Wildflower Hearts

11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

“ I said,” he barked, stepping further into the living room, “What the fuck is going on?”

“Babe, you left the bags in the …” Debra’s voice trailed off as she came up behind him, eyes scanning the three of them. Without another word, she shrank back into the hallway.

“Nothing’s…”

“We were….”

“Shut up.” Mark grabbed Lyla by the upper arm and snatched his brother’s ear. He ignored Noah’s yelp of protest as he jerked them toward the couch. He pushed Noah down with a careful eye on his leg and shoved Lyla beside him. He looked between them. “Spill it.”

Crossing his arms, Noah glared at his brother with a fire of determination in his eyes. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“There’s nothing to be concerned with in the first place,” Lyla muttered, refusing to look at him.

“You’re both shitty liars.” Mark chuckled even though the anger not lost in his voice. “I was there at lunch. I know what I saw. I’ve been seeing it since the hospital. If you two are bumping uglies…”

“We are not bumping anything!”

“Nice vocabulary skills,” Noah chuckled. “It’s called fucking, not bumping uglies.”

“We are not doing either of those things.” She shoved herself up from the couch and pointed at Mark. “Don’t you dare touch me like that again.”

Debra reappeared in the doorway, biting her lip nervously.

“Noah and I haven’t slept together. We aren’t planning to sleep together. How dare you accuse me of that? Look at him!”

“Hey!”

She flinched at Noah’s insulted objection but ignored him. “He’s injured, he’s heavily medicated, and he’s at home under the same roof as us. I wouldn’t betray Elias that way.”

“Betray me in what way?” Elias entered the living room, glancing around in confusion, as he jerked off his gloves. None of them answered, nor looked in his direction. “I asked you guys a question.”

“Yeah,” Mark crossed his arms, eyeing Lyla with a smug look, “he asked you a question, Girlie.”

“I didn’t come here to get attacked.” Her voice betrayed her when it quivered with uncertainty. “I came here…” She shook her head. “I don’t know why I honestly came here. This was a mistake. Excuse me.”

She shoved past them and was halfway up the stairs when Elias grabbed her arm to stop her. He frowned, eyebrows furrowed in the way that always let a person know they were about to be in serious trouble. She felt no fear of him hurting her, but the intense look on his face made her instinctively back up against the wall.

“Tell me what’s going on, Lyla. I came home to you and Mark squaring off like you’re about to throw down. What did I interrupt exactly?”

“I can’t do this. I thought I could, but I can’t.” Lyla motioned at her arm he held in a tight grip.

“Do what?” He let go, but she knew if she moved, he’d only grab her again. “What can’t you do?”

“I can’t be here. I’m no longer Noah’s nurse. I have no right to barge into your life; it’s only complicating things. I can’t be your girlfriend anymore. I’m sorry.”

“You’re breaking up with me?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Everything was fine this morning, and now you’re fucking bailing ship?”

“Don’t cuss at me, Elias.”

“You’re breaking up with me for no reason, and you expect me just to let you go on your merry way?”

“Don’t act like this is breaking your heart.” She gathered all the courage she ever found in her body and straightened as tall as possible. “And don’t pretend like this is the first time a girl has dumped you. I’m leaving. We’re done. End of story.”

“This isn’t a switch you turn off and on when you want to, Lyla!” Elias reached for her, but she flinched, bumping hard into the wall. It caused him to stop, eyebrows furrowing in anger and confusion. “We were fine up until I left you here alone with Noah.”

She froze, eyes locked on him. She wished for nothing more than to sink into the wallpaper as a light of realization sank into his eyes.

“What did he do? What did he say to you?”

“He didn’t-”

“Bullshit, stop protecting him all the fucking time. He’s not some kid.” This time, he ignored her flinching and grabbed her arms. “Tell me. Did he say something to you or do something you didn’t like?”

“I kissed him.” She wiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks and twisted away from him. “I can’t explain why it happened, but it did. That’s why we’re done, Elias.”

Lyla saw his body stiffen out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to see his gaze turn cold, his jaw muscles popping as he ground his teeth. “You’re right. We are done. I think it’s time you left.”

She turned without a moment’s hesitation and bound up the stairs. She flew into the room she once shared with him, gathering her things.

Elias was gone when she came back down, no one else meeting her eyes except Noah. He didn’t remove his eyes from her until the front door shut firmly behind her.

The vending machine ate her change again. “Of all the days!” She dug into her pockets and found a crumpled dollar. This time, it took her money and spit the bottle of flavored water down the shoot to the bottom.

She greeted staff in the hall but as usual, her mind was elsewhere. She stayed out of the way of Elias and the Kingsleys during their visits for Noah’s therapy sessions. Even though they were on different floors, she locked herself away in various offices and patient rooms.

A year had passed since she felt Noah’s lips against hers and saw hurt in Elias’s eyes. It didn’t stop her from waking up crying at night.

The hospital staff immediately noticed the change in her. The gentle smile and caring nature remained, but she became a woman possessed, taking double shifts whenever possible. She threw herself into extra classes at the university and medical program, striving to earn a diploma and license for practice as a doctor. She wanted to become the the youngest doctor on the staff, and she refused to slow down. No doubt at the news of her increased paycheck, her mother seemed to forget their previous battle of words. She called daily, leaving messages on voicemail when Lyla refused to answer. Amelia was now divorced and working, much to her mother’s disgust, at the local mall. Her father’s business had stalled due to the economy, and he turned nightly to alcohol for comfort. Lyla gave a sympathetic ear, but that was the extent of her kindness.

After checking supplies in an empty hospital room, Lyla stopped in her tracks at the sight of a Elias standing at the nurses’ station. His back was to her, the familiar leather jacket, and a black beanie on his head as he talked to Melissa who was sitting behind the counter. She cleared her throat and made her way toward them. She ignored him to focus on Melissa, the woman’s eyes darting between her and Elias but she said nothing. “Do you have a file for me?”

“Um…”

“Are you going to ignore me, Tinkerbell?”

She finally shifted her attention toward him. “Good morning, Mr. Kingsley. What brings you to our floor?”

“I’m wasting time while Noah finishes his session. He only has one more after this.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Mr. Kingsley. The hospital and its staff are always happy to have a successful case.”

“Why do you keep calling me Mr. Kingsley? You know my name.”

“I’m on the clock. It’s the proper time for such formalities I hate to be short with you, Mr. Kingsley, but I do have patients that need attending. If there’s something I can help you with, I’d be more than happy to-”

“You lied to me.”

Shooting a look at Melissa to see her not looking at them but obviously still paying attention to their conversation, she slipped a hand under his elbow and steered him toward the elevators away from the counter. “Excuse me?”

“You lied to me that day. You told me you kissed Noah.”

“I-”

“He told me everything. I knew he would eventually tell me the truth; he doesn’t keep secrets very well.”

Lyla released him to cross her arms over her chest.

“He said you tried to stop him, that you were arguing with him when Mark came back to the house.” He eyed her. “It happened a lot faster than I had anticipated.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re referring to, Mr-.”

He grunted and leaned against the wall beside the elevator. “Quit doing that. You know my name, use it.” He waited until she nodded. “I knew Noah had a soft spot for you since day one. Everyone could see it. I thought it was only a crush, and you didn’t seem to feel the same, so I chose to ignore it. Bad call on my part.”

She shook her head. “Elias, that’s all it was. It happens sometimes with patients. They get connected to a doctor or nurse on a personal level. I’m sure Noah’s moved on to bigger and better things. I know that I have.”

“I see that. I’m sure working yourself to death is really filling a void in your life.”

“There is no void.”

Elias shook his head. “You never were good at lying to me.” He ignored the scared expression in her eyes as he reached out and took her chin in his hand. “It’s okay to feel something for someone other than professionally.” Just as quickly, he released her and glanced at his watch. “God knows you of all people should be happy. I need to get going before Noah thinks I bailed on his ass.” He shot her one last look before hitting the button on the elevator. “I’m not angry at you. Despite how things ended between us, we miss you. I know for a fact that Noah does.”

“Goodbye, Elias. It was nice seeing you.”

“You too, Lyla.”

The elevator doors shut, and she walked back to the nurses’ station. “Do you have a new file for me or not?”

“Lyla…”

“Don’t start,” she cut Melissa off with a sharp look that matched her tone.

Sighing, the nurse extended a folder toward her.