Read Online Memory's Edge: Part One by DelSheree Gladden - Free Book Online
Authors: DelSheree Gladden
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him, honey. I’ve
never seen anybody so happy to be visiting the hospital.”
“I…that’s
not why I’m offering to take him in,” Gretchen spluttered. “I’m worried about
him. He doesn’t have anybody else!”
Lynn and
Maria laughed all the harder.
“Don’t get
so upset, Gretch,” Lynn said through her giggling. “We’re not making fun. We
know you want to help him too, but you have to admit it’s more than that.”
“That man
is going to be a real handsome heartbreaker when he finally heals up,” Maria
added. “Don’t tell my husband I said that, though.”
“How can
you tell what he’s going to look like,” Gretchen asked. “He’s still more
swollen bruises than anything else.”
Maria drew
a finger across her cheekbone. “He has excellent bone structure. Just like me.”
She put on her best self-absorbed modeling face to prove it. Lynn rolled her
eyes and shook her head, but Gretchen laughed a little.
“We’re glad
you’re taking him in,” Lynn said more seriously. “He’s going to need a lot of
help for the next couple of months and I couldn’t think of anyone better to
take care of him than you. We’ll be there to help if you need us. We know you
have to be at school all day, so if he needs help we can swing by on our days
off if he has any trouble on his own.”
Maria
nodded at the offer.
They didn’t
think Gretchen was insane. That was a good sign, wasn't it? They were a couple
of romantic, sentimental women like Gretchen, though. Would John feel the same
way? She knew Carl wouldn’t. Would John rather go it alone? There was no way to
guess what his response would be. At the risk of him being scared away,
Gretchen said goodbye to Lynn and Maria and walked down the hall, her nerves
drawing closer to their breaking point at the thought of seeing John again.
Did he
really have good bone structure? She shook her head at the errant thought and
powered on. Carl thought helping John was dangerous. Lynn and Maria thought it
hopelessly romantic. Gretchen wasn’t looking for adventure or romance. At
least, that was what she kept telling herself.
Chapter Ten
Give In
John didn’t
remember falling asleep. His eyes stayed peacefully shut as he wondered how he
could still be tired. He had been asleep for days already. John felt like he
should have had enough energy to run from the one coast to the other. Energy
was elusive. Instead, he felt drained. Emotional storms were sucking away all
his strength. One minute he was basking in Gretchen’s warmth, and then next he
was ready to tear into a sweet old grandmother because she didn’t know how to
fix him. Guilt spiked between those two frequently, as did confusion,
frustration, self-pity, and every other unpleasant emotion a human was capable
of feeling.
The worst
was loneliness. John opened his eyes, looking for Gretchen, only to find
himself alone. Gretchen was gone.
His eyes
rolled all the way open to find her chair empty. He lost all control over his
reaction. Tightness in his chest made it hard to breathe and the tremor that
ran through his uninjured hand wouldn’t go away. He searched the room for her,
listening to see if she was outside the door, but heard and saw only emptiness.
Panic ran through him. His mind kept telling him how ridiculous he was being,
but what did his mind know? It was broken.
He didn’t
care that he barely knew this woman. She was all he had. The threat of losing that
one small piece of his life gave him an anxiety attack. He was on the verge of
hyperventilating when Gretchen slipped into the room. She stopped dead as soon
as she saw him. Concern burned in her eyes as she rushed forward.
“John, are
you okay? Do you need me to get a nurse?” she asked.
Unable to
answer her, John grabbed her hand and held it to his chest. Closing his eyes in
shame, he concentrated on her touch. Her weight settling on the side of the bed
calmed him even more, but it was her fingers caressing his
never seen anybody so happy to be visiting the hospital.”
“I…that’s
not why I’m offering to take him in,” Gretchen spluttered. “I’m worried about
him. He doesn’t have anybody else!”
Lynn and
Maria laughed all the harder.
“Don’t get
so upset, Gretch,” Lynn said through her giggling. “We’re not making fun. We
know you want to help him too, but you have to admit it’s more than that.”
“That man
is going to be a real handsome heartbreaker when he finally heals up,” Maria
added. “Don’t tell my husband I said that, though.”
“How can
you tell what he’s going to look like,” Gretchen asked. “He’s still more
swollen bruises than anything else.”
Maria drew
a finger across her cheekbone. “He has excellent bone structure. Just like me.”
She put on her best self-absorbed modeling face to prove it. Lynn rolled her
eyes and shook her head, but Gretchen laughed a little.
“We’re glad
you’re taking him in,” Lynn said more seriously. “He’s going to need a lot of
help for the next couple of months and I couldn’t think of anyone better to
take care of him than you. We’ll be there to help if you need us. We know you
have to be at school all day, so if he needs help we can swing by on our days
off if he has any trouble on his own.”
Maria
nodded at the offer.
They didn’t
think Gretchen was insane. That was a good sign, wasn't it? They were a couple
of romantic, sentimental women like Gretchen, though. Would John feel the same
way? She knew Carl wouldn’t. Would John rather go it alone? There was no way to
guess what his response would be. At the risk of him being scared away,
Gretchen said goodbye to Lynn and Maria and walked down the hall, her nerves
drawing closer to their breaking point at the thought of seeing John again.
Did he
really have good bone structure? She shook her head at the errant thought and
powered on. Carl thought helping John was dangerous. Lynn and Maria thought it
hopelessly romantic. Gretchen wasn’t looking for adventure or romance. At
least, that was what she kept telling herself.
Chapter Ten
Give In
John didn’t
remember falling asleep. His eyes stayed peacefully shut as he wondered how he
could still be tired. He had been asleep for days already. John felt like he
should have had enough energy to run from the one coast to the other. Energy
was elusive. Instead, he felt drained. Emotional storms were sucking away all
his strength. One minute he was basking in Gretchen’s warmth, and then next he
was ready to tear into a sweet old grandmother because she didn’t know how to
fix him. Guilt spiked between those two frequently, as did confusion,
frustration, self-pity, and every other unpleasant emotion a human was capable
of feeling.
The worst
was loneliness. John opened his eyes, looking for Gretchen, only to find
himself alone. Gretchen was gone.
His eyes
rolled all the way open to find her chair empty. He lost all control over his
reaction. Tightness in his chest made it hard to breathe and the tremor that
ran through his uninjured hand wouldn’t go away. He searched the room for her,
listening to see if she was outside the door, but heard and saw only emptiness.
Panic ran through him. His mind kept telling him how ridiculous he was being,
but what did his mind know? It was broken.
He didn’t
care that he barely knew this woman. She was all he had. The threat of losing that
one small piece of his life gave him an anxiety attack. He was on the verge of
hyperventilating when Gretchen slipped into the room. She stopped dead as soon
as she saw him. Concern burned in her eyes as she rushed forward.
“John, are
you okay? Do you need me to get a nurse?” she asked.
Unable to
answer her, John grabbed her hand and held it to his chest. Closing his eyes in
shame, he concentrated on her touch. Her weight settling on the side of the bed
calmed him even more, but it was her fingers caressing his
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