that, it’s a lovely thing to see.”

“Thanks.”

I could feel my cheeks burning bright and I wondered if she could sense it, the whole burst of energy inside. I was keeping it in check. But just. Only just.

“I did hear that Dr Hall came over here to speak with you,” she said. “That’s a great thing. He’s a difficult man to get to know, but a great one. It’s a fantastic thing that he wants to welcome you to the team. You’ll be very valued there.”

I felt so much more tender than I should to hear that.

“He seems great. Really great.”

“He is,” she said. “Really great.”

I dawdled, and then picked my book up ready to go.

She looked at my novel intently. “Gina said you share train journeys with him. Said you share what you’ve been reading.”

I shrugged. “Yeah, we both read a lot. Bookworms, I guess. Two peas in a novel reading pod.”

“Excellent,” she said, but she had a weird expression. One I couldn’t quite understand. “Well, have a lovely evening. We’ll start you in Franklin next week. You have a lot of faces to meet and a lot to take in.”

I had this silly urge to give her a hug, because I was so happy and she was so cool and had offered me so much, but I held back. I waved goodbye and was off like a rocket, charging on out of there and down to Harrow train station.

In some ways getting a different train tonight felt more strange than not going back home to Liam. I checked my phone. No messages from him. No babe, please come home or I’ll love you forever, don’t do this. Not even a peep out of him. Probably already slouched down on the sofa, screaming into his gamer headset.

I guess it didn’t seem all that strange to him, either. Maybe things had been done between us for a long time, we just hadn’t wanted to admit it. Neither of us. Must happen to a lot of people – they just drift away from each other as days turn to weeks, and those weeks keep on rolling, on and on. Very sad, but very real.