Read Online Perfection Is Just an Illusion (Swimming Upstream #1) by Rebecca Barber - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rebecca Barber
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he ran, through the doors to your bedside. He hasn’t moved all night. You should see the reporters that have flocked to the hospital. They’re blocking every exit downstairs. They’re dying to know how the fairy tale ends. It’s crazy. Anyone would think that it was James who ended up in hospital.” Nancy sat on the side of Anna’s bed. “That young man loves you very much. I can tell,” Nancy pronounced with a wink before she disappeared.
James wandered back, his face filled with anxious energy. He looked as though he’d spent the night sleeping in the gutter. Anna was beginning to regain some of her strength. The pain killers must have been wearing off as Anna’s movements triggered more and more pain. Her leg provided a constant dull ache. Her ribs gave her the feeling that a truck had hit her. “Hey.” She smiled at the sight of him.
“How are you doing?” James asked, sipping at his coffee.
“I’m doing okay. How ’bout you? How are you holding up?” Anna winced as she tried to pull herself upright.
“I’m good. Tired but good.” James was grinning as he put down his cup and helped her to sit up, adjusting her pillows.
“Baby, go home and get some sleep. I’m fine. Please. Go home and sleep. There’s nothing you can do here. I just need to get some rest,” Anna begged. As much as she wanted him to sleep and take care of himself, the truth was she didn’t want him to go. She needed him beside her. Not just now, but always.
“All right, all right I’ll go. But promise me, if you need anything, anything at all, you call me. I’ll be back in a few hours. Get some rest,” he surrendered, bumbling to his feet. He was just too exhausted to argue.
“Promise,” Anna called after him, as he walked out the door and towards the exit.
***
James
As he stepped out of the main doors, he barely managed two steps before being hounded by the press who had spent the night camping out on the hospital lawns to ensure that they were the first to get the details of the fairy tale’s ending. “Was it Anna? Is she okay?” Questions came firing at James from everywhere all at once. He had broken world records, been accused of being a drug cheat, but for the first time, his private life had become the focus of their curiosity. He was exposed and their story was the biggest in the country.
“Anna is going to be fine. She’ll remain in hospital for a few days but she’s doing extremely well. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone, not only for their help in finding Anna, but also for all the flowers and cards she has already received. From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” James stated before breaking into a jog and jumping into the front seat of Justin’s car before he could be bombarded with any more questions.
***
Anna
Anna lay motionless in her small bed. She was in too much pain to move. Or maybe it was that she was just too scared. Whatever the reason she just laid there, feeling her guilt snowballing on her. It was too late to change anything now, but Anna couldn’t help but think ‘what if’?
The old man across the room began to stir. Anna could hear him coughing and spluttering, struggling to breathe. He had nothing to do except lay there and wait to die. Wait to live. Wait for whatever came next. Whatever it was, he was doing it alone. A short time later, his wheezing stopped, but sadly so did his breathing. His old decrepit body had finally given in. The nurses quickly appeared and whisked him out the door. Anna lay there staring at the empty bed when Nancy came to check on her.
“It was his time, dear. It was just his time,” Nancy reassured her.
“Where were his family? His friends? Surely someone must care?” Anna was beside herself with disbelief.
“He had no family or friends that he would tell us of, or that we could track down. He was alone when he came in and he was alone when he left.” Pity was written all over Nancy’s
James wandered back, his face filled with anxious energy. He looked as though he’d spent the night sleeping in the gutter. Anna was beginning to regain some of her strength. The pain killers must have been wearing off as Anna’s movements triggered more and more pain. Her leg provided a constant dull ache. Her ribs gave her the feeling that a truck had hit her. “Hey.” She smiled at the sight of him.
“How are you doing?” James asked, sipping at his coffee.
“I’m doing okay. How ’bout you? How are you holding up?” Anna winced as she tried to pull herself upright.
“I’m good. Tired but good.” James was grinning as he put down his cup and helped her to sit up, adjusting her pillows.
“Baby, go home and get some sleep. I’m fine. Please. Go home and sleep. There’s nothing you can do here. I just need to get some rest,” Anna begged. As much as she wanted him to sleep and take care of himself, the truth was she didn’t want him to go. She needed him beside her. Not just now, but always.
“All right, all right I’ll go. But promise me, if you need anything, anything at all, you call me. I’ll be back in a few hours. Get some rest,” he surrendered, bumbling to his feet. He was just too exhausted to argue.
“Promise,” Anna called after him, as he walked out the door and towards the exit.
***
James
As he stepped out of the main doors, he barely managed two steps before being hounded by the press who had spent the night camping out on the hospital lawns to ensure that they were the first to get the details of the fairy tale’s ending. “Was it Anna? Is she okay?” Questions came firing at James from everywhere all at once. He had broken world records, been accused of being a drug cheat, but for the first time, his private life had become the focus of their curiosity. He was exposed and their story was the biggest in the country.
“Anna is going to be fine. She’ll remain in hospital for a few days but she’s doing extremely well. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone, not only for their help in finding Anna, but also for all the flowers and cards she has already received. From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” James stated before breaking into a jog and jumping into the front seat of Justin’s car before he could be bombarded with any more questions.
***
Anna
Anna lay motionless in her small bed. She was in too much pain to move. Or maybe it was that she was just too scared. Whatever the reason she just laid there, feeling her guilt snowballing on her. It was too late to change anything now, but Anna couldn’t help but think ‘what if’?
The old man across the room began to stir. Anna could hear him coughing and spluttering, struggling to breathe. He had nothing to do except lay there and wait to die. Wait to live. Wait for whatever came next. Whatever it was, he was doing it alone. A short time later, his wheezing stopped, but sadly so did his breathing. His old decrepit body had finally given in. The nurses quickly appeared and whisked him out the door. Anna lay there staring at the empty bed when Nancy came to check on her.
“It was his time, dear. It was just his time,” Nancy reassured her.
“Where were his family? His friends? Surely someone must care?” Anna was beside herself with disbelief.
“He had no family or friends that he would tell us of, or that we could track down. He was alone when he came in and he was alone when he left.” Pity was written all over Nancy’s
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