Page 17 of Loving You Always

“He’s suffering.”

“I can only imagine. No, I can’t imagine. He has to be grieving for the baby, and still waiting for Kerris to come out of surgery.”

“And the guilt,” Meredith added before she could stop herself, biting her lip. She practically heard the cogs in that sharp mind on the other end turning.

“What does he have to feel guilty about?” Something quiet and deadly slid into Walsh’s voice.

“Um…”

“Don’t even think about lying to me. What are you not telling me?”

“Walsh—”

“I’ll find out, so just tell me now.”

“Well, they had a fight.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And apparently Cam…”

“Cam what?”

“Cam had been drinking and stormed off. Kerris was scared he’d hurt himself, so she went after him, and it was raining. There was something in the road. She veered and hydroplaned.”

The details tumbled out in a rush, the waiting stillness on the other end making Meredith wish she could take back every word before they reached his ears.

“And you expect me to back off for him?” His words were so soft and ominous, a shiver of fear ran along her arms. “If she dies, Meredith, I’ll twist that pretty face of his beyond recognition.”

“Walsh, listen.”

“No compromise. I’m on my way.”

“Okay, okay.” Meredith’s shoulders dropped another inch. “But call me when you get here. Wait in the parking lot. I’ll come out to let you know what’s up, and we can go from there.”

She held her breath, waiting for his response.

“Okay, Walsh? Can you at least do that for me?”

She heard a car door slam.

“I’m on my way.”

She’d have to take that as a yes.

***

Walsh sat in the parking lot, considering the hospital entrance, so quiet at this time of morning, the sun just starting to overtake the night sky. The last time he’d been here, it had been to take his mother home to die. And before that, there had been Iyani. Kerris had been by his side through that ordeal.

He smiled, remembering how they had distracted each other that day with silly jokes and teasing as they’d waited during Iyani’s surgery. They’d laughed over his mother’s soul food. His mind had greedily hoarded every moment he’d ever spent with her, and it was like bread and water to him now—sustaining. What if he never saw her alive again? He slammed his fist into the steering wheel, wishing it were Cam’s head.

Thoughtless. Selfish. Foolish. Irresponsible.

He had known Cam could be all those things, and he’d bowed out anyway, let him walk off with a treasure he had known was meant to be his. He really didn’t know if he was angriest at Cam or at himself. He pulled out his phone.

“Meredith, I’m here.” He kept his voice low and free of the wretched emotion boring a hole in his gut.

“I’m coming out,” she whispered back. “Where are you?”

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