them she reached up and draped them across his wide shoulders and the light touch seem to inspire him to tighten the hug.
She hadn’t expected this. She wasn’t sure what she expected but it definitely wasn’t this. Even a blind man could’ve sensed the close relationship between the two and the fact that Ed had gone this far said a whole lot. But still, the intensity of his emotions caught her completely off guard.
“This is why you hire a pro.” She said cheerfully in an effort to lighten the moment.
He slowly released her. Took a step back. Looked directly into her eyes and the butterflies in her stomach took flight
. So much for lightening the mood
.
“No seriously. Thank you. I know you were somewhat…hesitant about all this. But you really came through. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he saw you standing there in the doorway.”
She smiled. “He seems like a very special man.”
“He’s the reason I’m alive.” Despite the implications of that statement his somber expression revealed nothing.
Amelia watched as a hand came up and tapped Ed’s shoulder. “We need to talk.”
Ed turned slightly revealing Steve standing behind him. The man’s facial expression was murderous.
Ed smiled at him. “Yeah, I thought you might have a question or two.” He glanced at her again. “Amelia, there is a lounge at the end of the hall, if you could wait for me there. This will only take a moment.”
Amelia nodded and started to walk away but even from a distance she could clearly hear the beginning of a conversation being conducted in stage whispers but she just kept walking toward the end of the hall wondering what exactly had she gotten herself into this time.
• • •
“What do you think you’re doing?” Steve’s voice was low but Ed could clearly hear the anger there.
“Fulfilling a dying man’s wish.”
“With lies?!”
“If that’s what it takes!”
“How long do you expect to keep up this pretense?”
“As long as needed for him to leave this world in peace.” Ed sighed heavily. “Steve, I don’t expect you to understand but don’t you expect to change my mind either.” He turned to walk away but Steve grabbed his arm.
“Ed, wait! As misguided as all this is I get where you’re coming from. I do! But this is ridiculous! Is this really how you want to end things with him?”
Ed’s eyes narrowed. “Steve, for the sake of our friendship mind you own damn business.” He jerked free of Steve’s hold and started down the hall taking long strides.
“Who is she anyway?!” Steve called after him.
The best damn actress in the world
. He left Steve’s unanswered question hanging in the air between them.
When Ed reached the lounge the first thing he saw was her perfect profile as she stood staring out the window. Hearing him enter the room she turned her head and smiled at him. If that was how Helen smiled at Paris upon their first meeting then the Trojan War was perfectly understandable Ed thought.
“Where did you learn to act so convincingly?”
Her smiled turned shy. “Hey, it’s a complete dedication to the craft or nothing at all.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Everything okay with the doctor?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Oh that. Yeah, everything’s fine. It’s just this
particular
doctor also happens to be one of my closest friends so sometimes he thinks he has the right to express opinions he should keep to himself.”
“What now?”
“That’s up to you. Are you willing to stick around for a while?”
She had just told a terminally sick man that she would see him tomorrow. What kind of monster did he think she was to miss that appointment. “I’ll be here.”
He smiled and for the briefest moment she caught a glimpse of what he would look like without the burdens he currently carried. “Great! Let’s just go collect your bag and I’ll drop you off wherever you’re going.”
As she followed him down the hall to the
She hadn’t expected this. She wasn’t sure what she expected but it definitely wasn’t this. Even a blind man could’ve sensed the close relationship between the two and the fact that Ed had gone this far said a whole lot. But still, the intensity of his emotions caught her completely off guard.
“This is why you hire a pro.” She said cheerfully in an effort to lighten the moment.
He slowly released her. Took a step back. Looked directly into her eyes and the butterflies in her stomach took flight
. So much for lightening the mood
.
“No seriously. Thank you. I know you were somewhat…hesitant about all this. But you really came through. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he saw you standing there in the doorway.”
She smiled. “He seems like a very special man.”
“He’s the reason I’m alive.” Despite the implications of that statement his somber expression revealed nothing.
Amelia watched as a hand came up and tapped Ed’s shoulder. “We need to talk.”
Ed turned slightly revealing Steve standing behind him. The man’s facial expression was murderous.
Ed smiled at him. “Yeah, I thought you might have a question or two.” He glanced at her again. “Amelia, there is a lounge at the end of the hall, if you could wait for me there. This will only take a moment.”
Amelia nodded and started to walk away but even from a distance she could clearly hear the beginning of a conversation being conducted in stage whispers but she just kept walking toward the end of the hall wondering what exactly had she gotten herself into this time.
• • •
“What do you think you’re doing?” Steve’s voice was low but Ed could clearly hear the anger there.
“Fulfilling a dying man’s wish.”
“With lies?!”
“If that’s what it takes!”
“How long do you expect to keep up this pretense?”
“As long as needed for him to leave this world in peace.” Ed sighed heavily. “Steve, I don’t expect you to understand but don’t you expect to change my mind either.” He turned to walk away but Steve grabbed his arm.
“Ed, wait! As misguided as all this is I get where you’re coming from. I do! But this is ridiculous! Is this really how you want to end things with him?”
Ed’s eyes narrowed. “Steve, for the sake of our friendship mind you own damn business.” He jerked free of Steve’s hold and started down the hall taking long strides.
“Who is she anyway?!” Steve called after him.
The best damn actress in the world
. He left Steve’s unanswered question hanging in the air between them.
When Ed reached the lounge the first thing he saw was her perfect profile as she stood staring out the window. Hearing him enter the room she turned her head and smiled at him. If that was how Helen smiled at Paris upon their first meeting then the Trojan War was perfectly understandable Ed thought.
“Where did you learn to act so convincingly?”
Her smiled turned shy. “Hey, it’s a complete dedication to the craft or nothing at all.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Everything okay with the doctor?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Oh that. Yeah, everything’s fine. It’s just this
particular
doctor also happens to be one of my closest friends so sometimes he thinks he has the right to express opinions he should keep to himself.”
“What now?”
“That’s up to you. Are you willing to stick around for a while?”
She had just told a terminally sick man that she would see him tomorrow. What kind of monster did he think she was to miss that appointment. “I’ll be here.”
He smiled and for the briefest moment she caught a glimpse of what he would look like without the burdens he currently carried. “Great! Let’s just go collect your bag and I’ll drop you off wherever you’re going.”
As she followed him down the hall to the
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