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I stand outside Rex’s hospital room door for far too long. I’m wasting time with this loitering.
I don’t want to admit how terrified I am, but that’s the truth. I’m terrified.
It’s fine, Isabella. You’ll go in, say hello, he’ll thank you, you’ll both laugh about how weird this is and then you’ll leave. Just a little hiccup. A blip. And then we’ll be done.
I take a deep breath and knock.
“You don’t have to knock, Blaise,” a limp voice calls out.
“It’s not –“ I stop, closing my eyes. Just do it.
I open the door and step inside, keeping my hand on the knob in case I have to make a quick getaway.
There he is. Rex Redford. He tilts his head in my direction and…
He looks older. Five years looks different on a person, regardless, but especially going from your mid-twenties to your early thirties. The baby face is gone, exchanged for hollow cheekbones and a few wrinkles around his eyes. A few stray silver hairs dance through his dark hair.
Still a tall drink of water. Even laid out on a hospital bed.
When he sees me, and realizes it’s me, a smile creeps onto his face.
My stomach flips. I’m not sure if it’s a good kind of flip or a bad one.
“Isabella –”
I shut the door swiftly behind me. I don’t want anyone to hear a patient who should be a stranger being familiar with me. “I heard you wanted to thank me,” I say, straightening my back and lifting my head. Trying to remain proud and calm on the outside.
Falling to bits inside.
“I did,” Rex says. His voice has the same gravelly tone that I’ve gotten used to hearing on the radio. “When I heard it was Dr. Delgado that saved me, I had to make sure I wasn’t hearing things and…” He trails off, green eyes resting on mine.
I want more than anything to look away. It’s too much. His beautiful, vivid green eyes are just as mesmerizing as I remember.
“I guess I wasn’t,” he says through half a laugh.
“No, no you weren’t.”
Rex’s laugh picks up. His eyes squinch and he slides his hands over his face and through his hair that really needs a wash. “God, this is crazy. Isn’t this crazy?”
“It’s crazy alright,” I say, taking a few more trepidatious steps into the room.
“How the hell are you?” he asks.
“I’m good,” I say, unwilling to offer more. “How about you?”
Rex rolls his eyes but his smile doesn’t dissipate. “What a loaded question.”
“Sure.”
“I mean I’m sure you’ve seen or heard –“
“A little,” I lie.
A lot. Because I’ve had a compulsion to follow his career ever since Leo was born. At first, I thought I could shut it out, but as soon as I had my baby – our baby – I needed to know. To keep up. It was the least I could do for my son if his father wasn’t going to be in his life.
“I always hoped I’d see you again,” he says.
“Rex –“
