Page 104 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 2
"James came to our house once a month for the past two years trying to convince us to meet you. I know more than you think."
I turned toward him. "Really?"
"He didn't tell you?"
I was starting to think that James still didn't tell me a lot of things. "Not exactly. He told me he was trying, though."
"He was pretty relentless, in fact."
I smiled. "That sounds like James."
Jon shifted in his seat. "I owe you an apology."
"You don't. It's between you and James." I wasn't going to interfere anymore. I just wanted James to wake up. I just wanted him to be happy.
"No." He shook his head. "Well, yes, but I'm not talking about that right now." He awkwardly cleared his throat. "When Susan and I were in the room with James, something came up. I know it wasn't the time or place to confront her, but at the moment it seemed necessary."
"You were arguing in his room?" I had left James alone to hear his parents screaming at each other. To hear the chaos that he grew up with and so badly wanted to escape.
"Yes, but..."
"Why would you do that? The doctor specifically said to talk to him quietly. Not yell."
"I'm sorry."
"Why? Why couldn't you put your son first for five seconds?"
"It's not what you think. I was trying..."
"No, that's exactly the point, Jon. You weren't trying."
He lowered both his eyebrows. I hated how much it reminded me of James. I hated how that small action made me want to forgive him, to comfort him. But Jon wasn't James. Rob wasn't James. James was back in surgery. With a DNR and no more chances. My husband was dying. And his own father's yelling caused it. His parents screaming at each other. I refused to sit here and listen to Jon's lame apology. Because I didn't have it in my heart to forgive anyone.
"I don't think he stopped breathing because we were arguing. What I was trying to apologize for was that we moved our argument out of the room."
"He was alone when it happened?"
"I'm so sorry."
He was alone?Tears pricked at my eyes. Mason was wrong. I couldn't lean on any of these people. Because none of them seemed to have James' best interests in mind. Any one of themcould have been conspiring alongside Isabella. Any one of them could be the enemy.
"Penny, if you would just let me explain," Jon said.
But I was already walking away. I needed to be alone in my grief. I needed to be alone in my weakness.
Devotion - Chapter 29
Wednesday
"Penny?" my mom said and knocked on the stall door. "Can you please open the door?"
There was no escaping in this hospital. And I couldn't leave. I needed to be here. I needed to be close to him. I clenched my eyes shut. I couldn't do this right now.
"You know," my mom said, "when you were little and you got upset, you used to lock yourself in your room. No matter what we said to try and console you, you refused to come out. Until you got hungry."
I shook my head. I wasn't a kid anymore. And I wasn't refusing to come out because I was upset. I was refusing to come out because it felt like my life had stopped. It felt like my legs wouldn't work. It felt like my world was black. I was drowning in my grief. I was drowning in my weakness.
"Sweetie, I know you're in pain. Please come out and talk to me."
