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Despite having rested most of yesterday, she still looked tired. Frazzled. As though the weight of the world was on her shoulders.
“Oh. Is this why you wanted to eat together? You wanted to talk to me about my uncle’s care and condition.” She glanced away but not before he saw the betrayal on her face. And the way she was blinking rapidly.
Fuck. This wasn’t the way this talk was supposed to go.
“I want to go now,” she whispered.
“Maggie, no. That’s not why I wanted to eat lunch with you. I mean, I did want to talk to you . . .”
Stop rambling, Jameson. A St. Bede always shows confidence.
Great, now his mother was lecturing him in his head.
“You need to face these questions at some stage. Hiding from them won’t make them go away.”
She flinched, and this time, he saw how glassy her eyes were.
Bloody hell.
He sucked in a breath, needing to say something to soothe her. He was usually more thoughtful than this. Before he could think of what to say, though, she’d gathered herself, straightening her shoulders.
“You’re quite right. I need to start thinking about these things. Thank you for lunch and the tests. I’m sorry it was all a waste of time.”
“What’s going on here?” Ian snapped, suddenly at the table. “Maggie, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, but I would like to go home,” Maggie said quietly. “Can we leave?”
Ian looked at him and then down to her uneaten pizza.
“You haven’t eaten your pizza,” he said.
“I’m not hungry anymore.”
“Why isn’t she hungry anymore?” Ian turned to him. “And why does she look like she wants to cry?”
“Ian, I’m all right.” Reaching out, she placed her hand on his. “I-I just need the bathroom before we go.”
Fuck. Jameson watched them walk off and knew that he’d messed up. He’d promised her a treat and all he’d done was upset her.
Asshole.
Maggie stepped into the bathroom.She felt hot and upset. Her skin was itchy, her stomach nauseous.
Hiding from them won’t make them go away.
Monkeyballs.
Her head was thumping and her hip ached. At least she hadn’t truly hurt it.
“Are you all right?”
She jumped.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
She glanced over at the older woman standing there. She was dressed in a linen jumpsuit, with long, straight dark hair.
“I didn’t realize anyone else was in here. Sorry,” she muttered.
