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And now I feel bad. I feel sorry for Leo, but more than that, I feel like I’ve failed him. Why couldn’t I have tried to be his friend, too, instead of sticking to Antonio all the time? Why have I been comparing them? Why can’t I just understand him instead of telling him what Antonio would have done, or appreciate him instead of thinking of what Antonio could have been. Why am I still forcing him to compete with Antonio even though Antonio’s long gone?
I slap my forehead.
No wonder Leo’s done with me. No wonder he left me behind to drive to the airport and come back here alone. I pushed him away just like Gladys said I would. I never really gave him a chance. Now, it’s too late.
I sit back and let out a sigh. As I look around the room for the first time, I see men and women anxiously waiting for news, some praying, some crying. Only one woman seems to be at ease. She’s wearing a red dress under a black cardigan and she’s listening to music on her phone while reading a book. A cup of coffee sits in her right hand.
I grin, thinking she looks just right at home.
Just then, a man taps her shoulder. She turns her head and her face lights up with a smile. He kisses her forehead and they start talking as she puts away her things. Then they leave, she with her arm wrapped around his waist, his draped over her shoulders.
Ah. They’re in love. They’re probably going on a date.
That brings something to my mind. Gladys believes that Leo is in love with me, right? Maybe that’s not true anymore, but if it was, maybe I can still reach Leo. Maybe we can still patch things up and finally understand each other. Maybe we can start from the very beginning and be friends again. Or something more.
The thought fills me with hope, excitement as I pull up Leo’s number. Just as I’m about to make the call, I change my mind. I stand up, thinking I’ll go talk to him face to face, maybe at the hotel or the mansion. In my haste to leave, I bump into someone.
“Sorry,” I mumble without looking at who it is.
I’m about to walk off but a hand grabs my arm.
“Jodie?”
I turn my head. A pair of gray eyes meet my gaze and my eyebrows arch.
“Connor?”
He smiles. “What are you doing here? Are you…?”
His smile fades when he sees my bandaged pinkie, replaced with an expression of concern.
“What happened?”
“Oh, it’s nothing serious.” I pull my hand away. “I just twisted it a bit, I think, when I used my hand to break a fall.”
I didn’t even notice it until I was back at the apartment. That was when it started hurting. I thought it would be better the next day but I woke up and it was swollen so I decided to come to the hospital to have it checked.
“The doctor at the ER already looked at it,” I add. “She ordered an X-ray just to be sure the bone isn’t broken. I’m just waiting for it but I was thinking I’ll come back for it later. I suddenly remembered I have an errand to run, so I…”
I stop talking as my head suddenly spins. I grip Connor’s arm to keep myself from falling.
“Jodie?”
The dizziness passes. I let go of his arm.
“Sorry about that. I just… got dizzy for a bit. I’m fine.”
Connor, however, doesn’t look convinced.
“Really, it’s nothing. It comes and goes. It’s probably…”
“It comes and goes?” Connor asks with furrowed eyebrows. “You mean this has been happening a lot?”
I shrug. “A few times a week.”
“How many?”
I pause to think. “Three? Maybe four. Sometimes twice in a day. Sometimes none.”
“And how long has this been going on?”
I scratch the back of my head. “I don’t know. A few weeks. Maybe since my father died?”
Connor frowns.
“I’m fine,” I tell him. “Stop asking me questions like I’m a witness on a stand.”
“Well, now you know how it feels.”
I snort.
“At any rate, it’s my job to ask questions. Not just yours. Any other symptoms?”
I purse my lips as I think. “I’ve just been feeling tired. But then, I’ve been going through a lot.”
“What about constipation? Nausea? Vomiting?”
Well, I did throw up that one time, but I’m pretty sure that was because of something I ate.
“I’m fine, Connor,” I assure him.
“Maybe.” He nods. “But I’d like to run some tests just the same. Come with me.”
He takes my arm. I don’t budge.
“You’re not my doctor.”
“I am now,” he tells me. “And you should consider yourself lucky. I’m one of the best in this hospital.”
I’d snort, but I know it’s true. “Show-off.”
Connor grins. “Plus I promise you won’t pay a cent. I owe you, after all. Come on.”
