Page 83 of Don't Forget Me
Shifting her eyes to Booker, she lifted a brow. He shook his head.
“Right. Because family doesn’t lie to each other. We don’t make things up, especially big, important things.”
Her dad leaned forward, resting a hand on her knee. “Lizzy, where are you going with this?”
She pushed out a breath. “I know you’ve had questions about my mental state since I woke up, and it’s understandable. I’ve escaped my room twice—once without help when I could hardly stand—and broke into another patient’s room.”
“Not just any patient,” Booker said. “The famous one under guard.”
“I know.” She couldn’t blame Booker for his skepticism. “I know everything I’ve said about Nick Jacobs sounds ridiculous. Before my coma, I didn’t know him other than the actor I watched in movies. But that’s changed.”
“How?” That was her dad. “He’s been unconscious since before your accident.”
This was where they locked her up in an asylum. But she wouldn’t keep it from them. “You all say I was in a coma for a week, but for me, it felt like six months. And I was with him, with Nick, for each moment I wasn’t with you. For months, he was the only person I talked to, the only one I saw when I woke up and when I went to bed. He—” A sob cut her off, and her back shook.
“Don’t cry, Mom.” Evelyn’s little hand rubbed up and down her back.
“Yeah.” Owen scooted closer. “We believe you, don’t we, Papa?” His earnest gaze fell on his grandfather, a grandfather who couldn’t look at his daughter.
Tears broke past the barrier she’d tried to keep in place, spilling down her cheeks as she rested her chin on Owen’s head. She loved her kids more than anything, and they had so much faith in her, but they weren’t the ones she had to convince.
“Dad.” Elizabeth reached for the hand he hadn’t moved. “You know me. I’m not someone who follows their favorite stars or breaks into places where I’m not supposed to be. I’ve had to live my life cautiously, but the best parts of my life have come when I decided to forget caution, to follow my heart. Like having two children on my own, fighting cancer twice, and… going to culinary school.” She hadn’t dropped that bomb yet, but she’d made the decision while lying in this hospital bed.
Surprise echoed in his eyes, but he finally lifted them to her.
“I can finally see a future for myself, one that isn’t cut short if the cancer returns. That’s because I experienced a world where I got to be strong. I got to see what my life could be like.”
He didn’t speak for a long moment before wiping his glassy eyes. “You’re wrong, Liz.” She opened her mouth to contradict him, but he put up a hand. “You’ve always been strong.”
A smile curved her lips. “Now, I need to be strong for him, Dad. You might not believe me. I probably wouldn’t believe me if I hadn’t experienced it. But Nick needs me. Right now, that’s all that matters. I can’t leave until I see him again.”
He squeezed her hand, nodding. “Okay.” He released a breath. “Okay.”
Booker hadn’t said anything yet when he pushed away from the wall. “Liz, I… I just can’t. I won’t believe this.” He handed her dad the car keys. “I need to go.”
Fresh tears welled in her eyes as he practically ran from the room.
“Oh, honey.” Her dad moved to the bed and pulled her into his side, careful to avoid her cast. “Your mom wouldn’t have taken this long to be on your side.”
She smiled at that. It was the truth. “That’s because Mom believed in the unexplainable.”
“No, it’s because she believed in you.” He kissed the side of her head. “Now, how do we get you into that room?”
Only one person could help again. “There’s a nurse I’m guessing is still lurking around here. Find Nurse Jasmine.”
“A nurse will break you into another hospital room?”
A slow smile spread across her face. “Well, she’s not really a nurse.”
Jasmine appeared in the doorway with a giant grin. “Looks like we have more accomplices this time.” She sent Evelyn and Owen a wink. “I just checked, and Sherrie is still in L.A., so she won’t be here today. Nick’s agent didn’t answer her phone, so we can’t rely on her to help us. It looks like it’s just you and me.”
“I know your subterfuge probably doesn’t need an old man.” Her dad entered behind her. “But you have one.”
“Dad.” Elizabeth laughed. “You’re not old.”
“Yeah, Papa.” Evelyn grinned. “Mom always says you’re just aged like an old cheese.”
“Oh, she does, does she?” He raised one brow.
