Page 117 of A Moment for Us
I walk around, inspecting and measuring the side when my sister appears. “Really, Josh?”
I blink. “What?”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m doing what I need to. Working.”
Stella lets out a deep sigh and shakes her head. “When Grayson said you were here, I thought . . . no. No way would he be working. Not my brother. Not my oldest and most amazing brother.”
“Stella, I own this place too, in case you forgot.”
My sister scowls. “Are we back to this?”
I’m getting a fucking headache. “To what?”
“Where work is all that matters? What about the people who need you, Josh? You’re not this guy.”
“I’m clearly this guy, and when the hell have I said work is all that matters? I think my actions have proven otherwise.” My voice is clipped.
She throws her hands up in the air. “Then why the fuck are you here? Why, Josh? Why would you abandon her? Why would you be walking around the goddamn inn that’s not even built yet instead of being at her side?”
“Whose side?” I yell.
Stella blinks and looks at me as though I’m a fool. “Delia.”
I take a step toward her. “What about Delia?”
I watch as my sister seems to piece together that I have no idea what she’s talking about. “She . . . she called . . . didn’t she call you?”
My phone is in my hand, and there’s nothing. “No. She hasn’t called because she’s at her appointment.”
“Josh, I—” Stella pauses and then inhales deeply. “I thought you knew and weren’t going. She called Jessica, and I was with Grayson when Jessica called him, telling him he needed to come home. He said he had to go but not why and was gone before I could ask. So, I called Jessica, who said it was Delia. They’re taking her to the hospital, something is wrong. That’s all I know.”
I don’t respond or think. I just run. I’m moving toward my car, my sister screaming my name, but I keep going. Something is wrong, and I am going to be too late. Again. I will fail her like I knew I would. I pull my door open, and Stella is there, pulling open the passenger side. “Josh, stop!”
“I have to go.”
“You have to calm down. You can’t go in there like this.”
“I don’t even fucking know what this is!”
Stella scrambles into the car. “I’m going with you.”
I don’t care. I just start the car and throw it in reverse. I feel as though I’m reliving ten years ago, racing to get the girl I love, needing to save her before it’s too late.
“Josh, you have to slow down,” Stella warns. “She’s okay. Jessica is with her.”
“I should be with her!”
My sister grips my wrist. “Calm down. You’re going to be no good to her if you’re a raging lunatic. I know you’re worried, but she’s with the doctors.”
“I fucking did it again, Stella! Don’t you see? I should’ve fucking been there. I should’ve been with her today, but instead, I was here because work was too important. I didn’t leave after the goddamn meeting, I stayed and walked the property. She didn’t call me! She didn’t even call me because she knew!”
Stella watches me as I move through the streets, each mile feels like it takes an hour to cover.
“She knew what?” Her voice is soft and full of concern.
“That I’d be too late. That I wouldn’t make it to her, and I’d hurt her.”
