AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She hung up and leaned on the desk. She hadn’t meant to offer to visit her mom, but she’d meant what she said. It had been long enough, and she was confident it was safe.
Her visit to Maddy, though, was another thing. Last time they saw each other, Maddy had told her to stay out of her life for good. And a big part of their estrangement was caused by what Charlotte was about to do right now.
She bowed her head and closed her eyes. “God, please heal my sister. Help her be okay, but use this if you can. If she’ll let you. Don’t let her go another moment without believing in you.”
Chapter5
It wasan hour before visiting hours were finishing when Charlotte arrived at the hospital. Because her mom was not a reliable source of information, Charlotte would have preferred to speak to the doctor before walking in on the unknown, but he was with another patient.
When she reached the door, her heart leapt into her throat. She’d always considered Maddy the strongest of the two of them. She was definitely the bravest. Yet here she was, her face a mess and her body broken.
Charlotte had to press her breath between her lips to control her emotion. Maddy wouldn’t like it if she cried. She wouldn’t want a fuss to be made on her behalf, so Charlotte would have to hold it together or lie to herself that everything was fine, which it very clearly wasn’t.
She was relieved to see her sister wasn’t alone. A man sat in a chair near the bed. He looked like he was a few years older than her and her sister. He was fit and well-groomed but wearing jeans and a rumpled T-shirt. She’d never seen him before, but she’d never met any of Maddy’s friends. Not for a long time. For this man to be with her now, he must be someone close to her.
Maddy had never been good at picking boyfriends, but that was then. They weren’t girls anymore.
The man had his eyes pinned to his phone and slid his finger up the screen slowly, like he was reading something. Charlotte cleared her throat, and he looked up. It was only a slight parting of his lips and his straightened back that signaled he was surprised by her appearance. His look was more composed than most when meeting Maddy’s twin, even if they knew she had one. She and her sister looked startlingly similar. They always had.
The guy leaned toward Maddy and spoke quietly. She opened her eyes and looked at him, then across the room.
“What—” Maddy’s voice caught in her throat. It took her a second to clear it. “What are you doing here?”
Charlotte pressed her lips together before speaking. She hadn’t expected a warm welcome but had hoped that, given her condition, Maddy would be pleased to see her. But Maddy was never one to back down from a fight, even when it would do her some good.
“I heard you were hurt,” Charlotte said. “I was worried. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“As you can see, I’m fine.”
“That’s not how it looks to me.”
“It’s not as bad as it looks. Trust me. I’m coping well. You didn’t need to come.”
Charlotte clenched her teeth before responding. She had to be careful. Maddy was suffering, and it was normal for her to take it out on those closest to her.
“I’d like to stay for a little while. But only if it wouldn’t distress you too much.”
She looked at the man, who was staring at her. As soon as they made eye contact, he looked at Maddy.
“Mom called you?” Maddy said.
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t think you’d come.”
“She told me you were very badly hurt. I thought maybe she was overreacting, but I can see she wasn’t. And you’re my sister. I want to make sure you’re all right.”
“She shouldn’t have bothered you. I’m really okay.”
“Was it work-related?”
“Could be. Probably. But it’s no big deal.”
“Full of bravado, as usual.”
“You think I should play the victim?”
“No. That’s not in your nature.”
